The unexpected often is the best surprise

Everybody knows Tamworth, NSW as the Country Music Capital of Australia with their Golden Guitar hovering over the country city.

Would you expect entering Tamworth from the opposite end of town from the Golden Guitar you would stumble across a private collection of rare, exquisitely restored motorcycles that you can't help but drool over?

I certainly didn't. I had heard a rumour when I was passing through Armidale last year. And I half expected some vague collection of old burnt out motorbikes. There was no website advertising it. There was nothing in my motorcycle atlas of Australia.

As I rode into the driveway on a hot sunny spring day, sweat rolling down my back, I saw a tin shed, and thought, oh no. Not a hot tin shed, with no air conditioning! Peeling off my gear, I drew a deep breath and walked in - if I'd travelled this far, I may as well go in and see what this place had to offer.

There's a saying - never judge a book by its cover.

This saying popped into my mind as I walked across the threshold and paid my $AUD6.00 for entrance and a cup of tea. The green corrogated iron of the shed was nothing you'd expect for the beauty that sucked all energy out of my visual senses. Bike after bike was in utter motorcycle-erotic perfection.

My only complaint: the volume of beautiful bikes versus the available space to get up close and personal.

There was something for everyone, Triumph, Suzuki, Honda, vintage Kawasaki,  MV Augusta, Ducati, BSA, Velocette, Harley Davidson, BMW, Norton, Ossa and the list goes on... The owner of these 50 plus motorcycles, Mr Greg Maguire, acquired these beauties over the last 20 years, and had the vintage collection blissfully restored to perfection by master restorer Mr Stephan Hodges who moved from New Zealand specifically to work on the collection.

Check out the collection here Powerhouse Motorcycles