Thousands of motorcycles are made every day for all sorts of purposes. Whether they are a nice cruiser or built super-bike, the options are truly endless. Throughout the years, most bikes have fallen to the wayside, replaced by modern tech and design. And yet, some antique bikes have risen in value well over their original MSRP to become valuable collector's pieces.
But rarely do motorcycles of any kind get be worth above $100,000. Some of the ones that do, however, become valuable because of their limited production or racing history, and the best of the best can skyrocket to unimaginable numbers. From vintage British racing bikes that could outrace a Jaguar XK120 off the showroom floor to modern feats of engineering and design that utilizes today's strongest and lightest materials within their bodywork, the most valuable bikes in the world come in every type.
I'm not going to define what a supercar is here, because we'll be here all day trying to define blurry lines. In my opinion, a true supercar cannot cost more than $1 million dollars. It just doesn't seem right for something that's not ridiculously fast nor extremely powerful to cost almost as much as a brand new Hennessey Venom GT.
So that's the benchmark we'll set here, above $200,000 to $1,000,000 for a motorcycle. It takes a special type of bike to be considered truly valuable, worth more than most recognizable supercars like a Ferrari or a Porsche GT3. I hope you enjoy my list of 25 motorcycles more valuable than most supercars.
25 1894 Roper Steam Motorcycle - $425,000
This is one of the earliest (if not the earliest) motorcycles ever invented. Though this particular one was built 27 years after the first Roper, it's one its owner used personally before his death in 1896 from a heart attack. Two were built and the other is displayed at the Smithsonian Institute, though this one went up for auction in 2011 in Las Vegas. It failed to meet the reserve and went back to its owner, who didn't really lend it out for display, with a lone showing in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame to celebrate inventor Sylvester Hayward Roper, who invented the bike from his hometown in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
24 1911 Flying Merkel - $423,500
The last of three different names that inventor Joseph Merkel used (the Merkel, Merkel Light, and finally the Flying Merkel), this board-track racer is original and is assumed to be the only one still existing, as there had never been one found until this one was bought by Bob Clifton in the 1980s. Only the tires have been replaced, as the originals disintegrated when the bike first ran after being stored away for 70 years. This example of early board-track racing, as well as the originality of the bike, is quite a treasure that can still be experienced to this day. The motorcycle is still in good condition and can be run on dirt tracks as it had before during its heyday.
23 1915 Iver Johnston Twin - $299,600
This uniquely-built motorcycle was done so by Iver's sons Fredrick, John, and Walter, who took over "Iver Johnston's Arms and Cycle Works" which produced guns but also made bicycles. The Twin was made by improving upon the bicycle's "truss bridge" frame design. The frame was then fitted with a 30.5 cubic-inch motor which was marketed in 1912. A couple of years later, a V-Twin was bolted snugly into the frame. The motor was an odd 60-degree, side-valved, V-Twin, which put down 7.5 hp and propelled the 265-pound motorcycle to 65 mph. This particular Twin comes with the $250 optional two-speed on the crankcase and is a beautifully restored example of the motorcycle's beginnings that was sold at auction for just under $300,000 in Las Vegas.
22 1929 Scott Flying Squirrel - $276,000
Scott motorcycles are well known for being ahead of their time. Founded by a British inventor, Alfred Angas Scott, his bikes had features on them that wouldn't be seen again for years.
One of these features utilized a thermosyphon water-cooler in the two-stroke motor.
Besides the ingenious engineering, this 1929 Scott Flying Squirrel was actually owned by Kenny Howard (Von Dutch) who then restored the motorcycle before selling it to Steve McQueen. McQueen stated his love for the bike and owned it up to the day he died. His estate was then sold off and its owner is also the same man who has revived the Von Dutch name. The price for this particular bike is most in part to the names and legends that have surrounded the bike throughout its years.
21 1928 Indian Altoona - $247,000
Named after the Altoona Speedway in Pennsylvania, where a 1928 Indian lapped at 114 mph, the name stuck as it was the fastest any motorcycle has gone on a circular track. The same year, it set a record on August 21st in Rockingham, New Hampshire for the fastest speed on a board track with a speed of 120.3 mph! Afterward it was adapted to hill climb racing, winning various National Championship hill climbs. Complete with the powerful Indian motor, the motorcycle was sold by Mecum in Las Vegas when it was still unrestored and looked as if it just came off of the final hill climb.
20 2011 Ecosse Founders Edition Ti XX - $300,000
The first new bike on our list, the Ecosse FE Ti XX wasn't sold at auction for $300,000, it was bought brand new from the factory at this price. The high price can be justified through the hand-building process and materials used in the bike. A 225-horsepower, 2,409cc billet engine powers the bike, which also featured luxurious Berluti Italian leather trim (and the overall purchase includes a unique watch). Only 13 examples were made of the last of Ecosse's series of motorcycles, further leading to the insane prices. If one of these shows up in any auction, it is sure to bring prices that could even exceed the original price.
19 2003 Dodge Tomahawk $555,000
Technically a concept motorcycle, very few of these illegal street motorcycles were made for customer use. It was built using the same V10 as the Viper during the days of "let's put the V10 in everything we can and see what happens!" When put into the custom frame of a motorcycle (perhaps it's more accurate to call it a quadricycle?) the combination produces dizzying numbers.
A sprint to 60 comes in only two and a half seconds, on the way to a projected top speed over 300 mph!
Trevor Creed said about the Tomahawk, "The Dodge brand philosophy always challenges us to grab life by the horns... In the case of the Tomahawk, grabbing and holding onto anything for dear life is a necessity" With figures like those, I'll take his word for it.
18 2008 Suzuki AEM Carbon Fiber Hayabusa - $200,000
Hayabusas are already known worldwide and have been considered the world fastest motorcycle at one time, a title they hold high. And while constantly improving on the bike to try to regain that record, it was bound to get to this form. This is the eighth-most expensive motorcycle you can buy today. The motorcycle created with help from AEM, and the complete carbon fiber body substantially lightens the bike to raise the top speed to 187 mph. While that speed may be far off from the Kawasaki Ninja's top speed of about 250 mph, it's still a terrific motorcycle that is said to have a nice response to everyday driving.
17 2008 Ducati Desmosedici D16RR NCR Millona 16 - $232,500
This bike is very reminiscent of Pagani, at least that's how I see it. This rocket is equipped with the standard Ducati 998RR GP, liquid-cooled, 989cc engine that produces over 200 horsepower. This all-out, carbon fiber-clad GP bike weighs only 319 pounds (71 pounds lighter than the standard Ducati Desmosedici RR). The carbon fiber pieces include the swingarms, rims, fuel tank, and rear subframe, and that's not to mention the whole frame itself. Magnesium and aircraft-grade aluminum is also used in the build to further improve the weight. I couldn't find any production numbers for this bike, and as it is made to order only, I won't suspect to find any that are reliably accurate. Nonetheless, this super-exclusive motorcycle is just about as crazy as they come.
16 2008 Ecosse Heretic Titanium Series RR - $273,000
Another insane bike with incredible figures that mirrors some MotoGP contenders, this motorcycle has an all-titanium chassis that surrounds an over-200-horsepower, 2,150cc V-Twin motor.
Adorning the frame is a nine-piece, handcrafted carbon fiber body that is small in structure to better show off the frame and better allow access to the motor.
The wheels are also carbon fiber and although they are not as nearly as light as the NCR M16 mentioned above, this Heretic RR weighs only 440 pounds. Each motorcycle is engraved with a production number on the handlebar clamp and the VIN plate. This is another bike where I'm not really sure how many were made, but it's really cool looking altogether.
15 1954 AJS E95 Porcupine - $695,000
Back to the classic bikes with an all-out racing motorcycle. This is easily one of the most expensive motorcycles ever sold at auction, and is one of the most expensive on this list! After a Porcupine had won the first 500cc World Championship in 1949, the years following had brought nothing but disappointment and the 1954 Porcupine is the last model year built to compete. Winning the Swedish Grand Prix was the highlight of the season as AJS withdrew from involvement in the Grand Prix. All four E95 Porcupines built survive today, this one having escaped a fire that engulfed the museum it was displayed in as it was getting restored by Team Obsolete in New York.
14 1910 Winchester 6HP - $580,000
Winchester? The legendary firearms maker who also has a potential link to the paranormal in a strange house in California? Yes, they made motorcycles. For only about three years, they made 200 of these motorcycles, only two of which are known to exist today. Last sold in a firearms auction in March of 2015, this insanely rare motorcycle has been restored to an immaculate condition. This motorized bicycle has a 6-hp Marsh-Metz engine mounted to a steel frame. Though in reality, it was merely commissioned by Winchester and Merry Company of San Francisco actually built the motorcycles bearing the name. However it was built, the rarity cannot be understated, and this is the only 1910 Winchester. The other Winchester is a 1909 model.
13 2016 Ludovic Lazareth LM 847 - $215,000
I see this motorcycle as the Italian take on the Tomahawk mentioned previously. Instead of a Viper V10, the motor is a beautiful Maserati 4.7-liter V8. Also sporting four wheels to better handle around 470 horsepower, this V8 motorbike is a definitive answer to the lifted French restriction on motorcycles. Up until 2016, French law dictated that you couldn't have a motorcycle above 100 horsepower, so every motorcycle that was produced had to be choked down in France by electronic or other means to fit within the standard restriction. When 2016 hit, the law was lifted and it seems like Ludovic celebrated, hard.
12 2013 Ducati Testa Stretta NCR Macchia Nera Concept - $225,000
Yet another Ducati and an NCR Ducati at that, but they're so freaking cool I just couldn't help but include another one. I've spoken about the 2004 Macchia Nera already, and first off, the wheelbase on this bad boy is only 55.1 inches, which doesn't seem like a whole lot compared to the 2004 model.
It also has the same Testa Stretta 998R engine which puts out the same 185 horsepower.
The body is also made of carbon fiber and titanium, creating the same 297-pound weight. So to be honest, and maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see a difference between the two! Maybe it's in tiniest of details I'm overlooking, but nonetheless, this is a welcome return as there was only one made in 2004, and now there's one more.
11 1907 Harley-Davidson Single “Strap Tank” - $715,000
Back to the classic once more to round off this list, we return to an icon's humble beginnings. The first Harley-Davidsons had leather straps holding the gas tank to the frame, which was why they earned the "strap tank" nickname. The 440cc single cylinder motorcycle is easily the most sought-after by Harley-Davidson enthusiasts, as this one was estimated to go for almost a million dollars thanks to its original condition. It still wears original paint, boasts original family owners, and wears serial numbers indicating it as the 37th built in 1907, which makes it the 94th Harley-Davidson ever built. It may have not quite hit the seven-figure mark, but still, selling for north of half a million is no small achievement.
10 1915 Cyclone - $551,200
A brand that built exclusively racing motorcycles, these beautiful yellow (according to statnekov.com, they also came in blue) motorcycles had an in-house-designed bevel-driven OHC 996cc V-Twin. From what I've read on the website mentioned before, the Cyclone motorcycle was introduced in 1914, and debuted in Stockton, California to a roaring success, so much so that fans just about tore the bike up for souvenirs!
The next year wasn't so great, though.
Mechanical problems prohibited the Cyclone motorcycles in the long-distance races (Venice, California, and Dodge City). After multiple breakdowns, the Cyclone was abandoned as it proved too expensive to work on, leaving this pristine example as a testament to the history and story of the Cyclone racing bike.
9 1929 Brough Superior SS100 Alpine Grand Sports - $492,973
Named after the Alpine Trial (known to be "the toughest event in the world") a course that ran through Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, and Stelvio Pass, this bike was designed with the success of the previous Brough motorcycles on the famous pre-war race in mind. Introduced at first in 1925, the SS100 had a low-compression, 986cc engine and originally came with a Cruiser sidecar, according to its Works Record Card. These bikes were guaranteed to be able to drive over 100 miles per hour. They've attained an incredible price for what many consider the "Rolls-Royce" of motorcycles, and this is another terrific survivor that's somehow defied the passage of time.
8 1939 BMW RS255 Kompressor - $480,000
Not the actual works racer of the time, this RS255 was owned by BMW works rider Walter Zeller. The RS255 was the lightest in the 500cc Grand Prix field and armed with that famous supercharger, it was one of the fastest, though the motor was not quite as reliable as the English bikes.
BMW had some of the best riders working for them, though.
Georg Meier, Jock West, and Karl Gall were all great riders, the latter of which lost his life during the 1939 Isle of Man TT. The recreation used an authentic RS255 Kompressor Engine and a 1951 Rennsport frame with other modifications that mirror all of the RS255 details from the pre-war and post-war era motorcycles.
7 2004 NCR Macchia Nera - $180,000
This small 55.5-inch, 297-pound motorcycle looks impressive, and the aggressive naked design by Aldo Drudi already makes this bike more special than most. The topping on the cake is the 180-horsepower Ducati Testa Stretta 998R motor!
A powerful motor on a bike that barely weighs anything almost leads to a perfect 1:1 horsepower-to-weight ratio.
Other materials include titanium that is used in the rear stand, the frame, and the gas cap that sits atop the custom carbon fiber gas tank. Sounds like a dream to an adrenalin junkie or any motorcyclist with some serious courage. Guess it's a good thing there is only one.
6 1932 Brough Superior “BS4” (Austin 7-powered 3-wheeler) - $432,000
What an odd motorcycle, one of the ten motorcycles equipped with a motor from an Austin 7. First believed to have been destroyed, the seven remaining unique bikes have two rear wheels and look as if they were meant to have sidecars (like the one pictured). But were set up solo from the start. Originally found in a barn alongside some other Brough motorcycles in various states of disrepair, thankfully this BS4 was complete and sold at auction to become the most expensive bike sold at an auction at the time. Now the bike stands as an odd example of Brough's ingenuity and also some of the true genius that went into designing the motorcycle.