Former Olympian turned drug lord’s $40m motorcycle collection to go up for sale
A $40m motorcycle collection amassed by former Olympian turned drug kingpin, Ryan Wedding, is set to go under the hammer.
A seized motorcycle collection believed to be worth around $40m, which includes rare MotoGP and WorldSBK machines as well as rare road bikes, is set to go up for auction.
The collection belonged to ex-Olympian snowboarder Ryan Wedding, who was arrested in connection to running a multi-million dollar drug trafficking operation.
Wedding was arrested in Mexico and transferred to the United States to face federal charges in January of this year.
At the time of his arrest, the FBI said he was apprehended following cooperation with Mexican authorities after years of being a fugitive.
According to US authorities, Wedding was accused of running a cocaine trafficking network linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, while charges connected to organised crime and multiple drug-related murders, including the killing of a federal witness, were also announced.
Aside from his connections to drug trafficking, Wedding amassed a rare motorcycle collection featuring some of the world’s most impressive bikes.
Numerous grand prix machines form part of the collection, including bikes ridden by Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo.
A total of 61 motorcycles are believed to be included in the collection, with models from Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, MV Agusta, Suzuki and Yamaha all featured.
The motorcycle collection was discovered during raids in the Mexican capital and the nearby Mexico state last December at addresses linked to Wedding, who was one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives at the time.
Wedding’s arrest was a top priority to US authorities, so much so, a $15 million reward had been offered for information leading to his capture.
In terms of the motorcycle collection, around 10 to 15 bikes are thought to be MotoGP prototypes and WorldSBK-spec machines. The Institute to Return the Stolen to the People (INDEP) will auction the motorcycle collection on November 11, with bids starting at around 1,600 US dollars (around £1,200).
Find the latest motorcycle news on Visordown
%20(1)_0.jpg?height=270&format=webp)
After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
