The Bonhams auction house will be selling a handful of celebrity-owned motorcycles, one of which belongs to Hollywood royalty Steve McQueen. The remaining bikes belong to former Top Gear host James May. The auction is scheduled to take place at the Staffordshire County Showground on October 18, 2015.
McQueen’s 1934 Indian 750 Sport Scout->ke3292 will be one of about 250 motorcycles that will be auctioned off at that day. For obvious reasons, it’s also expected to be one of the most prized lots of the bunch, thanks in large part to its attachment to McQueen. The bike itself is expected to sell for about £55,000 to £65,000, which is around $84,000 to $100,000 based on current exchange rates.
Meanwhile, James May will be sending a total of four bikes to the auction, highlighted by a Honda CB450->ke2813 “Black Bomber” that has an estimated value of £4,800 to £5,600 ($7,300 to $8,700). The Black Bomber, regarded as one of the most well-received versions of the CB450, will be joined by a 1970 Honda PS50 sports moped that’s valued at £1,800–£2,400 ($2,700 to $3,600); a 1973 Honda XL70 Trail pegged at £2,000 to £2,500 ($3,050 to $3,800); and a Honda P50 moped with an estimated value of £400 to £600 ($600 to $900).
The estimated prices aren’t indicative on what the bikes will go for, but they do provide a nice price guide for anybody who may be interested in making a bid. McQueen’s Sport Scout, in particular, is pretty enticing even though the estimate is much higher than any of May’s bikes.
Continue reading to read more about the celebrity bikes headed to the Bonhams auction.
Why it matters
Those who missed out on motorcycles once owned by Steve McQueen now have another shot at scoring one. I highly encourage all those people to take advantage of this opportunity because it’s not often that a McQueen-owned motorcycle has such a low estimated sale price. Remember, back in March 2015, another McQueen motorcycle, a Cyclone Board Track Racer, sold for $775,000. Granted, a 1934 Indian 750 Sport Scout isn’t as rare as a Cyclone Board Track Racer, but the point is that both motorcycles once belonged to Steve McQueen. For a lot of collectors, that’s more important than the actual motorcycle itself.
Likewise, those who missed out on James May’s past motorcycle auction will also have a chance to redeem themselves. May’s collection is nowhere near as exclusive as McQueen’s, but hey, the opportunity to say that you paid for a P50 moped once owned by Captain Slow himself for just $1,000 might be too good to pass up.
I’m not going to be able to buy any of these bikes because, quite frankly, I don’t have the resources to even make a respectable bid. But if you have time, money, and a passion for anything with two wheels, this is your chance to scoop up some celebrity-owned bikes with respectable and affordable price tags.