Hog Heaven

It's not the largest assemblage of motorcycles in the world—there are probably biker bars with more hogs in their parking lots—but "The Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City is certainly the most diverse. The 114 cycles on display range from the first steam-powered pedal bike, built in 1868, to a chopper like Peter Fonda's in Easy Rider to the pinnacle of international racing, the F4 (left) from Italian manufacturer M.V. Augusta, the winner of 37 world championships.

Note to those attending: The wheels outside the entrance are not part of the show. They belong to the legions of leather-clad, tattooed bikers who have flocked to the museum, many for the first time, helping to make this the best-attended exhibit since the Guggenheim opened. By the time the show closes on Sept. 20, more than 500,000 visitors will have been dazzled by the technology, cultural evolution and style of these mystical machines.