Top ten bikes from the Bonhams Vegas auction

If you have a ‘money no object’ sized space in the garage, this auction might just have a bike to fill the void

Top ten bikes from the Bonhams Vegas auction

BONHAMS are no stranger to selling big ticket bikes at big ticket prices. They’ve sold everything, from Barry Sheene’s old smoker to Ayrton Senna’s F1 race car – if it’s expensive, fast and beautiful, these are the people to sell it with.

And on the 24th January, they are bringing out a selection of truly stunning motorcycle for the Las Vegas auction.

Here are our top ten bikes that are going to be rolling the dice in Sin City

10. Ducati Desmosedici

You know it’s a cracking sale when number 10 is a Desmo’, and there are two of them up for grabs. His and hers perhaps?

Both bikes are 2008 vintage, one with Ducati Corse fairings and one in Ducati red, for the more understated 200hp uber-bike rider.

Guide price: £39-47k for the plain red, £47-62k for the Corse coloured bike.

9. Husqvarna 250 Cross

What’s cooler than two-stroke ‘Husky’ from the 70s? One that was owned by the King of Cool (or the Cooler King!) Steve McQueen that’s what.

The bike was bought new by McQueen in 1971 although it’s changed hands a few times since then and it’s thought it may have had a refurb/restoration.

With an estimate of £39-47k though, and the restoration details not fully known - it’s a lot of money to pay for a bike that McQueen may or may not have ridden in it’s entirety.

Click here to see the full listing

8. Parilla 250 Gran Sport

The 50s and 60s were a special time in motorsport. F1 was just discovering the joys of aerodynamics and dustbin fairings were the must-have addition to any GP race bike, especially ones with a small capacity, where a fraction of a second could be the difference between a win or a bust.

While 26hp at 9,500rpm may not sound like much, the bike’s featherweight and tiddly drum brakes should make for an exciting ride.

I’m not sure I’d trust the drilled suspension mountings either!

Click here to see the full listing

7. KAWASAKI Z1R-TC/TC2

With forced induction seemingly making a comeback in the world of bikes, we couldn’t overlook this awesome looking Kawasaki Z1R Turbo.

Looking like something out of the movie Mad Max, the bike is powered by a 1,016cc air-cooled, DOHC inline four-cylinder lump that in its day kicked out a mindboggling 130bhp!

When the rest of the UK were riding around on battered old Bonnevilles and asthmatic Nortons, the Kawasaki must have seemed like a rocket ship with its outlandish looks and sound.

Even Kawasaki sold the bike with this warning back in the day: ‘WARNING! This turbocharged motorcycle should be operated only by a skilled rider as the performance of the Z1R-TC may exceed the control skills of most motorcyclists...’

You don’t get that warning with a modern-day H2!

Click here to see the full listing.

6. RICKMAN METISSE-TRIUMPH 500CC MK IV

Another nod to the McQueen era of desert racers is this cool looking Rickman Mettisse Triumph 500.

Fully rebuilt in 2007, this Mk IV is the last of the big four strokes built by the factory back then, the influx of high revving and powerful two-strokes had made the big thumpers uncompetitive at all but the longest tracks, where torque and low-down power were needed.

Click here to see the full listing.

Head to page two for the top five >>>

EICMA - Ducati part 2