A few years back at the Rhinebeck swap meet, we took a few photos and talked to a few people about the Ner-A-Car motorcycles. These were originally built in the Twenties in Syracuse, New York, before production was moved to Great Britain. Their funky front end set-up drew our attention and they looked like a death trap to ride. Several enthusiasts told us that this was not the case, that once you get them rolling, because of the foot positioning, they handled quite well. They also mentioned there was a Ner-A-Car Museum in Syracuse where several original models were on display.
We later learned that the museum was headed by Frank Westfall, someone the vintage bike collector should know full well. Frank owns an original 1952 Enterprise bike as well as the restyled 1930 KJ Henderson that was displayed at Rhinebeck this June and made the rounds of all the blogs this summer. Most of Frank’s bikes are unrestored, except for the Henderson, and Frank loves to ride too – in fact, he rode a 1928 Henderson in the 1996 Great Race from Tacoma, Washington, to Boston, Massachusetts, against four-wheel competition and he is a true asset to the vintage bike collector hobby.
The Ner-A-Car Museum is located on 478 N. Salina St. in Syracuse and features Ner-A-Cars and other motorcycles produced in New York State since the turn of the last century. This is also Frank’s retail location for his unique Middle Earth Leather Works and some of his other motorcycles are on display in the store.