In collaboration with John Searle - Motorcycle expert
If you’re meant to be a biker, there’s nothing that can stop you. Riders have the need to be on the open road cruising through their blood stream and when they’re out there, it's glorious. Though every motorcycle can give that rush, some can do it with a little more horsepower and a lot more style. Here’s our list of the top ten of the most expensive motorcycles in the world, for the truly passionate.
10. MV Agusta F4CC – €102,000
This beauty looks as if it's ridden straight out of Gotham City, with speeds to match. Clocking in at 200 horsepower, only 100 unites of the MV Augusta F4CC were produced; and each one of these exclusive bikes are almost entirely hand-built, including engine valves from Ferrari. Its owners may not be fighting crime, but it’s hard not to feel a bit like Batman on one of these.
9. Hildebrand & Wolfmüller – €130,000
History takes the spotlight here with the first production motorcycle ever built, when two brothers who were steam-engine engineers (Hildebrand) met the inventor Alois Wolfmüller in Munich in 1894. Produced between 1894 and 1897, this bike's highest speed is 45 kmph, which would have been pretty fast for a 19th century motorised bicycle. The remaining versions of this bike now rest in museums around the world, and you could say they’ve transcended from functional objects to art.
8. Hub-less Harley Davidson – €133,000
You’d have to see this futuristic Harley Davidson to believe it, but for now images will have to suffice. This bike runs on hub-less wheels, meaning that it doesn’t have spokes unlike other super bikes. With an all aluminium body shaped from a solid piece of billet, this futuristic bike looks like it drove right out of the 'Tron' movies and onto your driveway.
7. MTT Turbine Streetfighter – €150,000
This super bike is best known for its ridiculous acceleration with zero vibration. Unveiled in 2008, the Streetfighter has 420 horsepower due to its Rolls-Royce Allison turbine. If you really want to get your blood pumping, just flip a switch and you can immediately achieve 500 foot-pounds of torque.
6. Dodge Tomahawk V10 Superbike – €470,000
First unveiled in Detroit in 2003, the Dodge Tomahawk V10 Superbike is a lot more about speed than function. This concept superbike weighs 680 kg and can go as fast as 485 kph, which is faster than a nuclear blast. Not surprisingly this beast isn’t legal to drive on the streets, but if the apocalypse ever hits, seeing it blast across town would be a highlight.
5. Harley Davidson Cosmic Starship – €1,280,000
Welcome to total Americana. The Harley Davidson Cosmic Starship may not be able to boast the technical superiority of many of the motorbikes on this list, but it’s a true merge of art and motoring. Its outer-shell is hand painted by Jack Armstrong, a Pollock-inspired American artist whose works sell for around $3 million.
4. The Yamaha BMS Chopper – €2,560,000
What’s even more valuable than art? Gold. The Yamaha BMS Chopper isn’t the fastest bike on the road, but as its almost entirely covered in 24 kt gold and with a red velvet upholstered seat, it’s definitely a status symbol. As of 2013 this is the only gold-plated motorcycle to grace the streets.
3. Ecosse Spirit – €3,800,000
With only 10 ever made, the Ecosse Spirit is the brainchild of American and British engineers who were inspired by high-speed Formula 1 cars. Reaching 370 kph, this rocket packs a powerful punch. To be able to ride this bike you’ll need to take a 2-week-long training course at the Ecosse headquarters, and we wouldn’t expect anything less from a €3 million motorcycle.
2. 1949 E90 AJS Porcupine – €6,000,000
It’s clear that this motorbike was far ahead of its time just by looking at it. Developed in 1949 the Porcupine resembles modern bikes on the road today more than ever. With only 4 units ever produced, it’s easy to justify the price...that and the fact that Les Graham, its producer, won the World Championship for it in 1949. Some call it the most beautifully designed motorbike ever.
1. Neiman Marcus Limited Edition Fighter – €9,400,000
Surprisingly the most expensive motorcycle on this list is completely street legal, with speeds reaching 300 kph. Neiman Marcus, the department store, manufactured 45 units of the Fighter starting at €94,000 each. But with its beautiful clockwork design and great marketing calling it the ‘Evolution of the Machine’, the Fighter was able to fetch 100 fold its original price at auction, making it the most expensive bike ever produced.
For many of us, these pricy bikes would break the bank. But once a biker always a biker, and Catawiki could be the place to find your next set of wheels that you can boast about. Check out our weekly auctions of Motorcycle auctions to find a diverse selection of exceptional motorcycles from all across the world