Top 10 Mecum Las Vegas 2025

If ever there was a time to watch and possibly bid at a Mecum Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction, 2025 is the year to participate. Numerous collections – 28 of them! – will be rolling through the South Point Hotel & Casino from January 29 through February 1. Some of those collections, such as the one amassed by Urban S. Hirsch III, contain machines, bicycles, art, books and brochures of the kind that haven’t been seen on the market for decades.

It’s an exciting year and Hirsch’s significant collection of more than 100 mostly pre-1916 American motorcycles form only part of the 2,000 machines on offer. There are more than 100 Harley-Davidsons, half that many Indians, three Crockers, one father-made Brough and three upstart son-built Brough-Superiors, five Vincents and hundreds of other European and Japanese machines. So, how to choose only 10 highlights? Realistically, almost any motorcycle from the Hirsch collection is a Top Pick, but I’ve singled out one (OK, maybe two) and you can read about them below. From exotic to unremarkable, in no given order, are 10 machines on my radar this year.

R706: 1915 Williams Clady

Designed by J. Newton Williams, this extraordinary motorcycle from the Urban S. Hirsch III collection is thought to the sole survivor of only four rotary-engine powered two-wheelers the enterprising engineer built between 1910 and 1915. Williams became involved in 1908 with aviation and motorcycle pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss. In 1910, perhaps through Curtiss’s influence, Williams constructed his first 3-cylinder radial engine motorcycle, and went on to construct three more, including this Model C – the only one of its kind with this unique frame.

The 873cc 3-cylinder rotary engine with selectable 2-speed gear shift is mounted in the rear wheel, the gas tank is directly behind the steering head and the magneto is directly under the sprung leather saddle. This historic Williams motorcycle was reportedly ridden 11,000 miles by Williams, and was road tested in 1997 by Brad Wilmarth, winner of two consecutive Cannonball motorcycle runs, who reported it a challenging ride, but a remarkable machine.

R533.1 1951 Series C Rapide Sidecar

Once owned by land speed record-setter Marty Dickerson, this 1951 Vincent Series C Rapide has been treated to an extensive restoration and is outfitted with some of the finest engine internals. For example, at the heart of the 998cc V-twin engine is a Maughan crank, while the top end is also from Maughan. Camshafts are from Gary Robertson, and the Amal pre-Monobloc carburetors have been honed and freshened with stainless steel slides.

The clutch has been upgraded with a wet, multi-plate V3 unit, produced by Neal Videan of Australia. If the Marty Dickerson connection isn’t attractive enough, perhaps the fully restored Steib chair will seal the deal. The lines of the Steib graciously accentuate those of the Vincent, making this a unique outfit. While there are three Black Shadows and a Comet at Mecum in 2025, this Rapide with Steib offers something a little extra on the side.

R183 1968 Yamaha DT1

Here’s the first year 2-stroke 250cc Yamaha DT-1, an inexpensive-to-purchase (at the time) motorcycle that brought trail riding to the masses. In 1968, good, lightweight off-road machines were mostly costlier European mounts, but at $755 off the showroom floor this Yamaha sold like proverbial hotcakes.

Yamaha started production with 12,000 units which quickly sold out, but by the end of ’68 the company had managed to sell close to 50,000 of them. Weighing 235 pounds with half a tank of gasoline and oil in the Autolube tank, the DT-1 was motivated by a single-cylinder piston-reed induction 2-stroke engine with a usable, and very reliable, powerband coupled with the 5-speed gearbox. They were ridden hard and often put away wet, this one from the Bob Weaver collection is in original condition with low miles.

R351.1 1965 Harley-Davidson FLH Electra Glide

Harley-Davidson’s 1965 FLH Electra Glide is the Motor Company’s first year for an electric start 74 cubic-inch V-twin engine, while also being the last of the Panhead configuration. In 1966, H-D introduced the Shovelhead mill. While Knuckleheads have been increasing in value, perhaps the Panheads aren’t too far behind? Time will tell.

But this machine, from the Mitzel Builders Motorcycle Collection, is one to watch as it’s not only been completely restored but routinely serviced ever since. It’s lovely in Hi-Fi blue over white paint and has all the elements present, including the windshield, plush white sprung seat and bubble bags that made these 1960s machines the biggest, and the most comfortable, highway touring machines of the era.

R728 1939 Excelsior Manxman

So, here’s the second Urban S. Hirsch III machine on the list; it’s a rarely-seen-in-America British-built Excelsior Manxman. With its rigid frame, girder fork, dropped ‘bars, sprung solo saddle and high-mount exhaust with megaphone it’s got a look that epitomizes beautiful British singles. Working in conjunction with Blackburne in the early 1930s, Excelsior developed a 4-valve, pushrod operated engine featuring two carburetors and twin cams.

Called the ‘Mechanical Marvel’, in 1933 with Syd Gleave at the controls the model won the Lightweight TT. Proving complicated to produce in any quantity, Excelsior dropped two valves and one cam, moved the remaining cam to the head, and called the motorcycle the Manxman. Built in 250cc, 350cc and 500cc, this example from 1939 is the 350 Manxman. In unrestored condition, this is one cool British single and it’ll be interesting to watch.

T115 1970 Ducati 450 MkIII Desmo Single

Famous for its sporting single-cylinder motorcycles during the 1960s, Ducati enlarged the 350 non-desmo single overhead cam engine in 1969 to create the 450 MkIII. This was the largest single in the lineup, but only a few examples made it to North America before the end of production in 1974. Even rarer is the 450 MkIII D; ‘D’ for desmo drive of the cam.

This is a MkIII D, and it was restored some 10 years ago using original Ducati parts. The wheel rims are steel as opposed to flanged alloy Borranis, but the heel/toe shifter, chrome headlight, Dell’Orto carburetor and chrome coffin-style gas tank all appear correct. These little Ducatis are lightweight, powerful and rather slim – they’re not selling for high dollars and provide great bang for the riding buck.

W242/W241 1982 Honda MB5s

Laugh if you will, but these diminutive Hondas hold a special place in my heart. Here’s why. In the early 1980s, I was pedalling a store-brand clunker of a BMX bicycle. At 14 years old, where I lived, it was legal to ride a 50cc scooter or moped with a learner’s permit, and these MB5s with a 5-speed manual transmission just snuck in under the radar. The cool kid in the neighborhood had an MB5. I wasn’t the cool kid.

We were all envious of the MB5, powered by a 2-stroke engine it was replete with full-instrumentation, disc front brake and racy styling. I got to ride it a couple of times. Pure fun.  Here, W241 is a stock machine, while W241 has been hotted-up with a 75cc big-bore kit, expansion chamber and larger carb. They’re rare in North America, too, as they were only sold in the United States for a single year.

R320 1957 Triumph Model 21 No. 1

This bathtub-clad Triumph Twenty-One is a significant machine. Stamped with serial number H1 on both frame and engine, it was the first full unit-construction twin-cylinder Triumph to roll off the assembly line on February 22, 1957. From the Meriden factory, Triumph’s 350cc H1 was shipped to Holland, where it was displayed in late February and early March on the Triumph stand alongside Twenty-One H2 at the RAI Motorcycle Exposition.

After the show, H1 was sold and used for years as a humble commuter machine until a Texan living in the Netherlands discovered it in his neighbor’s backyard under a tarp. He bought it, brought it back to the States, and had it completely restored.  There’s only one number one!

W150 1973 Honda CB350

Honda sold hundreds of thousands of these parallel-twin, overhead cam 350cc machines in the late 1960s through the early 1970s. Introduced in 1968, the CB350 Super Sport replaced the 305cc Super Hawk, but both machines were still listed in Honda’s ’68 brochure. No more 305s were available after that, however. This CB350 is actually a 1972 K4, and it appears to be in very nice, original condition with low miles on the odometer.

The right-side muffler is rotted out, though, and replacements are hard to find. I bought a CB350 like this many years ago for not much money. It was in tough shape, but it cleaned up and ran. Years later, it sold for quite a bit more than I paid for it. A friend nicknamed the bike ‘Barney’ for reasons that will be apparent to anyone familiar with an oversize purple dinosaur with the same name. For that reason alone, I’ll be interested to see what this version of Barney might bring down.

R567.1 1974 BMW R90S

Styled by the legendary Hans Muth, the first year 1974 BMW R90S is often called the bike that saved BMW. Prior to the 900cc boxer-twin with café racer lines, the Bavarian manufacturer produced primarily well-built touring machines. The R90S, with Muth-designed gas tank, seat, fairing, rear seat cowl and exhaust brought a new sense of excitement to BMW. This ’74 R90S is finished in the silver fade into black ‘Silver Smoke’ paint scheme and is a two-owner machine with 10,000 miles on the odometer. It comes with matching saddlebags and is a fine example of the R90S. Values of the R90Ss have been slowly increasing over the years. Unlike the 1965 H-D Panhead highway cruiser I’ve chosen to watch, in comparison, the R90S is a technological Teutonic marvel.