Records were rewritten as the gavel fell at Bonhams’ Stafford Sale at The International Classic MotorCycle Show on 25–26 April 2026, with the world’s second most expensive motorcycle ever to sell at auction, as well as new world record prices established for Italian and Japanese motorcycles.
The sale was led by the ex-works 1965 MV Agusta 500cc Grand Prix Racing Motorcycle that was ridden by Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini, having previously come from John Surtees ownership. With a pre-sale estimate of £160,000–220,000, intense bidding concluded at £967,000 including premium – more than six times the original low estimate. The price paid for the MV Augusta Grand Prix bike was only just less than the outright world record for a motorcycle ever sold at auction but did establish a new world record for an Italian machine.
Bidding was equally as frenetic for the ex-Barry Sheene 1977 World Championship-winning works Suzuki RG500 XR14. Brought to the market for the first time in nearly 40 years, this motorcycle was one of only two factory machines on which Sheene contested the 1977 World Championship, and it was the bike that he crossed the finishing line on at the final race of the season to win the title. With an original estimate of £160,000 – £200,000, strong interest and bidding saw the sale conclude at £506,000 including premium – a new world record for a Japanese motorcycle sold at auction.
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Further highlights of the sale included the 2015 Honda RC213V-S – the closest a production motorcycle has come to a modern MotoGP machine, which far exceeded its original estimate of £60,000–100,000, selling for £186,300 including premium.
Additionally, the ex-Peter Hickman 2019 Smiths Racing BMW S1000RR, that was ridden to win the 2019 Isle of Man TT Superbike, Superstock TT, North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix, making it one of the most successful real-road racing motorcycles of the modern era, toppled its original estimate of £30,000–35,000, achieving £88,550 including premium
At the other end of the age spectrum, a circa 2005 replica of the 1885 Daimler Reitwagen that Gottlieb Daimler’s 17-year-old son, Paul, made history on by completing the first journey by motorcycle far exceeded its initial estimate of £5,000-£8,000 when it sold for £48,300 including premium.
Overall, the Stafford Sale saw a total value of £4.208m of motorcycles sold against a low estimate of £2.208m with 100% of lots sold on Day 1 of the 2-day sale, and 96% on the second day.
Ben Walker, International Department Director of Bonhams Collectors’ Motorcycles, said: “The Bonhams Stafford Sale at the International Classic MotorCycle Show was a landmark event in the bike community, that will be remembered by those who attended for years to come. We established two new world records, for the price of an Italian and Japanese machine sold at auction and got very close to the outright world record for the auction sale price of a motorcycle. To have presented several major private collections alongside further significant entries, created a genuine opportunity across every level of the market – the sale had a motorcycle for every bike aficionado.”
Consignments are now open for the October Autumn Sale which already includes a 1972 Husqvarna 250cc Motocrosser previously owned by Steve McQueen and over 30 beautifully presented Yamahas without reserve. Entries for the June Summer Online sale of motorcycles already numbers over 130 bikes, with over 100 being offered with no reserve.
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About The Bonhams Network
Bonhams is a global network of auction houses, with the largest number of international salerooms, offering the widest range of collecting categories and selling at all price points. Bonhams is recognised for its bespoke service, and a dedication to local market relationships, enhanced by a global platform. With 14 salerooms, Bonhams presents over 1,000 sales annually, across more than 60 specialist categories, including fine art, collectables, luxury, wine & spirits, and collector cars.
Founded in 1793, Bonhams has representatives in more than 30 countries and operates flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. In 2022, Bonhams added four international auction houses to its network: Bukowskis, Stockholm; Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen; Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris and Brussels; and Skinner, Massachusetts. The success of Bonhams’ global strategy is a result of recognising the shift in growing intercontinental buying and increased digital engagement.
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Original post on modernclassicbikes.co.uk and published by Frank Duggan. Frank is the Founder and Editor of Modern Classic Motorcycle News, an independent motorcycle publication covering modern classic motorcycles, roadsters, scramblers, cruisers, electric motorcycles and the wider motorcycle industry.
