It has been a remarkable week in the collectible motorcycle industry, with many important motorcycles selling at auction at Bonhams' three-day Bicester Heritage Auction, with two other major bikes being sold in Monterey. Here's our summary of the major sales and non-sales.
No Sale | 1965 Ducati 125cc Four-Cylinder Grand Prix Racer
Estimate: $520,000 to $780,000 | £400,000 to £600,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 654 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Thought lost for decades, the engine of this Taglioni masterpiece was rediscovered in Latvia and the frame in Croatia. The fact that this Ducati four-cylinder 125 Grand Prix Racer has even reached auction is astonishing. It never raced, having been outdated by the two-stroke hordes and Honda's last-gasp four- and five-cylinder 125s that scraped out two more championships before the sound of expansion chambers banished the four-stroke roar for decades.
The tiny air-cooled inline-four engine has twin overhead camshafts (albeit conventional and not the desmodromic valve trains that would become synonymous with the marque) and a bore and stroke of 34.5 x 34 mm.
If you have a ruler handy, go and measure out 34.5 mm, then consider four tiny pistons of that diameter running at a 12:1 compression ratio and needing to spin to 15,000 rpm to produce their maximum 23 horsepower. Then imagine rebuilding the engine and how impossibly small those four valves in each cylinder would be, and the engineering challenges faced by motorcycling's Michaelangelo, Fabio Taglioni, in designing and creating the entire bonsai engine's internals. Honda had a battalion of talented and dedicated engineers building its machinery. Ducati had Taglioni. Honda race engineer Nobby Clarke recalls assembling the Honda 125's valve gear with tweezers – this engine would have been quite similar.
Over half a century ago, this 125 could run at 125 mph, and even that wasn't enough for the bike to be considered to be competitive before it was shelved.
Estimated at £400,000 to £600,000, ($520,000 to $780,000), this Ducati would unquestionably have been the most valuable motorcycle sold this year if it sold, but it didn't meet reserve and was passed in.
$195,803 | 1964 Benelli 250cc Grand Prix Racing Motorcycle
Actual Sale Price: £149,500
Estimate: $100,000 to $160,000 | £80,000 to £120,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 680 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: This factory Benelli racer won the 1964 Spanish Grand Prix at Montjuic Park ridden by two-time World Champion Tarquinio Provini, ahead of a field of mixed two-stroke and four-stroke machinery, including Phil Read on a factory Yamaha, Jim Redman and Luigi Taveri on factory Hondas and young Italian named Giacomo Agostini on a Moto Morini in one of his first Grand Prix starts.
This bike is hence one of the last of the four-strokes that fought a valiant rear guard action against the more powerful but less reliable two-strokes of the era. Using the bike's not so prodigious 45 hp engine but absolutely exquisite handling, Provini scrapped his way to a win around the tight Montjuic Park circuit, something that was much more difficult to do once the tracks became faster as the season progressed. Nonetheless, the bike also finished fourth in the 250cc Dutch TT at Assen and fifth in both the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps and the West German Grand Prix at Solitude, finishing the season in fifth place in the World Championship.
With an official estimate of £80,000 to £120,000 ($100,000 to $150,000), this bike offered an opportunity to own a Grand Prix winner for not much money - in the end, it went well over estimate. The top triple clamp also bears Provini's signature, so it's a very authentic bundle of Grand Prix history in addition to making one of the most glorious sounds you've ever heard when spinning at its maximum 14,500 rpm.
$180,741 | 1950 Benelli 250cc Grand Prix Racing Motorcycle
Actual Sale Price: £138,000
Estimate: $160,000 to $230,000 | £120,000 to £160,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 678 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Seventy years ago, this bike was easily the fastest 250cc motorcycle in the world with Dario Ambrosini aboard, winning the 250 TT at the Isle of Man, the 250 Swiss Grand Prix in Geneva, the 250 Nations Grand Prix at Monza, and the 1950 World Championship for 250cc motorcycles. Only once at Grand Prix level was the bike beaten during the season, and that was at the fearsomely dangerous Clady Circuit used for the Ulster Grand Prix, where it finished second.
It's not often that you can buy a factory racer that has won a Grand Prix, much less one that has been solely responsible for a World Championship, the £138,000 ($US$180,000) price makes it well bought in our opinion.
No Sale | 1973 Morbidelli 125cc Grand Prix Racer
Estimate: $100,000 to $160,000 | £80,000 to £120,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 676 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Diminutive Spanish Grand Prix rider Angel Nieto specialized in racing 50cc and 125cc motorcycles, and amassed one of the most formidable CVs ever in the sport: 13 World Championships and 90 Grand Prix victories. By comparison, Valentino Rossi has nine titles and 115 wins, Marc Marquez has eight titles and 82 wins, and Mike Hailwood has nine titles and 76 wins. The bike on offer was ridden by Nieto in 1973 when Nieto swapped to the Morbidelli marque for one season. The move was premature, as both Nieto and Morbidelli went on to great success, but not together.
This bike was ridden by Nieto to second place in three Grands Prix, with his best results in 1973 being three second places in the West German Grand Prix at Hockenheimring, the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps, and the Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama. With an official estimate of £80,000 to £120,000 ($100,000 to $120,000), this bike failed to make reserve and was passed in. It is hence still for sale (contact Bonhams) and would make an excellent purchase for any collector of Grand Prix machinery or a motorcycle museum as it has elite provenance in several dimensions.
$154,500 | 1974 Ducati 750 Super Sport
Actual Sale Price: $154,500
Estimate: $150,000 to $200,000 | £120,000 to £180,000
RM-Sotheby's | SHIFT / MONTEREY | Lot 210 | 15 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Ducati’s 750 Super Sport received rave reviews by the motorcycling press, being hailed by Cycle magazine as “a bike that stands at the farthest reaches of the sporting world – the definitive factory-built café racer.”
Built to commemorate Ducati's famous win in the Formula 750 race at Imola in 1972, only 401 motorcycles were produced and they are now the most valuable 1970s motorcycle, with limited competition from the occasional Munch Mammoth.
$117,482 | 1963 Honda 250cc CR72 Racing Motorcycle
Actual Sale Price: £89,700
Estimate: $52,000 to $78,000 | £40,000 to £60,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 443 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Honda is the world's most successful road and racing motorcycle manufacturer in history, by a fair margin. As yet, that glorious history has not been fully recognized on the auction block but awareness is growing, and it's only a matter of time before early, rare and important Hondas begin to fetch spectacular figures.
With an estimate of £40,000 to £60,000 ($50,000 to $75,000), this bike always had the potential to run past its high estimate as one sold in Germany at a Coys auction a few years back for around $80,000, and another fetched $180,000 at a Mid-America (now Mecum) Las Vegas auction in January, 2009.
As this bike appears to be a largely complete and thoroughly authentic limited-production CR72 racer of the period, it did fetch more than its estimate and is now one of the most expensive Hondas ever sold at auction. The DOHC four-valve engines featured a central set of spur gears to drive the cams, and although the CR72 produced 40 horsepower at 12,000 rpm, it didn't achieve much success compared to its 125cc production racing cousin. This model was however instrumental in promoting the Honda name on the road and track when Honda was beginning to experience Grand Prix success. In 1963, Honda won both the 250cc and 350cc world championships, and although nothing like the bikes that won the titles, it is nonetheless important.
No Sale | 1976 Morbidelli 250cc Grand Prix Racer
Estimate: $78,000 to $130,000 | £60,000 to £100,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 677 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: In 1976, Giacomo Agostini was in the twilight of his career, and was offered what was then a colossal amount of money for a one-off appearance – reportedly £5,000 – to compete at an international meeting at Misano. To maximize the return on their investment, the organizers wanted Ago out in every race; he had a Suzuki for the 500cc event and an MV Agusta for the 350cc event, but no 250cc class machine. Morbidelli was approached to provide him with suitable machinery and two machines were prepared for the Italian champion, the one offered here being his spare bike.
The Misano meeting was held on 3 August 1976. Ago won the 500 race on the Suzuki RG500, finished second in the 350 event on the MV, and second in the 250 race on the Morbidelli, beaten by Yamaha-mounted Franco Uncini (who would win the 500cc world championship six years later). Morbidelli won the world title in 1977, but this bike is somewhat of a bitza (see auction description), and has no radiator fitted, so it isn't surprising it didn't sell.
$109,951 | 1959 Benelli 250cc Grand Prix Racing Motorcycle
Actual Sale Price: £83,950
Estimate: $78,000 to $130,000 | £60,000 to £100,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 679 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: One of the very last factory 250cc singles fielded in world championship competition. For the 1959 season Benelli developed a new, short-stroke (70 x 64.8-mm) 250 engine that produced 33-35 bhp at 10,200 rpm. Interestingly, the four-stroke 250cc single cylinder machines now used in the Moto3 class produce almost twice as much horsepower.
The new Benelli 250 of 1959 was soon to face stiff competition.
In 1960, both MV Agusta and Ducati were fielding twin-cylinder machines in the 250cc class and Honda had just introduced its first four-cylinder machine for the category. Nevertheless, the Benelli 250 single did achieve one major success when Geoff Duke rode to victory in the 1959 Swiss GP, one of his last wins before retiring. Other riders who rode the works Benelli singles at this time included Dickie Dale, Silvio Grassetti and Jack Murgatroyd.
$100,914 | 1935 Brough Superior 1000cc SS80
Actual Sale Price: £77,050
Estimate: $85,000 to $100,000 | £65,000 to £80,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 356 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: This example is one of 460 Matchless-engined SS80s built, of which some 300-or-so survive. A long-time member of the VMCC and retired university professor, the vendor first saw this SS80 when it was advertised in Old Bike Mart. The machine had previously undergone a 'last nut and bolt' restoration in the late 1990s by Brough Club technical historian Dave Clark, following an earlier refurbishment of the cycle parts by John Fisher. A copy of the machine's Works Record Card was obtained from the club, confirming that it is an all-matching numbers example (frame, engine, gearbox, tank).
Having been rebuilt by the best in the business, the Brough needed no work, though its owner decided to fit a Lycett pillion saddle and a plastic flyscreen. In this form the Brough featured in a five-page article in The Classic MotorCycle (September 2006 edition, copy available). Kept in a vacuum bag and last run in 2019, the Brough is described by the private vendor as in excellent condition. The machine is offered with a history file containing correspondence; photographs; expired MoTs; bills; an old-style logbook (issued 1963); and old/current V5/V5C documents.
$87,358 | 1974 MV Agusta 750S
Actual Sale Price: £66,700
Estimate: $78,000 to $91,000 | £60,000 to £70,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 415 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: This MV Agusta 750S has had only one previous owner. Last run in 2019, the machine benefits from a later twin-disc front end and the addition of a fairing. The original front drum brake, wheel, fork legs and associated parts were included in the sale.
Considering that the world record price for an MV Agusta 750S is $143,661 (£85,500) set by a 1972 MV Agusta 750S at a Bonhams sale on 27 April 2014, this bike was a relative bargain, selling well below the low estimate even with the buyers premium added.
No Sale | 1955 Vincent Series-D 1000cc Black Prince
Estimate: $72,000 to $85,000 | £55,000 to £65,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 411 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: The vendor purchased this Black Prince in 2019 and discovered that it required a major overhaul as it had not run for over 10 years. The machine was re-commissioned using many new or reconditioned parts, with all the original chrome renewed and a new battery fitted.
Last run earlier this year, this Vincent was offered with a rider's handbook, original parts books, and old/current V5/V5C Registration Certificates. Still for sale (contact Bonhams).
$85,050 | 1953 Vincent Series-C 1000cc Black Shadow
Actual Sale Price: $85,050
Estimate: no estimate posted | no estimate posted
Bring-a-trailer | Online | No Lot no. | 13 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: This 1953 Vincent Black Shadow was acquired by the vendor in 2017 as a stalled project, and subsequent work included rebuilding the engine, installing new fenders and a custom wiring harness, and refinishing the fuel tank.
Additional equipment includes a 12-volt electrical system, halogen lighting, Gary Robinson camshafts, Amal Monobloc carburetors, Koni shocks, and custom Black Lightning-style stainless steel wheels. Only a handful of miles have been added since the project was completed.
$82,840 | 2016 Egli-Vincent 1,330cc by Godet
Actual Sale Price: £63,250
Estimate: $72,000 to $85,000 | £55,000 to £65,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 414 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Though a derivation of the Vincent V-twins of the 1950s, the Egli-Vincent is these days considered a separate marque, being a combination of classic power and modern chassis technology. Though Egli moved onwards from his famous creations, the machines are still produced in limited numbers by other specialists around the world, with this example being the work of Frenchman Patrick Godet, the former FIM Coupe d'Endurance champion and world-famous Vincent specialist. The machine was commissioned by the vendor and delivered in 2016. Its use since then has been limited to a track day at Snetterton and dry-weather outings on the Welsh border roads, for a grand total of just 1,300 miles since new.
Godet's detailed specification and invoice are on file, with the invoice dated 19 September 2016 for €71,050 (approximately £60,830 at that time).
$81,333 | 1951 Vincent 1000cc Series-C Black Shadow
Actual Sale Price: £62,100
Estimate: $72,000 to $85,000 | £55,000 to £65,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 408 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Vincent Owners Club records show that Black Shadow 'GTP 308' was dispatched from the factory in July 1951 to Jenkin & Purser of Portsmouth. The registration, frame, engine, and crankcase mating numbers are all correct. The original logbook records seven changes of ownership up to March 1977 but between only three owners.
The vendor purchased 'GTP 308' from the last owner listed in 1979 to form the centerpiece of an extensive collection of Vincent motorcycles. Used only sparingly and the last of the vendor's private collection to be sold, 'GTP 308' has not seen active use for some time although the engine has been turned occasionally.
$73,999 | 1916 Harley-Davidson 1,000cc Model J & Package Truck Sidecar
Actual Sale Price: £56,500
Estimate: $78,000 to $91,000 | £60,000 to £70,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 378 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Dating from 1916, this Model J is attached to a Harley-Davidson Package Truck, a commercial load-carrier introduced by Harley-Davidson in 1915. As supplied, the Package Truck was a basic cargo container mounted on a sidecar chassis, its flat sides being perfect for advertising; recognizing this, the factory offered a sign-writing service to its customers, while the latter were soon adapting the Package Truck to suit the requirements of their individual businesses. The Package Truck was a runaway success and would remain in production for 42 years until replaced by that other famous Harley commercial vehicle: the Servi-Car.
This Harley-Davidson Model J was sold new in 1916 with the Package Truck option and has the optional three-speed gearbox and electric lighting system first offered on the 1915 models. Unusually, this machine retains its original and very rare Remy magdyno and its original 'hand-blown' headlamp bulb, the latter restored and in working order.
The combination was treated to a complete 'last nut and bolt' restoration during 2015 and 2016; all the nickel brightwork was re-plated, the paneling repainted, and the engine and gearbox overhauled. Other noteworthy features include a Corbin speedometer and embossed Harley-Davidson leather luggage set.
Used for display at events, including Stafford in April 2016, this wonderful Harley-Davidson Package Truck should require only minimal re-commissioning before taking to the road. A restored Harley-Davidson sports sidecar, which was attached to the original chassis in the early 1920s, is included in the sale, and the combination also comes with a dating certificate and V5C document.
$72,296 | 1937 Vincent-HRD 500cc Series-A Comet
Actual Sale Price: £55,200
Estimate: $55,000 to $62,000 | £42,000 to £48,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 407 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: This rare pre-war Series-A Vincent-HRD Comet was manufactured in 1937, first registered in March 1938, and restored in 2010. Remarkably, this is the second highest price ever achieved by a Series-A Comet, with the model record held by a 1935 model that fetched £97,750 ($126,261) at Bonhams' Staffordshire sale on 27 April 2019.
$67,778 | 1975 Suzuki 750cc XR11 Formula 750 Racer
Actual Sale Price: £51,750
Estimate: $55,000 to $62,000 | £42,000 to £48,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 442 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: The water-cooled three-cylinder Suzuki factory racer is one of the most interesting racing motorcycles of the modern era. Derived from an overweight road bike, the Suzuki Formula 750 entrant was too heavy and powerful for the chains and tires of the era. It was an XR11 that Barry Sheene was riding when he had that famous Daytona crash in 1975 - the one that resulted in so much metal being used to put him back together, that he set off airport metal detectors for the rest of his life.
The bike in question may or may not prove to be a bargain. In the weeks leading up to the auction, Bonhams was advised of the existence of another Suzuki TR750 that was also claimed as the ex-John Williams 1976 Classic TT-winning machine. The factory records are occasionally vague or noncommittal, merely stating in the case of '62865', the machine in the sale, that it was made available to Williams for use at the TT. Unfortunately, they do not state which machine he used in the actual race. What is not in dispute is the fact that '62865' was issued to Percy Tait at the start of the 1976 season, with one (non-factory) source stating that it had been used by Barry Sheene in the USA in 1975.
Again, the factory records do not state which races '62865' was used for or by whom. Given that various mechanics and other Team Suzuki staff are still alive, it should not prove impossible to unravel the competition record of this important Suzuki racing motorcycle, which, interestingly, is one of the very few XR11s equipped with a six-speed gearbox. Riders of the works Suzuki TR750 XR11s during the 1975/1976 period include Barry Sheene, Dave Aldana, Pat Hennen, Stan Woods, John Newbold, Percy Tait, Tepi Lansivuori and John Williams. If the buyer can find conclusive evidence that this bike was used in one or more of the model's famous exploits, it might significantly increase in value.
$67,778 | 1953 MV Agusta 125cc Bialbero Racer
Actual Sale Price: £51,750
Estimate: $39,000 to $52,000 | £30,000 to £40,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 633 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Believed to be the factory bike of either Cecil Sandford or Carlo Ubbiali, this bike was found in Barcelona (Spain) and had already been restored when purchased. The original aluminum 'dustbin' fairing was found later. Given that the bike has already been identified as being from 1953 and as a factory racing machine, some detailed investigative work may prove to make this bike far more valuable than the $67,778 price it fetched.
Cecil Sandford and Carlo Ubbiali finished second and third in the 1953 125cc World Championship, with Ubbiali winning one Grand Prix. If this bike can be identified as being a Grand Prix winner ...
$60,247 | 1954 FB Mondial 175cc Bialbero Racer
Actual Sale Price: £46,000
Estimate: $52,000 to $78,000 | £40,000 to £60,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 663 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Ridden in the Italian Championship in period by one of the all-time-greats, Tarquinio Provini. The bike was restored in the Morbidelli Museum workshop but the wonderful original fairing was left un-restored and original.
No Sale | 1953 Matchless 500cc G45 Racer
Estimate: $36,000 to $49,000 | £28,000 to £38,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 397 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: One of around 80 of Matchless' iconic G45 production racers made, this bike spent a considerable portion of its life registered as a road bike in Austria.
The G45 had been delivered new from Matchless to an Austrian buyer and was actively campaigned on circuits throughout Europe, where the G45 was a popular mount in period. This bike had not been run for a decade at the time of auction.
No Sale | 1979 Yamaha TZ750F Racer
Estimate: $36,000 to $49,000 | £28,000 to £38,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 692 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: According to the auction description, around 800 TZ700/750 Yamahas were built, which is considerably more than originally thought. This bike was sold in fully-restored condition, but required re-commissioning before use.
No Sale | 1999 MV Agusta 750cc F4 'Serie Oro'
Estimate: $36,000 to $46,000 | £28,000 to £35,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 345 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Designed by Massimo Tamburini and introduced at the 1998 Milan Show, the F4 has already become part of MV legend – the first of the new breed of the most famous Italian marque. Production commenced with a limited edition run of just 300 very special F4s – the 'Serie Oro' (Gold Series). Twice the price of the standard F4 that followed, this bike is number 168 of 300 and has covered only 124 miles.
$51,210 | 1952 Vincent 998cc Series-C Rapide Watsonian Combination
Actual Sale Price: £39,100
Estimate: $29,000 to $36,000 | £22,000 to £28,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 334 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
$49,704 | 1931 Matchless 600cc Silver Hawk
Actual Sale Price: £37,950
Estimate: $34,000 to $42,000 | £26,000 to £32,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 405 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Launched at the 1931 Olympia Motorcycle Show, the Matchless Silver Hawk was a victim of circumstance, killed by the Great Depression. The narrow 26-degree angle of the cylinders sets the Silver Hawk apart from all other four cylinder motorcycles and its overhead-camshaft valve gear is also unusual in that it is driven by shaft and bevel gears. Displacing a total of 592cc, the cylinders are contained within one casting and topped by a single head.
Blessed with many unique specs, such as cantilever rear suspension, the Silver Hawk is exceedingly rare and greatly underappreciated on the auction block with a model record of just $68,754 (£51,750).
$49,704 | 1928 Montgomery 680cc 'Twin Five'
Actual Sale Price: £37,950
Estimate: $33,000 to $46,000 | £25,000 to £35,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 404 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Powered by J A Prestwich's 680cc sidevalve v-twin engine, the Montgomery Twin Five was a direct competitor for George Brough's 5-15 although much rarer today; indeed, the example offered here may well be the sole survivor.
We've never seen a Montgomery 680 prior to this auction, and the only two Montgomery 1000cc bikes we've seen are both in the most valuable motorcycles ever sold at auction.
$48,198 | 1956 Ducati 125cc Bialbero Grand Prix Racing Motorcycle
Actual Sale Price: £36,800
Estimate: $52,000 to $78,000 | £40,000 to £60,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 651 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: This Ducati Bialbero (twin-cam) 125 dates from 1956 and is believed to have raced in World Championship events. The machine was purchased for the Morbidelli Museum in the early 1990s and has been restored by Giancarlo Morbidelli.
Hence some judicious detective work might significantly increase the value of this absolutely gorgeous machine.
$48,198 | 1938 Matchless 1000cc Model X
Actual Sale Price: £36,800
Estimate: $33,000 to $46,000 | £25,000 to £35,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 406 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: As every owner of the Matchless Model X will tell you repeatedly, this very same engine was used by Brough Superior in the SS80 and also (in overhead-valve form) in the SS100. Hence, the loping 1000cc sidevalve V-twin is a veritable bargain in comparison to the Brough Superior, which was made in far fewer numbers.
This machine has been restored twice, with the electrics overhauled, the frame powder-coated, the tank chromed and a hand-made stainless exhaust fitted and it still sold for a long way short of the model price record of $67,226 (£50,600) fetched at a Bonhams auction in 2017.
$48,198 | 1962 Honda CR110 50cc Racing Motorcycle
Actual Sale Price: £36,800
Estimate: $33,000 to $46,000 | £25,000 to £35,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 666 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: Honda famously won its first world championship in 1961, and has won countless titles ever since, slowly dispelling any qualms the public may have had about being “Made in Japan.” Indeed, Honda did more than any other company in turning that symbol from a sign of inferiority to a badge of honor.
Two of the very first products that began the company’s crusade to global recognition were its over-the-counter racers, the 50cc single cylinder CR110 and the twin-cylinder 125cc CR93. This bike has four valves-per-cylinder, gear-driven DOHC and an eight-speed gearbox and was restored by Giancarlo Morbidelli, making it a museum piece for several reasons.
$48,198 | 1979 Ducati 860cc Mike Hailwood Replica
Actual Sale Price: £36,800
Estimate: $26,000 to $39,000 | £20,000 to £30,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 344 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: The Hailwood Replica is a special bike built to commemorate Mike Hailwood's legendary Isle of Man TT comeback victory in 1978. If you don’t know the story, you probably wouldn’t be reading this, but it rates as one of the greatest comebacks of all-time, with Hailwood well past his prime, returning to the world’s most dangerous racetrack to beat the Honda factory team and win the Formula 1 TT at record speed.
This bike was built in late 1979 and first registered on 1 February 1980, being the 13th Mike Hailwood Replica made. It was restored in the late 1990s with an engine rebuild by marque specialist Mick Walker and has been unused since the restoration.
No Sale | 1930 AJS 350cc R7 Racer
Estimate: $33,000 to $46,000 | £25,000 to £35,000
Bonhams | Bicester Heritage | Lot 388 | 16 August 2020
Official Auction Page (and high res images)
Comments: This AJS R7 was prepared in the AJS Factory Racing Department and first registered on 1 September 1930. Eight days later it was raced in the Manx Grand Prix Junior Race where it finished in tenth place in what was to be its only race. It was then converted into a road bike and passed through several owners before being purchased in 1932 by Frank Thornhill of Birmingham. Thornhill kept the bike in his garage for the next 61 years, though it was never ridden again.
On his death in 1993, the bike was sold by his daughter to Les Williams, the legendary Triumph Racing Department foreman. Williams is best known for building and fettling the best known of all racing Triumphs, Slippery Sam. He restored the bike to its original racing specification. The bike is hence a perfect example of a competitive production racer from 90-years-ago, at the same time as having a wonderful provenance.
