Nobody Wants Elvis’ Last Motorcycle? How About the $50 Mil Harley-Davidson?
Elvis Presley’s last motorcycle still for sale, plenty of other ultra-expensive bikes out there.
Looks like the Elvis the King’s last motorcycle won’t break any records this year on the auction block. It may not even be sold.
The 1976 Electra Glide that was once owned by Elvis Presley attracted a high bid of $300,000 bid this past weekend at the Mecum auction in Indiana.
That did not meet the minimum reserve set by the seller, and so the bike will stay for sale for another three weeks. After that, the owner keeps it and sulks.
High Honors for the Elvis Ride
There had been talk three years ago that the bike might break the record for the most expensive motorcycle ever sold. Some experts predicted it would break the $2 million mark.
It eventually sold for $800,000 at an auction, which earned it high honors on many “most expensive” lists.
This year, the talk wasn’t as bold. Still, there was the belief that it might at least top the million-dollar mark. Has the King lost his luster?
Department Store Beast
At any rate, the records for this sort of thing aren’t exactly set in stone. There are no iron-clad rules or laws saying you can’t call this or that bike the most expensive in the world.
Some people point to a department store motorcycle job that is the most expensive motorcycle ever sold.
That would be the Neiman Marcus Limited Edition Fighter. Yes, I said Neiman Marcus. You might know them as the handbag store, but apparently they had a sideline most people never heard of: extremely expensive motorcycle builders.
Tight-Lipped, Secretive Owners
The Fighter sold for an astounding $11 million at an auction in 2012. That price shocked even its makers, since its starting price was only $110,000.
Nobody seems to know much about the specifics of these motorcycles, other than their wealthy owners are rather secretive.
There were only 45 of these bikes made. The Fighter is powered by an air-cooled, 1,922cc engine that churns out 160 horsepower on a light carbon frame. Top peed is said to be 190 mph.
It is also street legal, but you probably won’t ever see one at your local watering hole. Neiman Marcus also teamed with Ducati in 1998 to produce the Ducati 748L Neiman Marcus Edition.
Legendary British Twin-Cylinder
Then there is the 1949 E90 AJS Porcupine, a British racing number built by Associated Motorcycles. It is said to be worth $7 million.
The E90 Porcupine is one of the most revered motorcycles in Grand Prix road racing history. It was owned and raced by a man named Ted Friend, who died in 2006, and is the only twin-cylinder-powered motorcycle to win the Grand Prix series.
$50 Million Harley?
Others mentioned include:
- The Ecosse ES1 Spirit: a carbon fiber sport bike with a body weight of 265 pounds and top speed of 250 mph. Estimated worth: $3.6 million. Oh yeah, that includes spare parts forever.
- The Yamaha BMS Chopper: The only insane spec about this chopper is the fact it’s sprinkled with 24 karat gold. That won’t get you much in horsepower, but it will get you plenty of come hither looks from the ladies.
- Harley Davidson Cosmic Starship: Got to be a Harley in this exalted company. Here’s the $50 million Jack Armstrong-painted V-Rod. Despite its name – basically a marketing ploy – the bike actually sold for $3 million.
Here’s how Ultimate Motorcycling explains the $50 million tag
“Armstrong sold (a painting) for $50 million to the owner of the Cosmic Starship Harley. After the deal was completed, Armstrong returned the $50 million check in exchange for the Cosmic Starship Harley—essentially buying back his own V-Rod for $50 million.”
Photos: Harley Davidson, Wallpaper Cave, Wikipedia Commons, Mecum Auctions.
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