Somer Hooker

Expert motorcycle restorer and collector from the United States.

Somer has been involved in motorcycles for many decades and his highly regarded restorations are very grace many important collections. He is the author of many articles on the subject which have been published in Walnecks Classic Cycle Trader, Gizmag and elsewhere, and is his quotes appear in such prestigious investor publications as Forbes. The man himself is mentioned in many histories and looms large in not only the motorcycle world but also those of aviation and music.

His first bike was a Matchless G15CS which, coincidentally, is very similar to this author's first machine, also a Matchless twin.

cnbc.com writes in an article:

Be careful, says Hooker. While it's certainly possible to make money on a bike, don't buy with that expectation. "It's like buying art," says the Tennessee-based broker. "Buy something you like because you may have to live with it."

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1946, Somer Hooker was for many years a professional in children's mental health. He explains that his current profession as an international rare motorcycle broker grew out of his efforts to keep an old Matchless G15 running, and that a trip to Argentina in 1991 in search of British motorcycles and parts was a break-through experience. Today, he serves an international clientele of motorcycle collectors in search of Broughs, Vincents, and other top-tier marques.
From motohistory.net/featuredstory/vincent/vincent_feature3.html

Use the search function to find several of his machines on this site, and more may be found on the venerable Allen Museum page.