Cars are my primary fascination, but I love all machines, really. Boats, airplanes and trains are among my interests and I’ve always been interested in the world of motorcycles, though I’ve never ridden nor owned a motorized two-wheeled vehicle. I recently completed a very tough appraisal assignment regarding a vintage motorcycle, and the experience rekindled quite a bit of interest in this genre of collecting.The Iconic Auctioneers Summer Motorcycle Sale just completed this past weekend, so I thought it would make a great subject for today’s Market Monday given my current state of mind.

Born from Silverstone Auctions, Iconic Auctioneers is a premier auction house in the United Kingdom that conducts multiple live car auctions throughout the year. Motorcycles have always been massively popular in Europe and the UK, and Iconic Auctioneers’ summer sale is one of two (I believe) that appeal to the market.

Held at the Shuttleworth Collection housed at the Old Warden Aerodrome, this year’s auction featured 173 total motorcycle consignments covering a range of bikes from vintage up to more modern two-wheeled beasts. 135 motorcycle lots met their reserves or sold, for a sell-through rate of 78% and a total dollar volume of $814,329. While the STR is an improvement of the 2024 sale’s 70% STR, overall dollar volume was down by around $55,000.

Around 16 of the 135 sold lots hammered for 5-figure prices (at least in British Pounds), and I’ve pulled the top 5 highest-dollar sales to see if we could glean any interesting market trends from the big sellers.

The Norton Manx is an iconic motorcycle born out of the brand’s single-cylinder racing bikes from the 1930s. In 1950 the new “featherbed” frame was developed for the works team and made available to privateer customers for racing. Very limited numbers of “production” bikes were built. This particular example is said to have Isle of Man TT provenance confirmed by a Manx expert, which certainly influenced its hammer price of $29,775.

A 2018 Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition — a gorgeous motorcycle from my favorite bike brand — tied for the Norton.

Ayrton Senna is a legend in motor racing, and legendary driver was a fan of the thrills offered on two wheels as well. The owners of Ducati in the 1990s were friendly with the racer and the factory worked with him to develop an iteration of their new 916 to be produced in limited numbers and sold to benefit Senna’s charitable foundation. Only 300 of the track-spec bikes were made. This motorcycle hails from the second series of the bikes produced and overseen by Senna’s brother, Leonardo. A beautiful bike and iconic Ducati. The motorcycle sold for $31,662.

Japanese bikes have been lighting up the market for a decade, and when you combine that enthusiasm with what was considered the pinnacle of excellence when released, you have a recipe for big money at auction. The RC30 is effectively a homologation motorcycle built for use in the World Superbike Championship, built on the VFR750 platform and modified for lightness with a slipper clutch and a 12,500 rpm redline. At the time of its launch the bike cost a princely sum of $15,000 and a pristine example at Iconic Auctioneers’ sale sold for an impressive $37,017.

Even car guys know the name “Black Shadow.” The “world’s first” of anything is often collectible — witness the Lamborghini Miura. Like the Miura, the Vincent Black Shadow was considered the first “super bike” owing to its 125 mph top speed. A refinement of the Rapide Series B, the Black Shadow famously featured a black frame, black tank, and black engine. The Series C featured Girdraulic front forks and was built from 1948 until 1954. This 1950 model was apparently bought by the owner in 1963 and hasn’t been ridden for 10 years. The incredibly collectible motorcycle sold for $52,441.

Amazingly, the Black Shadow wasn’t the most expensive motorcycle to sell at the Iconic Auctioneer’s Summer Motorcycle Sale. No, that prize goes to this unusual French-made bike. Said to be one of 3 built in Paris at the dawn of motoring, it’s powered by a single-cylinder engine. It will need recommissioning and there is no paperwork to come with it, but if genuine it’s surely on the order of collectibility of something like a Benz Patent-Motorwagen. This example sold for an impressive $59,549.

Motorcycles are a very tempting hobby given the explosion in the cost of everything including collector cars. As can be seen by the sales above, some of the most collectible motorcycles are more affordable than many of the cheapest collector cars.

Some feel the motorcycle market is collapsing. There are numerous reasons why the industry is experiencing some decline, particularly for new bikes — not the least of which being how dangerous the roads have become in the modern age. If an old car is unsafe, a motorcycle seems suicidal. That said, data seems to suggest that the motorcycle market has effectively mirrored the collector car market, which saw incredible gains during the pandemic and softened considerably in the last year and a half.

Prices are still high, but they are more reasonable than they’ve been. Japanese bikes are doing well relative to the rest of the market, so if you’re seeking an investment, it may be a good idea to focus your attention there.

Have a great week, everyone. 

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisals, and auction services for buyers and sellers of collector European cars. If you’re interested in acquiring an overseas car, give us a call or drop a line!