Motorcycle collector EJ Cole’s massive collection->ke2262 was auctioned off on March 20 and 21, 2015, and as expected, a lot of his motorcycles fetched hefty auction->ke2262 prices. One bike, though, stood above everything else, selling for $775,000, thus becoming one of the most expensive motorcycles in history.

The motorcycle in question is a Cyclone Board Track Racer, a model created by Joerns Motor Manufacturing Co. that traces its origin back 100 years.

It’s cool enough that the bike has lasted this long and remains in tip-top shape, albeit through a restoration job. I’d be remiss if I also forgot to mention the obvious fact that it’s really more like a bicycle that has a motor attached to it, and it once held the top speed record at 111 mph despite its rather quirky appearance. But what really drove its price up is the fact that it was once owned by none other than Steve McQueen.

Much respect to EJ Cole for taking care of this classic bike, but I reckon it wouldn’t have reached three-quarters of a million in the auction if it didn’t count McQueen as one of its past owners. It still isn’t as expensive as the chopper used in the film “Easy Rider” - that one sold for $1.35 million, making it the most expensive bike in history - but $775,000 isn’t anything to sneeze at.

Click "continue reading" to read more about the massive price that was paid for the Cyclone Board Track Racer.

Why it matters

The Steve McQueen-owned 1915 Cyclone Board Track Racer was the most expensive bike sold among EJ Cole’s collections. Not far behind is a 1907 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank, which sold for $650,000. Oddly enough, the final auction price for that model fell short of its estimated price of $1 million. Still, I don’t think Cole will be too bummed out about that, not when his other bikes also reached six figures in the auction.

The third most expensive was a 1911 Flying Merkel Board Track Racer ($385,000), followed by a 1942 Crocker V Twin Big Tank ($350,000), a 1928 Indian Altoona Hillclimber ($225,000), a 1912 Harley-Davidson Model 8A Twin ($215,000), a 1912 Henderson 4 ($205,000), a 1917 Henderson 4 that was also counted McQueen as a former owner ($190,000), a 1930 Harley-Davidson Factory Hillclimber ($165,000), and a 1907 Indian Tri-Car with Sedan ($165,000).

That’s 10 bikes that was sold for a combined $3.325 million. Not bad for a day’s auction, right?

I don't think EJ Cole will be bummed about that figure because if I was in his place, I'd be over the moon with it, even after Mecum takes out its cut off of the total.