Unwrapping a LoDo secret: a building with vintage hogs inside

VIEW SLIDESHOW
KUSA - There's a new museum in Denver, that is unlike anything you have ever seen. If you love vintage motocycles, you're going to love this.

Colorado's Vintage Moto Museum is home to over 200 restored motorcycles. Museum owner and Colorado resident Jim Dillard has been collecting and restoring motorcycles from all over the world since 1962.

"It happens a little bit at a time, its like anything," said Dillard. "After a while it becomes something pretty big."
The models in his museum represent 68 different manufacturers spanning across 13 countries between1933 and 1990, many of them not known to modern motorcycle lovers.

"What I have here is a twenty year collection of things I like," said Dillard. "I never thought about having a museum, it was just my collection."

Dillard has restored the majority of the motorcycles in his collection and visitors to the museum are able to view the motorcycles or hear the stories behind each one.
Restoring and riding motorcycles have been Dillard's passion since he began in 1962.

"At the end of a day of riding, your mind is really free of any worries," said Dillard. "You can't worry about stuff while you're riding." Although Dillard greatly enjoys his collection and sharing his passion for motorcycles with others, he wants to keep the size limited to give the motorcycles proper attention.
"I don't want to get it so crowded so people can't enjoy it," said Dillard

Some of the bikes featured at the Vintage Moto Museum have been displayed at larger museums including the Rockefeller Center in New York City. The museum is located in the basement of 2762 Walnut Street in LoDo, and includes vintage posters and memorabilia along with the restored motorcycles.

"If you have a number of children and somebody said, which one's your favorite child, what are you going to say?" asks Dillard. "Some days you might say I like one better than the other, but I love them all."

www.vintagemotos.com

Editor's Note:

9NEWS Intern Stephanie Patrick contributed to this story. Stephanie attends Metropolitan State College of Denver.