Join American Pickers stars Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa, on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011. The now famous team of "antique archeologists" will be on hand to tell stories about their search mission and exploits to locate any way they can!

Specialists in motorcycles and bicycles, Mike and Frank will be right at home at the National Motorcycle Museum with over 300 motorcycles and several thousand related toys, trophies, photos, pieces of art and apparel.

The American Pickers will be at the Museum from noon to 5 p.m. that day and visitors will be treated to free American Pickers photos ready for Frank and Mike to autograph (with paid admission to the Museum). We hope you’ll join us in hosting our friends, Frank and Mike, the American Pickers.

Cruise into the National Motorcycle Museum, located at 102 Chamber Drive in Anamosa, Iowa, and experience the extensive line of over 300 motorcycles from around the world as well as thousands of photographs, posters, postcards and pieces of motorcycle memorabilia, plus a fabulous collection of antique toys. Admission is $8.00 while children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. The Museum’s winter hours are Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The National Motorcycle Museum is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation. For more information, call 319-462-3925 or plan your visit to the Museum on the web at www.nationalmcmuseum.org. – National Motorcycle Museum press release 

  
Bobby Sirkegian's factory-prepped BSA Gold Star took second at Daytona in 1957. It will be one of the highlights of the upcoming Bonhams auction January 6, 2011, in Las Vegas. Photo: David Edwards 

Bonhams & Butterfield, known the world over for its class-leading auctions of everything from exotic motor cars to fine Chinese vases, will hold its first Las Vegas vintage motorcycle auction this January 6, 2011. The sale will include an ex-factory 1916 Excelsior board track racer, a first year 1901 Indian from the Otis Chandler collection, plus former racer Bobby Sirkegian’s factory-prepped BSA Gold Star that raced at Daytona in 1957, 1958 and 1960.

 
1916 Excelsior board track racer is an original factory bike. 

This is set to be an incredible auction as Sirkegian’s BSA, spectacular in its own right, joins a who’s-who list of important motorcycles set to cross the block at Bonhams’ inaugural motorcycle auction January 6, 2011, at the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino. Former Cycle World editor-in-chief David Edwards gave us a preview of Sirkegian's BSA and his old Triumph drag bike, Pretty Boy III (also slated for sale at the Bonham's auction but since sold privately) in the latest issue, telling us that while Sirkegian will miss his bikes, he’s happy to see them move on to new owners who, he hopes, will display them.

  
Circa 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmuller is expected to fetch $130,000-$150,000. 

The sale will also include yet another Hildebrand & Wolfmuller, the world’s first production motorcycle, this time a circa-1894 model. Bonhams’ sold an original, unrestored 1895 example at its April 2010 Stafford auction. Final price? $131,866. The April bike was original and complete, but in need of a complete restoration. The bike currently on offer is restored and apparently runs. Bonhams’ presale estimate is $130,000-$150,000.

There will also be plenty of bread and butter machines, with a particularly large selection of Hondas on offer. All told, more than 200 classic bikes are set to cross the block during the auction. You can check out the full auction catalog by clicking here. Regular contributor Robert Smith plans on attending the auction, so stay tuned for post-auction results. – Richard Backus 

Which classic single-cylinder thumper would you buy?

Oh for the days of the classic thumper. Time was when all the great British marques had something to offer the fledgling racer. Velocette never built anything but singles, with many people pointing to the 500cc Venom Clubman as the best of the breed. Norton of course had the immortal Manx, built in 350cc and 500cc versions and one of the winningest motorcycles ever made. And who can forget BSA’s incredible Gold Star, also in 350cc and 500cc guises. So the question is, if you could buy just one, which would it be?

  
Lovely 1975 Rickman Honda will be offered at MidAmerica's January 6-8, 2011 Las Vegas sale. 

It’s almost January, and that means classic motorcycle auction time in Las Vegas as MidAmerica Auctions gets ready for its 20^th Annual Las Vegas Antique Motorcycle Auction January 6-8, 2011. The event kicks off with a dinner auction on Thursday, with 75 bikes planned to be sold, and continues Friday with 225 lots on offer and again Saturday with a final 225 lots.

Although some people don’t appreciate it, the annual MidAmerica Las Vegas auction is as much a classic motorcycle show as it is an auction. Thanks to a long-standing reputation as one of the highlights of the auction year, the event draws a particularly rich assortment of motorcycles, all of them spread out for review prior to auction. Want to see a 1934 Crocker Speedway Racer in perfect original condition? You’ll be able to. And since they’re being presented for sale, you can actually get close to them, much closer than you might at many shows. We’ve seen some neat stuff at Las Vegas, from spectacular Vincents to humble Hondas, and we can tell you it’s always a visual treat. Take your camera along, but be prepared for poor lighting, which makes photography a bit of a challenge.

 
Claimed original 1934 Crocker Speedway Racer, complete with rare Crocker carburetor. 

The range of bikes this year include everything from a 1915 Indian Twin that ran in this year’s Motorcycle Cannonball Rally to a 1971 Munch 1200 TTS, plus the highly anticipated sale of that 1934 Crocker Speedway Racer, claimed to be the nicest original in existence. Also up for sale are the two beauties shown here, a spectacular 1975 Rickman Honda by brothers Derek and Don Rickman showing a claimed 236 original miles and a beautiful unrestored and original 1971 Dunstall Norton. Admission is $15 daily or $30 for a three-day pass. The Thursday night dinner auction is $85, which includes a three-day auction pass. And lest we forget, there’s also flat track racing on Friday and Saturday night. More info at MidAmerica Auctions by clicking here. – Richard Backus 

 
1971 Dunstall Norton is exceptional, unrestored original claimed to be in perfect running order.