Mecum 2018 Motorcycle Auction -Bridgetones

[OldSwartout]

The Mecum Motorcycle auction is underway as I write this.  There have been 2 175's sold already, one from the Netherlands for $660 and a Road Racer for $20,990.  There is a 350GTR coming up tonight or tomorrow, lot 292.
 

[OldSwartout]

The 350GTR just went for $4500.

[BRT-GTR]

            Assuming she is in good running order, someboby got a good deal there. Back end of the chainguard looks low (broken bracket or missing bolt). Those apehangers would have to go.

[mqtsteve]

Does that represent current market value?  It must have cost close to $660 to ship the 175 cafe bike from the Netherlands.  I'm sure it wasn't the only bike sold by that seller?  The road racer did well!  It says the 350 only had one owner.  What are your thoughts? Steve

[bsracer]

Does that represent current market value?  It must have cost close to $660 to ship the 175 cafe bike from the Netherlands.  I'm sure it wasn't the only bike sold by that seller?  The road racer did well!  It says the 350 only had one owner.  What are your thoughts? Steve

Much more than I thought the road racer would go for. The seller apparently has much more $$$ invested than what it went for. Good for the buyer though!


paul

[RayK]

Also sold at the Las Vegas Mecum Auction for $929,000 USD was a Vincent owned by Tony McAlpine and used in the Australian land speed record. So another lost from Australia to ? USA. (From the Aus VJMC site).  As well as a Tony McAlpine/Jack Ehret Vincent bought by someone in Tasmania from France. This might be a clue as to where the 50cc BS Racer ended up. Maybe the Museum of Modern Art in Hobart. The owner is a mega rich collector of modern art etc.
RayK

[moonpup]

This website did a piece on this auction titled.... "The 100 Most interesting sales at Las Vegas motorcycle auctions"

I didn't look for the 175 racer in the article, but the GTR is one of the chosen and is the 6th bike down the list.

 https://newatlas.com/100-most-interesting-sales-2018-las-vegas-motorcycle-auctions/53141/


"This was a bargain for someone. Until the early 1970s, globally renowned tire manufacturer Bridgestone also made a range of motorcycles which were of exceptional quality. This was the largest capacity motorcycle produced by Bridgestone, the 350 GTR, and it was produced in very limited quantities, believed to have been just 9,000 units.

Around that time, the other major motorcycle manufacturers made Bridgestone an offer it couldn't refuse: stop making motorcycles or we won't use your tires on our motorcycles.

Bridgestone complied, and this road going motorcycle, which was faster than the Yamaha 350cc Grand Prix roadster (see below) of the same period, was shelved. It was faster thanks to its use of disc valve induction and this bike was sold with just one previous owner plus full documentation including the original owners manual, and an original parts catalog."

EDIT: Ok, the racer is in there but a lot further down the list.