Cycle From "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" Comes to Smithsonian

Posted on: Fri, 02/07/2020 - 23:01 By: Tom Swiss
motorcycle photograph

Robert Pirsig's 1966 Honda Super Hawk, the motorcycle from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, has been donated to the Smithsonian.

The Cycle From 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' Comes to the Smithsonian (Smithsonian Magazine)

The 1966 Honda Super Hawk ridden by writer Robert Pirsig when he took the trip that inspired the book of travel and philosophy, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, was donated to the museum by Pirsig’s widow Wendy K. Pirsig, along with the leather jacket, maps and other gear from the ride. The cycle was previously stored in the family’s garage and was recently restored to riding condition. A manuscript copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and a signed first edition of the book are also part of the donation.