George W. Barber 1940-2026
Click on image for George's obituary Motorcyclists, and the world in general, lost a friend, visionary and generous benefactor this past week.
Best known to most of us as the founder and inspiration for Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, George's influence actually spread far and wide throughout Alabama and the southeast U.S., funding hundreds of scholarships, promoting conservation and benefiting the lives of countless people and organizations, all with consummate humility and compassion. He will be missed on a personal and professional level but his work will live on for generations. Click on the image above for his impressive life story. Well done, George, rest in peace.
Best known to most of us as the founder and inspiration for Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, George's influence actually spread far and wide throughout Alabama and the southeast U.S., funding hundreds of scholarships, promoting conservation and benefiting the lives of countless people and organizations, all with consummate humility and compassion. He will be missed on a personal and professional level but his work will live on for generations. Click on the image above for his impressive life story. Well done, George, rest in peace.
The Barber Motorsports complex is a bucket list item for any serious motorcyclist
In the fall of 2007, I took a memorable 4000-mile tour to the 2d-annual Barber Vintage Festival near Birmingham, Alabama. I had Project #1 in the garage but for this ride I chose the Suzuki V-Strom 1000. My route began in Madison, WI, traced northeast along the Ohio River, breaking east at Parkersburg, WV where I worked my way through the Shenandoah Valley to Waynesboro, VA and milepost 0 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I rode in the autumn tranquility for the Parkway's full 469 miles to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, then the many famous and infamous roads of the southern Blue Ridge, Including my first sampling of the Dragon and Cherohala. Right on schedule, I rolled into the Barber complex for the beginning of the festival, including leisurely tours of the awesome museum.
(Below) The museum offered this very cool Interceptor exhibit, displaying the VF1000R, VFR750F and VF500F. If you click on the image of the display plaque you'll see in the lower right corner "BMC-002," which indicates that the VFR was the second bike George acquired for his collection, the bike's odometer showing .9 miles. I don't have a photo, but I think that the VF1000R was BMC-001. He obviously thought highly of the V4s.
(Below) The museum offered this very cool Interceptor exhibit, displaying the VF1000R, VFR750F and VF500F. If you click on the image of the display plaque you'll see in the lower right corner "BMC-002," which indicates that the VFR was the second bike George acquired for his collection, the bike's odometer showing .9 miles. I don't have a photo, but I think that the VF1000R was BMC-001. He obviously thought highly of the V4s.
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