THE draw of a classic race bike with actual provenance is a powerful thing indeed. It’s also true that unless you have deep pockets, a high level of mechanical ability, and the skills of a top-flight racer, most of these bikes will be little more than wall-hangers to sit and gawp at.
And if you’re going to sit and stare at a classic race bike, surely the pinnacle is the thoroughbred MotoGP machines from years gone by. And the cream of the crop of those is the mythical machines from the two-stroke 500cc era.
With that in mind, you now have the chance to fulfill a childhood fantasy by owning just such a bike, and one with an interesting back story to boot.
The machine in question is the Cagiva V593 500cc two-stroke four-cylinder ridden by John Kocinski. Kocinski raced in GPs for over ten years notching up 13 wins and over 30 podiums before moving to WorldSBK in 1996.
The bike in question was the very machine that Kocinski took to the top step of the podium at his home round at Laguna Seca and also the Australian GP. Making the race wins even more impressive was the massive deficit Cagiva had to teams like Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki in terms of development budget and size.
Now the bike is due to roll across the auction block with US specialist auction firm Mecum at its Las Vegas sale. The hammer will fall on May 1.
Interested and well-heeled onlookers can check the bike out in more detail here - Mecum.com
