Las Vegas 2018 Motorcycle Auctions

By Robert Smith And Somer Hooker
Published on April 10, 2018
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Record setter: The ex-Jack Ehret 1951 Vincent Black Lightning sold for an astounding $929,000 to an Australian buyer.
Record setter: The ex-Jack Ehret 1951 Vincent Black Lightning sold for an astounding $929,000 to an Australian buyer.
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With 1,750 bikes for sale, Mecum’s 2018 Las Vegas auction probably had anything you were looking for.
With 1,750 bikes for sale, Mecum’s 2018 Las Vegas auction probably had anything you were looking for.
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A nice, original 1974 Ducati 750 GT sold at Mecum for $17,050.
A nice, original 1974 Ducati 750 GT sold at Mecum for $17,050.
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1980 Vetter Mystery Ship, the fifth of 10 made, sold for $33,000 at Mecum.
1980 Vetter Mystery Ship, the fifth of 10 made, sold for $33,000 at Mecum.
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Low-mileage 1974 Norton John Player Special sold for $17,050 at Mecum.
Low-mileage 1974 Norton John Player Special sold for $17,050 at Mecum.
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Bargain Brit: 1947 Velocette KSS for $1,650 at Mecum. At that price, it either needed new guts or was missing major internal bits.
Bargain Brit: 1947 Velocette KSS for $1,650 at Mecum. At that price, it either needed new guts or was missing major internal bits.
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1955 75cc SOHC Ceccato sold for $33,000 at Mecum. The 1988 Bimota DB1SR next to it sold for $19,250.
1955 75cc SOHC Ceccato sold for $33,000 at Mecum. The 1988 Bimota DB1SR next to it sold for $19,250.
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Bonhams’ 1977 MV Agusta 850SS was a no-sale at $80,000.
Bonhams’ 1977 MV Agusta 850SS was a no-sale at $80,000.
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First-year 1967 Moto Guzzi V7 sold for $10,925 at Bonhams.
First-year 1967 Moto Guzzi V7 sold for $10,925 at Bonhams.

The annual January Las Vegas vintage motorcycle auctions always produce interesting if not surprising results, with record highs and unexpected lows. But while the auctions are seen as an indicator of where motorcycle values are going, the direction isn’t always clear. Longtime enthusiasts and collectors Robert Smith and Somer Hooker share their observations, with Robert’s report first.

Provenance sells

The ex-Tony McAlpine, Jack Ehret 1951 Vincent Black Lightning set a new motorcycle price record of $840,000 ($929,000 including buyer’s premium) at Bonhams’ 2018 Motorcycle Auction in Las Vegas. The 1953 Australian Land Speed Record Vincent was sold to a telephone bidder and is heading back to Australia. Also into six figures were 1926 and 1939 Brough Superior SS80s, fetching $126,875 and $120,500, respectively.

No other motorcycles offered at Bonhams (including five other Vincents) sold for more than $100,000, and two machines expecting big money failed to sell: a 1975 MV Agusta 750S America reached $72,000, while a 1977 MV 850SS was bid to $80,000. Neither made the reserve price.

Meanwhile, the five-day Mecum auction across town offered 1,750 motorcycles. Headlining the Mecum auction was a 1911 Harley-Davidson model 7D, the first H-D twin, which made $154,000 (a similar machine sold for $260,000 in 2014). A 1917 Henderson Four with Steve McQueen provenance sold for $110,000, with a Patrick Godet Egli-Vincent with Black Shadow engine (a former Best of Show winner at the LeMay concours) going for just $250 less. Also selling for just over $100,000 was a 1941 Indian Four.

The biggest difference between the Bonhams and Mecum auctions was of scale, with some 100 motorcycles on the block at Bonhams against Mecum’s 1,700-plus. But there were still some interesting comparisons of similar machines sold at both auctions. For example, a 1990 Honda RC30 with just 14 “push” miles fetched $92,000 at Bonhams, but you could buy one with 11,000 miles at Mecum for “just” $44,000. Two examples of the RC30’s competitor, the Yamaha FZRR OW-01, sold, one with 74 miles at Bonhams and another with 8,700 miles at Mecum, for $34,500 and $17,050, respectively.

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