The World's Most Expensive Motorcycle?

[DaveM]

[Update: after speaking with the new owner of this machine, I've 'de-listed' it from my 'Top 20' Most Expensive Motorcycles, as he admitted buying the Winchester "after the auction, so I could save on the fees," which means this is an unconfirmed private sale...or just another rumor, in other words. And once again, wading through so much bullshit around money just makes my shoes dirty...]

The 1910 Winchester, formerly on display at the Cody Firearms Museum sold for $580,000​

According to The Star (of DeKalb County, Indiana), the world's most expensive motorcycle ever sold at auction passed discreetly under our noses on September 9th, 2013, at the second annual Auburn sale of new auction company Worldwide Auctioneers. A 1910 Winchester sold for $580,000, with a second machine from 1909 'failing to sell' with a bid of $520,000. I've spoken with the former owner of the 1910 Winchester, who consigned the bike with Worldwide, who confirmed he'd sold his 1910 machine for $580,000 last September, and is still interested in selling his 1909 Winchester, if you're interested, and can meet the new price.

A rare Winchester enameled metal sign from 1909​

Winchester is a legendary name in American guns, and for a very short while (1909-11) assembled motorcycles under its badge, using single-cylinder Marsh-Metz engines. The Winchester was clutchless with a flat belt direct-drive, and a total-loss battery ignition; motorcycling at its most basic, yet still selling for a very expensive $160. Apparently around 200 Winchesters were produced under contract by the Edwin F Merry company in San Francisco, which is still in business as a bicycle wholesaler; the Merry company sold motorcycle and automobile parts and accessories, according to their company history.

The Edwin.F.Merry company in the 1920s - founder Edwin is on the far right​

This now UNconfirmed sale would put the $580,000 1910 Winchester at the #1 position of my 'Top 20' most expensive motorcycles list, displacing the hybrid 1915 Cyclone which sold for $520,000 back in 2008. I was present (and emceeing) that MidAmerica auction, but the Winchester went completely under my radar, until today.

The 1910 Winchester motorcycle, from the legendary arms factory​

Gun collectors are known to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the most collectible rifles and shotguns or historic pistols, and an arch-enthusiast of the Winchester gun factory could conceivably have paid the price of a very fancy shotgun to have something a little different in their gun room...

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[DaveM]

Well they sure would not have had my bid on it lol

 

[hemibee]

I'll give him $160.00 for it, after all it's what it cost.

 

[DaveM]

and it has also already been used

 

[hemibee]

You're right, I forgot to depreciate it. It has to have lost at least 75% of it's original value so maybe I should only offer him $40.

 

[DaveM]

That sound much more like it but I would start a bit lower and move up if you really have to

 

[Rocky]

These old machines are very interesting, but I would have no use for it at any price.
I'm not a collector and wouldn't have the space to store it anyway.
I ride what I own and this is not a rider - except maybe around the block or at a large outdoor show or rally.
But then it may be too valuable to ride.

 

[DaveM]

Put it this way if it were my bike then it would be in one of these

 

[CarlS]

Jay Leno could afford it.

 

[Ron in Buffalo]

Hmmmm.......I didn't B.S.A. do the same thing?