“He never advertised the museum,” she continued. “It was not listed in the phonebook or anything, but we had people from all over the world that came. He had a visitor from Australia that came on a regular basis—every time he came into the country, he’d swing by. There were some guys from Belgium, Finland, Sweden and Germany. France—we had a young couple that came from France a couple of times. His guest book contained the names of visitors from 50 countries, and it was all just word of mouth.” Not only was Burgin happy to show the collection off to his globetrotting guests, but he also occasionally sold them a motorcycle or two. Even language barriers couldn’t get in Burgin’s way, as the shared love of great collector motorcycles seems to be a language all its own. “He once sold a motorcycle to this couple in Japan,” Freiheit recalled with a laugh, “and they came to look at it and see it, and they didn’t speak English. My mother got such a kick out of it; they were talking to each other about motorcycles and pointing, and they’re out there and they’re discussing this motorcycle, and they don’t speak English and he doesn’t speak Japanese, but it went just fine!” Private transactions—no matter the language spoken or from where in the world they were sourced—were Burgin’s preferred method of acquiring bikes as well. “I don’t think he ever bought one at the auction,” Freiheit said. “He’d have guys call him up and say, ‘You know, I got this old motorcycle,’ and Dad would say he was interested.” And when it came to getting Bernadine’s blessing, Freiheit said there was never any question. “He made more money than he spent on motorcycles, so Mom didn’t care what he bought.” Bernadine was not only Burgin’s wife but also a kindred spirit with an adventurous side and a mountain of varied interests of her own, so the couple enjoyed a certain balance in their leisure pursuits that made for a wonderful dynamic at home. The two were a team that supported one another’s goals and interests: a fact that Lola credits as a big part of what made this collection’s curation possible. Now left without its captain or his first mate, the Burgin collection is ready to ship out of its modest museum space. The collection has led a pampered life thus far with White still at the helm as he has been since day one, lavishing each motorcycle with whatever attention it requires on any given day. “When I retired from the Army, I came here right after I signed out. I was still in uniform, and I said, okay, John, I retired today; and he said, ‘Good, here’s the key,’ and I’ve been here ever since. That was in 1990.” Left with all the right tools—some of which Burgin even personally designed and made by hand in order to achieve a more efficient means to an end—White said he’s been honored to have had the chance to work with these amazing motorcycles alongside his best friend for so many years. With the assemblage boasting everything from an original 1907 FN Four Cylinder and a 1908 Thor to a 1912 Indian and a 1913 Reading, along with all 12 Knucklehead variations, this is one ultra-rare collection of history-making motorcycles, and all of it will be available for purchase this April in Las Vegas. While Burgin’s friends and family will have a difficult time letting these motorcycles move on, Johnnie and Bernadine left their loved ones with no shortage of memories to fill and forever hold their place. OFFERED APRIL 28-MAY 1 AT LAS VEGAS 2021 MECUM.COM • 71
