Our first motorcycle/estate auction was a huge success. Saturday May 8th, was a perfect central Oregon day. The Bidders started to show up at 8am, and spent a couple hours previewing the collection. When the bidding got underway the bid cards were flying in the air. We ended up selling over 30 motorcycles and over 300 lots of tools, equipment and vintage parts. Keep checking back for news on our upcoming auction later this summer.
Back to Sun Valley
I returned to Sun Valley, Idaho for Silver Auctions annual labor day auction again this year. With some of the restrictions easing up, it was the first large even held at the Sun Valley lodge this year. Social distancing and masks were required and because it was held in large open tent there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out. Around 90 cars were consigned with 75% of them going to new buyers. The top sale was a 2020 Corvette selling for $127,000.
The only color for a Corvette.
Rare Z! 900 sold for $10,500.
This 1987 Honda Prelude was an one owner car, it looked new and sold for $4100.00
Post auction
Last week I attended the Mecum Motorcycle auction in Las Vegas. I finished my car auction in the morning headed up to the SouthPoint Casino to catch the motorcycles crossing the block on Thursday afternoon. Mecum had a great assortment of bikes. Lots of choices whether your favorite was British, American, Japanese, Italian, Spanish or German they had something there for you.
You’ll be the first on to unwrap the Italian made Bimota.
Rickman Honda 750, was a favorite of mine selling for $18,000.
Rare High Pipe 305 Honda Dream, first one I’ve ever seen sold for $22,000.
Vintage motocross bikes are on of the hottest segments of the vintage bike market.
Bob Lanphere's Bikes
One of the best vintage motorcycle collections in the world is located just outside of Portland in nearby Beaverton, Oregon. This collection is made up of over 400 vintage bikes; 150 of which are housed under one roof. It was assembled by the late Bob Lanphere, who was a motorcycle enthusiast and racer, as well as car and motorcycle dealer. Bob opened his first Honda dealership in 1964 and built an automotive empire here in the Pacific Northwest. He celebrated 50 years of business in August 2014, before passing away October 2015 at the age of 81 years. He was an inductee of the Trailblazer Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Many of the bikes in his collection are in original, showroom condition. While others have been restored to their original specifications. No matter, they are all beautiful; and together, make up an impressive and thorough example of a great, old bike collection. Though Bob's collection is predominantly comprised of Hondas, there is also an excellent representation of English, German and other Japanese manufacturers.
I was personally and especially interested in the turbo-charged bikes of the early 1980s and his vast collection of vintage Honda mini bikes. Looking at all the bikes from the sixties, seventies, and eighties; brought back a lot of memories of motorcycles that I lusted after when I was kid.
For more about Bob's legacy and vintage cycle collection, go to his Honda motorcycle dealership website: http://www.beavertonmotorcycles.com/custompage2.asp?pg=vintage_bike_collection.
