St. Charles Motorcycle Museum Takes on Supercars with The Hamilton Collection

Meet the Minds Behind the Machines

A Vintage vs. Modern Showdown with The Hamilton Collection

On a cool Illinois morning at Rochelle Municipal Airport, something unexpected happened. Vintage motorcycles from the St. Charles Motorcycle Museum lined up against some of the world’s fastest modern cars—thanks to an invite from popular YouTuber Steve Hamilton of The Hamilton Collection.

Andrzej Koczwara, founder of the museum and lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, brought some of the most iconic bikes from his collection to race down the airstrip. It was a rare chance to see historic engineering pushed to its limits in a head-to-head format against today’s most advanced machines.

The Matchups

The matchups were straight out of a gearhead’s dream. Here’s a glimpse into the action:

Race 1: 1932 Harley Davidson VLD Flathead vs. 1919 Ford Model T

Two early 20th-century legends hit the runway. With just 34 horsepower, the Harley VLD showed how far ahead motorcycle performance was, even back then, pulling ahead of the Model T.

Race 2: 1968 BMW R60/2 (with sidecar) vs. 1969 Dodge Daytona

The BMW R60/2, sidecar and all, rolled out as a classic touring bike built for reliability, not speed. The Dodge Daytona, with nearly 500 horsepower, reminded everyone how muscle cars earned their name—but the juxtaposition made this one of the most fascinating pairings of the day.

Race 3: 1986 Kawasaki Ninja GPZ900R vs. 1989 BMW E30 M3

The ’80s showdown gave us one of the closest races. The GPZ900R, a true sportbike icon and one of the first motorcycles to hit 150 mph, squared off against BMW’s performance legend. Two engineering masterpieces, decades old, still holding their own.

Race 4: 2019 Suzuki Hayabusa vs. 2016 Lamborghini Aventador SV

Things heated up quickly. The Hayabusa—long regarded as one of the fastest production motorcycles—took on the Lambo’s monstrous V12. With both pushing close to 200 mph, this was a battle of acceleration, grip, and pure guts.

Race 5: 2024 Kawasaki Ninja H2 vs. 2024 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport

A true finale. 300 horsepower of supercharged motorcycle versus 1,600 horsepower of French hypercar engineering. This was speed in its rawest form—and one of the most intense races ever filmed at the airstrip.

When the Past Took the Lead

The event opened with a race that instantly grabbed everyone’s attention. Andrzej Koczwara brought out a 1932 Harley Davidson VLD Flathead to face off against a 1919 Ford Model T. Both were early milestones in American transportation—but once they hit the runway, it was the Harley that surged ahead.

Despite having just 34 horsepower, the VLD pulled away from the Model T. It wasn’t just a technical win—it was a statement. Vintage motorcycle engineering wasn’t just beautiful—it was fast. The atmosphere lit up, and suddenly the stakes felt higher. One race down, and everyone was wondering: Could he do it again?

Photo Highlights

The Hamilton Collection

This entire event was made possible through Steve Hamilton, the creator behind The Hamilton Collection. Known for his massive collection of hypercars and luxury vehicles, Steve has built a YouTube following by pairing entertainment with exotic performance.

From Bugattis and Paganis, The Hamilton Collection offers a rare look inside the world of high-end automotive ownership. But what sets Steve apart is how he uses his platform. Events like the Rochelle airstrip matchup blend storytelling, speed, and community—bringing together enthusiasts from very different worlds.

Steve also regularly features other collectors, restorers, and museums, helping shine a light on people like Andrzej who preserve and protect the legacy of transportation. His platform helped introduce the St. Charles Motorcycle Museum to an entirely new audience.

St. Charles Motorcycle Museum & Art Gallery

The St. Charles Motorcycle Museum offers more than a look at vintage motorcycles—it serves as a place where history, design, and culture come together. Each bike on display is chosen not just for how it looks, but for the story it tells. From early industry milestones to machines that shaped riding culture, the museum highlights the significance of each motorcycle in its original form.

The museum also serves as an art gallery, with rotating artwork displayed throughout the interior. This blend of machinery and visual art brings an added layer to the experience, inviting visitors to view motorcycles not just as machines but as design pieces tied to broader cultural movements. A bar inside the museum offers a place to relax, featuring house wine and a comfortable setting where guests can take in their surroundings.

The vision behind it all comes from Andrzej Koczwara, a long-time collector who has dedicated years to preserving motorcycle history. He remains closely involved in curating the museum and shaping its exhibits. For Andrzej, the goal has always been simple: to create a welcoming place where motorcycles, stories, and people come together.

Legacy in Motion

Beyond the races, this event highlighted something much more meaningful: how far machines have come, and how much thought and precision went into the early days of motorcycling. It’s one thing to view these bikes behind glass—but seeing them in motion, holding their own on a runway, was something else entirely.

For Andrzej and the museum, this wasn’t about winning or losing. It was about showing the legacy, the design, and the engineering that shaped modern motorcycles. Each bike had a story—and this event let those stories ride again.

Visit the St. Charles Motorcycle Museum & Art Gallery to explore one of the best vintage motorcycle collections in the Midwest.

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And don’t forget to check out The Hamilton Collection
For more wild matchups, hypercar content, and future collaborations, head over to Steve’s YouTube channel and give it a watch.