Whereas they don’t at all times give bikes their fair proportion of the limelight, the massive auto auctions actually have a knack for bringing out some heavy hitters. Held August 17-19, Mecum’s Monterey 2023 headlines can be dominated by Shelby, Ferrari and Bizzarrini, however in case you peruse the tons lengthy sufficient, there are some stellar bikes crossing the block. There’s no predicting the place the hammer will fall, but when you end up in Monterey in a pair weeks, listed below are three tons we wouldn’t sleep on.
1918 Henderson Mannequin H Historical past has been form to the Indian 4, and these bikes are completely breathtaking in individual, however the Indian is basically the lesser American inline-four. Shattering information for efficiency and reliability, the four-cylinder bikes of the Henderson Bike Firm had been standouts of motorcycling’s golden period—considered the “Duesenberg of Bikes.”
Brothers William G. and Tom W. Henderson received their begin within the bike enterprise in Detroit in 1911, and after just some years in enterprise, the Henderson was considered probably the greatest American bikes cash might purchase. All of Henderson’s notable fashions had been based mostly on four-cylinder engines, and appealed to long-distance riders and police departments for patrol bikes. By the early Twenties, the 100 mph Henderson was quicker than anything on the highway.
In 1913, a Henderson was ridden throughout the globe, and by 1917, quite a few long-distance and velocity information belonged to Hendersons, however the firm nonetheless couldn’t make ends meet. Henderson Bike Firm bought to Schwinn in 1917, and manufacturing continued till 1931, when Schwinn stopped constructing Henderson and Excelsior bikes because of the Despair.
Far more could possibly be stated about Henderson, nevertheless it’s Mecum’s lot S105, a 1918 Mannequin H, that deserves its time within the highlight at the moment. A extremely authentic instance from the primary 12 months of Schwinn manufacturing, this Mannequin H was allegedly walled up below a staircase in a home in Seattle from 1920 to 1988.
Being dormant for 68 years, the Mannequin H was in want of some refreshing, however the brand new proprietor Morris Hart was sympathetic to the bike’s originality. Because the scribed historical past below the timing cowl reveals, the minimal was performed to the bike to make it operational, together with tires, rings and oil, and the bike nonetheless wears its authentic paint from 1918.
Contemplating the historic significance of Henderson’s four-cylinder bikes, and this Mannequin H’s astounding originality, this bike is without doubt one of the stars of Mecum’s Monterey 2023 public sale, and is estimated at $250,000 to $300,000.
1967 Honda CR450 Manufacturing unit Daytona 200 Race Bike Honda was a dominant drive in Grand Prix racing within the Nineteen Sixties, having earned championship titles with legendary riders Jim Redman and Mike Hailwood behind the handlebars. However till 1967, Honda had stayed out of the states, and left Triumph and Harley to duke it out within the Daytona 200. When Honda confirmed as much as the get together in ’67, they did so in an enormous approach, with three specially-constructed CR450 race bikes constructed particularly for Daytona.
Soichiro Honda directed the development of three specially-prepared Honda CR450s, which had been based mostly on the street-going CB450, however with high-compression engines, magnesium carburetors, oil coolers within the fairing and 8-inch, four-leading-shoe drum brakes up entrance.
Honda America worker Bob Hansen organized the race staff, and Jim Odom, Swede Savage and Larry Schaffer had been introduced on to pilot the bikes at Daytona. This specific bike is without doubt one of the two surviving ’67 Daytona 200 machines, and was ridden by Odom carrying the No. 16 plate.
Whereas the title at Daytona would fall to Triumph, Hansen’s CR450s had been the quickest machines on the observe that day. Odom’s bike set a brand new file for the quickest lap ever on a motorbike with a high velocity of 142 mph, and a mean single-lap velocity of 134 mph. Odom fought for the lead till the final lap when a wreck took him out of the race, however Honda could be again, and took the title in 1970.
It’s arduous to place a worth on this piece of Staff Crimson highway racing historical past, however Mecum figures between $500,000 and $750,000 appears truthful for Lot F112.
1964 Ducati 250 Components III Racer If you happen to had just a little coin in your pocket within the Nineteen Sixties and aspirations of Grand Prix greatness, a Ducati highway racer will surely make your shortlist. Provided in 125, 175 and 250 cc displacements, Ducati F3s took the essential highway bike geometry to new heights with all Ducati’s finest racing tech.
By the point Ducati completed fine-tuning the F3 bikes, there was just about zero components crossover with the usual road-going bikes. Engines featured sand-cast instances with particular racing internals, camshaft bevel gears and first drive gears had been straight lower and the suspension was shortened on each ends. Completed off with road-racing bodywork and megaphone-type exhausts, each F3 Ducati was a specialised racing machine—with a obligatory price ticket.
Mecum’s lot T159 is a 1964 250 cc F3, a variant hardly ever seen resulting from its prohibitively costly MSRP when new, which might have been significantly increased than a 500 cc Manx Norton. Particulars are slim on this specific F3, apart from it was found in Argentina and restored to competitors spec in Italy. What’s it value? Good query, as Mecum provides no pre-auction estimate on this lot.
