500cc championship-winning bike up for auction

Franco Uncini's Suzuki XR40 goes under the hammer along with other GP desirables


Fancy owning some racing history?

THE 1982 championship-winning Suzuki 500 XR40 two-stroke square-four ridden by Franco Uncini goes under the hammer at the COYS Auction in Monaco on May 18th.

The Grand Prix 500 bike is expected to raise between £270,000 to £315,000 at the auction (dream on - Ed), with its former rider Uncini present in Monaco.

Uncini, who now acts as the Rider's Safety Representative in MotoGP, rode the factory Suzuki to five victories across the 1982 season and was the last Italian to win the premier class before Valentino Rossi won in 2001.

Other bikes going under the hammer include both the 1990 and 1991 World Championship winning Honda 125 RSR’s ex Loris Capirossi, the 1992 Aprilia 250 number 44 ex Jean-Michel Bayle and a 1973 Morbidelli 125 number 1, the property of 13-times World Champion Angel Nieto.

The COYS Auction lot list can be viewed here.