Harley Davidson

Harley-Davidson needs to get its bikes in the hands of younger riders, that's clear. But this young?

Three of the most expensive motorcycles in history sell during Monterey Car Week 2019.

​Elvis Presley's last motorcycle, a 1976 Harley Davidson 1200 Electra Glide, is going to auction later this month and could smash the world record price for a motorcycle at auction. The record price is held by a Vincent Black Lightning that sold for $929,000​.

Monterey Car Week is where the world's most monied automotive enthusiasts congregate once a year, and as usual, there are quite a few elite motorcycles on offer. We count 15, maybe 16 motorcycles that are expected to fetch six figures, headed by two Crockers likely to fetch $500,000 each.

Harley's brand-savior electric streetbike has finally been fully launched, and here are the figures of consequence: 105 horsepower, 116 Nm (86 lb-ft) of torque, 15.5-kWh battery, 146 miles (235 km) of city range, 70 miles (113 km) of highway riding, and level 1 or 3 charging.

By the end of 2020, we can expect to see a "smaller, more accessible" 338cc Harley appearing in dealerships across China, as the American company partners with Chinese manufacturing giant Qianjiang to get its brand into more hands.

BMW Motorrad showed a "Concept R18" motorcycle at Concorso d'Elegenza Villa d'Este that appears to be the first shot in an offensive on Harley-Davidson and Indian territory. It is the first glimpse of many new bikes expected to be based around the 1800cc twin-cylinder engine.

The motorcycle marketplace is recalibrated each year with the January Las Vegas sales, and this year saw new records and the changing tastes of the buying public. While vintage bikes performed well, the real movers were two-strokes, seventies classics and Japanese motorcycles.

Harley-Davidson has fronted up at CES in Las Vegas with partial specifications and a horrific pricetag to stick on its Livewire electric motorcycle. But that's not all. The company has also floated a couple of weird, funky two wheelers that live somewhere between the motorcycle and e-bike worlds.

It's looking more and more like Harley's only hope is to branch out into new segments in search of a replacement for its withering customer base, and the 2019 Livewire represents the storied company's first big punch as it tries to fight its way into millennial relevancy.

Bonhams' Stafford Motorcycle auctions are held each spring and autumn at the Staffordshire County Showgrounds in the United Kingdom, and these auctions invariably throw up some fascinating motorcycles.

Motorcycle auctions have always been somewhat of a sideshow during Monterey Car Week, but just the same, some delectable machinery is scattered between the four-wheeled lots and this year saw quite a few remarkable two-wheeled offerings.