RAID THE PIGGY BANK!
74 top-drawer classics go under the hammer at the Devitt MCN Ally Pally Bike Show and Supersprint
One of the finest bike collections in the UK will go up for sale this September as premier auction house Bonhams get set to sell 74 rare and fascinating machines at the Ally Pally show. One of the rarest and most interesting machines in the sale is a 1969 Honda CB750. This is one of around only 1000 CB750s fitted with gravity cast crankcases (sometimes incorrectly referred to as sandcast). These machines were mostly handbuilt in California as Honda wanted to test the market for the first superbike. Meticulously restored and showing 11,299 recorded miles, the auction guide price is £20k-£30k.
Sure to capture the attention of collectors are a 1972 Kawasaki Z1 and a 1977 Yamaha RD400. The Kawasaki is one of a pair of Z1s in the sale, with just 317 miles since restoration and a guide price of £12-£18k. The Yamaha RD400 is a lightly restored example from 1977, and in original trim with matching frame and engine numbers. The guide price is £3800-£4800.
If you prefer your bikes to show some age, an original US-spec 1966 Triumph T120R could be your bag. Prior to the current owner the bike had been in the same family from new and is showing a remarkably low 6236 miles on the clock. The auction guide price is £10k-£15k.
Lovers of Italian exotica aren’t left out, with six MV Agustas up for grabs, plus a stunning 1975 Laverda SFC Electronica and sublime 1976 Ducati 900SS. The Laverda SFC is the later disc brake model; it comes with an ASI certificate of authenticity and an estimate sale price of £24-£38k. The 900SS is showing just 2485 recorded miles and the excellent condition certainly reflects that. Still one of the most beautiful machines ever built, it has a guide price of £25k-£35k. The Bonhams auction is on Sunday, September 23 at the Devitt MCN Ally Pally Show and Supersprint, with viewing on Saturday September 22. Entry to the auction is by catalogue purchase only. Catalogues cost £20 and admit two people to the auction.