7th May, 2019 - report from Haas Moto Museum, Dallas, Texas, USA
I couldn’t leave the US without stopping in Dallas to visit the Haas Moto Museum, the passion project of Mr. Bobby Haas. A phenomenally successful businessman, turned National Geographic aerial photographer, author and artist in his own right, Bobby has created a Mecca for motorcycles in the heart of the Design District. The collection began four years ago, and the museum officially opened its doors to the public in April 2018.
It’s astonishing what Bobby and his partner Stacey Mayfield have managed to achieve in a few short years. It’s has the weight of a lifetime’s work. It is the definitive collection of motorcycles. I could spend days, if not weeks wandering amongst their machines.
The museum is a triumph. Beautifully architectured, the environment is soothing and inviting. It creates an intimacy with the machines which is odd considering the sheer size of museum. The lack of clutter invites the visitor to focus only on the machines before them. The choice of bikes is pitch perfect, the vintage and classic bikes sit harmoniously with the custom collection, and with the race bikes it creates a perfectly rounded testament to all that’s wonderful about the art and engineering of the motorcycle. The museum is like a love poem.
Bobby can be considered not only as a renaissance man, but a patron, supporting artists who’s medium is the motorcycle. He has a number of bikes by those who sit at the pinnacle of contemporary custom culture. Max Hazan, Craig Rodsmith, Revival Cycles, Christian Sousa, Jeremy Cupp, Royal T Racing, Krystal Hess, Sophie Tsingos, Walt Siegl, Brian Fuller and the young master Jay Donovan, to mention but a few. The custom collection is astonishing.
The halls are full of rare and wonderful machines that you’re unlikely to see elsewhere. I was lucky enough to be given a personal tour by Bobby himself, and the gentleman is not just generous with his time, but generous in spirit. He speaks with genuine love for the machines he’s collected, and with with affection and admiration for the builders he commissions and collaborates with. He has a number of projects in the making, working closely in the conceptualisation of the builds. A true enthusiast.
What is also worth noting is the vibrant team he has put together to run the museum with him. There are only six people looking after the business, and he and Stacey are there everyday and very hands on. Sparky is the master mechanic who keeps the machines in pristine condition, working on a bench in the custom hall for all to see. Clayton is the walking encyclopaedia, who knows each bike in the collection in intimate detail and is delighted to discuss the history of each exhibit. As you walk through the doors you’re greeted with a generous dose of Texan hospitality. This is an oasis I will be returning to time and time again.
Drool over a full set of images over on our gallery page.