Top Ten Bonhams Vegas 2019 Highlights

Though Bonhams’ annual Las Vegas auction isn’t as overwhelming as Mecum’s Sin City sale in terms of sheer volume, the elite auction house’s event at the Rio boasts a stellar collection: some of the  most unique and sought-after motorcycles in existence. Regardless what era or genre of scoot you might fancy, there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone at this year’s Bonhams Vegas sale. With several hundred lots to choose from, we can’t dive into every specimen going under the hammer this month, so let’s unpack my  ten favorite examples from Bonham’s Jan. 24th Las Vegas 2019 Auction:

1. 1989 Magni Moto Guzzi Sfida

After cutting his teeth at Gilera’s race department for three years, Italian motorcycle legend, Arturo Magni, accepted a position heading up MV Agusta’s race program. Magni spent a quarter-century with MV, during which time he secured a whopping 75-world championship titles for the Varese marque. After MV shut down its race department, Magni took the wealth of knowledge he amassed with company and in 1975 started his own moto-operation. With some help from his sons, Magni began transforming MV Agusta road bikes into bonafide racers, eventually developing his own frames — chrome-molybdenum and tig-welded steel tube units — to wrap around four-cylinder MV mills.

In the years that followed the Magni Company went on to introduce a multitude of different models, using engines from other various manufacturers like Honda, BMW, Suzuki, then finally in 1985, Moto Guzzi. In 1989, after releasing several Guzzi-based bikes, the Magni Co. launched the Sfida (Italian for “Challenge”). Powered by an air-cooled, four-stroke 90-degree traverse, OHC, 948.8cc, V-twin (that reportedly made between 85-90hp), the Sfida was fed via a pair of 40mm Dell’Orto carbs (though some were supposedly fuel-injected), and married to a five-speed transmission. Wrapped around the MG lump is a chromoly frame that’s been paired with 40mm adjustable Ceriani forks up front, and Magni’s “parallelogrammo” rear suspension out back. Additional highlights include Brembo braking hardware and spoked EPM rims.

Tipping the scales at just 427.6lbs (194kgs) dry, the Sfida — like the Arturo 1000 and Classico 1000 — was adorned in retro-themed bodywork inspired by the Italian racers of the 1960s, complete with hand-hammered aluminum tank, a la MV and Gilera’s fuel-cell’s from back in the day. Further complimenting the hand-formed tank is an equally attractive half-cafe-fairing and a humped monoposto tail. Expected to bring in somewhere between $15-20K, this particular Magni Moto Guzzi left the shop in 1989, and remains in pristine, all original condition to this day.

2. 1926 Triumph Model P

After the conclusion of the first World War, Triumph returned to full-time civilian scoot production. Taking advantage of the reputation the brand earned with soldiers during the war, the British marque decided to introduce a new utilitarian, barebones, side-valve single-cylinder model in 1924, with the Model P. Though the Model P didn’t boast any technological or mechanical innovations — or really any bells and whistles for that matter — the bike’s £42 MSRP made it a wildly popular offering, greatly undercutting competitors’ budget models.

Despite its affordable price-tag, the Model P was a pretty decent performer, which practically guaranteed its success. In fact, the Model P was such a good seller, that Triumph wasn’t quite ready for the wave of orders that rushed in following the side-valve single’s release. Eventually the marque setup a haphazard assembly line and was able to pump out the backlogged orders, resulting in a nice profit for the company, and playing an important role in the outfit’s transition to mass production.

This particular 1926 Model P — which is fitted with optional acetylene light — has previously undergone an “amateur restoration” before winding up at Oklahoma’s Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum where it has remain for the last decade or so. Expected to bring in between $6-8K, this charming British single is a gorgeous example of a pre-Great Depression model, when motorcycles were still evolving from pedal-powered bicycles.

3. Ex-McQueen 1971 Husqvarna 250 Cross

When Torsten Hallman introduced America to lightweight Swedish machinery in 1966 it forever altered the landscape of off-road competition in the States. Hallman spent a season traveling around the US and competing in various races aboard a Husqvarna — all of which he won. Because of the Swede’s success, other riders quickly took notice of the nimble dirt-goer, one of whom was actor and moto-legend Steve McQueen.

McQueen was supposedly introduced to Husky’s bikes during the filming of On Any Sunday, and from that time forward the filmstar and avid rider always had numerous Huskys in his personal stable. McQueen also famously rode a Husqvarna in the 1971 hit movie, as well as on the cover of a Sports Illustrated later that same year.

Though this particular example isn’t the legendary 400 Cross previously owned by McQueen, it is a genuine ex-McQueen Husky 250 Cross, purchased brand new by his production company, Solar Productions in ’71 before later trading hands and undergoing a major restoration. The sale of this bike includes a collection of paperwork on the two-wheeler, authenticating its prior ownership. Expected to fetch between $50-60K, this 1971 Husqvarna 250 Cross is an iconic bike from one of motorcycling’s biggest celebrities of all time. This same auction will also see an ex-McQueen 1938 Triumph 5T Speed Twin — expected to take in between $55-65K — cross the block.

4. 1941 Indian 741B Scout

Though motorcycles had seen action in military conflicts in a limited capacity, it wasn’t until the first World War that motorized two-wheelers were utilized on a mass-scale, and by the time the Second World War rolled around, motorcycles were commonplace on the battlefield. Despite bikes leaving riders woefully exposed, motorcycles were often still the best choice for carrying out tasks like recon, delivering sensitive intel, or just shlepping wounded soldiers or supplies through harsh terrains.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, the US military commissioned a series of motorcycle prototypes from various US manufacturers. Despite Harley’s WLA objectively being the scoot of choice amongst US armed forces, Indian nonetheless attempted to grab a piece of that lucrative pie, so the Springfield-based firm lightly modified its existing Sport Scout to create the 640B. Unfortunately, it was widely considered under-powered, so Indian went back to the drawing board and developed a second militarized model; the 741B Scout.

The newer model was powered by the 30.50ci (500cc) V-Twin used in the marque’s previous generation Junior Scout. In order to make the 450lb 741B more suitable to military applications, its compression was lowered, an over-sized sand and water-resistant air-filter was tacked on, girder forks were lengthened to bolster ground clearance (and to provide ample mounting points for rifle scabbards and radio kits), saddle bags were added to the mix, and a perforated shield was attached to the righthand-side of the engine in order to minimize radio interference from the coil ignition. Of the more than 40,000 bikes and sidecar to leave the Indian Motocycle factory — which earned an “E” pennant from the Army-Navy Production Board for the marque’s stellar work — from ’39 through ’45, some 35,000 of those units were supposedly 741Bs.

This particular civilianized 741B Indian has undergone an extensive restoration, though unlike original war Indian examples — which left the factory without baring any company badges or emblems (aside from an information plate) —this ’41 Scout has been hit with a coat of metallic Las Vegas Green, finished off with gold Indian logos on the tank. This is also seemingly one of rare war Indians that was purchased by non-US allied forces, which is presumably how this bike wound up in New Zealand. This 1941 Indian 741B Scout is expected to go for between $12-15K when it takes its turn under the hammer.

5. 1958 Moto Parilla 250 Gran Sport

Moto Parilla first came on the scene in a post-war Italy in ’46, debuting its inaugural offering, a quarter-liter, four-stroke single-cylinder racer with overhead camshaft. In the years that followed the Italian outfit improved on its existing designs, tinkering with the machines and squeezing out more and more power. In ’53 Parilla unveiled its first high-camshaft engine model, before proceeding to release a range of “camme rialzata” bikes ranging in displacement from 125-350cc’s.

The company continued to improve the high-cam models, with the 250 version putting down a cool 26 horses (at 9,500rpm) by 1960. Despite their age, these peppy singles remained competitive, prompting Parilla to keep versions of the high-cam in production (for a total of 15 years) until the company finally went under in ’67.

This 250 Gran Sport specimen is a 1958 model year, and appears to have undergone an extensive restoration. The camme rialzata 250 lump hides behind a beautiful, handmade, aluminum, full “dustbin” style fairing — complimented by matching aluminum cafe hump. The rims are also aluminum units. Decorating the hand-formed bodywork is an attractive paint scheme — a combination of gloss red and exposed, polished metal — adorned in racing numbers and a variety of stickers and decals.

6. 1949 Salsbury Model 85

In 1936 E. Foster Salsbury introduced the Salsbury Aero Model Motor Glide, a cleverly designed scooter with its drivetrain stuffed under the seat. Only a couple dozen examples were manufactured before Salsbury pulled the cover off a new groundbreaking model in ’38 that featured a CVT (or constantly variable transmission), as well as a host of other features implemented in an effort to entice car owners to two-wheeled travel.

Dubbed the Salsbury 50 and 60, the new models were engineered specifically with ease-of-use in mind, making the Salsbury scoots a markedly more attractive offering to the average car owner than the average, manual transmission two-wheeler would. In ’47 the marque took things one step further with the introduction of the Super Scooter Model 85. Also known as the “Imperial Rocket”, the new machine featured car-style, foot-controlled gas and brake pedals, along with bodywork capped in chrome-plated, spring steel bumpers, and an enclosed engine that shielded the rider from the collection of greasy mechanical parts under the arm-chair cushion that Salsbury passed off as the Model 85’s saddle.

At the heart of the Imperial Rocket was a 6hp fan-cooled, four-stroke, 320cc single-cylinder engine capable of getting the scooter up to approximately 50mph. The 85’s unique bodywork was inspired by the aviation designs E. Foster Salsbury did during WW2. After producing somewhere between 700 and 1,000 units, the company was forced to close its doors for good in ’48, however scooter units continued to be sold through 1950. This particular 1949 Salsbury Model 85 has received a gorgeous restoration, and is expected to bring in between $8-10K when it goes under the hammer later this month.

7. 1989 Gilera 500 Nuovo GBM Saturno

 

Born out of a joint effort between Gilera and Japan’s Itochu Corporation (commonly known as “C. Itoh & Co.” in English), the Nuovo Saturno was a result of dropping the Italian marque’s newly designed single (first seen in ’85 on the 350 Dakota) into a lightweight sport chassis, adding Marzocchi suspenders, Marvic rims, and Brembo brakes, fore and aft, then finishing off the package with a cafe tail, sporty tank, and a half-fairing – penned by Japanese designer, H Hagiwara and Gilera’s Sandro Colombo.

Not unlike the Western motorcycle market today, 1980s Japan had a distinct appreciation for classic and retro-themed offerings, so when it came time to debut the cafe’d thumper in ’87, the company opted to revive its famed “Saturno” moniker, capitalizing on the island’s love for the classic 1940’s model. While the model’s initial release was limited to the far east, the stylish single’s success prompted the firm to begin offering the Nuovo Saturno in other markets including Europe. Despite becoming available in most major markets, the half-liter half-naked only remained in production for less than half-a-decade, making surviving specimens fairly rare.

The nimble little runner yielded 43hp, which admittedly isn’t much, though the bike’s sub-320lb weight still ultimately afforded it a top-speed of 115mph. Despite its alluring appearance and a relatively advanced power plant — water-cooling, dual exhaust ports, toothed-belt-driven double-overhead camshafts, four-valve cylinder head, forged piston, single-piece crank, etc — surprisingly few units ever left the factory, with only a fraction of said units officially exported to foreign shores, making examples exceedingly rare. Even more seldom found are special limited edition models, such as this 1989 GBM-spec Nuovo Saturno which was released to celebrate the TT. Originally from Japan by way of New Zealand, this half-liter specimen appears to be all original, wearing its factory paint, and lovely dual-can under-tail pipes, half-fairing with headlight bubble and transparent hand-shields. Despite leaving the factory almost thirty-years-ago, this bone-stock two-wheeler arguably looks more like a one-off Italian cafe racer than it does an unmolested factory offering.

8. 1970 Cushman Car with 1946 Cushman “Husky” Model 53A

Founded in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1903, the Cushman Scooter Company first got its start producing farm equipment and two-stroke boat motors before later expanding into an array of additional applications, including scooters and minibikes. In 1922 the American outfit introduced the “Husky” engine; an air-cooled, four-stroke, horizontal-shaft single. In 1936 Cushman decided to develop a small scooter around the Husky engine in an effort to sell more of its Husky mills, resulting in the Cushman Auto-Glide.

Additional motorized two-wheelers followed, including popular models like the Eagle, Truckster, and the 53A — the latter of which is the example seen on the trailer above (or below?). Powered by Cushman’s Husky engine, this particular pocket-sized scoot has undergone a complete restoration. Pulling the 1946 53A is an even more charming pint-sized vehicle that was originally part of an amusement park ride, but was plucked from the carousel, given a steel ladder chassis that now houses the little sports car’s Cushman Husky engine.

The bespoke Cushman-powered carnival car is linked to a custom trailer that, like the pair of little Husky powered vehicles, has been adorned in a coat of gloss red paint. The tiny auto also features a collection of exquisite details such as the wood interior trim, lighting, instrumentation, leather upholstery, mirrors, windshield. This unorthodox offering is expected to fetch between $5-6K when it goes under the hammer later this month.