The most expensive motorcycle ever sold at public auction is a 1915 Cyclone board track racer, which made $1.32 million at Mecum’s Las Vegas sale in early 2025, the first motorcycle to pass $1 million at auction. In April 2026 a 1965 MV Agusta Grand Prix racer came within a whisker of it at Bonhams. This list ranks the ten highest auction prices we could verify, from 2018 to 2026.
| Rank | Motorcycle | Price | Sale date | Sold at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1915 Cyclone Model 7 board track racer | $1.32 million | Jan/Feb 2025 | Mecum Las Vegas |
| 2 | 1965 MV Agusta 500cc Grand Prix racer | £967,000 (about $1.3 million) | Apr 2026 | Bonhams Stafford |
| 3 | 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank | $935,000 | Jan 2023 | Mecum Las Vegas |
| 4 | 1951 Vincent Black Lightning | $929,000 | Jan 2018 | Bonhams Las Vegas |
| 5 | 1938 Crocker Small Tank V-Twin | $880,000 | 2025 (reported) | Mecum Las Vegas |
| 6 | 1915 Cyclone V-Twin board track racer | $852,500 | 2015 (reported) | Las Vegas auction |
| 7 | 1936 Crocker Small Tank | $825,000 | 2019 (reported) | Mecum |
| 8 | 1937 Crocker Small Tank | $715,000 | Aug 2019 (reported) | Mecum Monterey |
| 9 | 1939 Crocker V-Twin Big Tank | $704,000 | Jan 2019 (reported) | Mecum Las Vegas |
| 10 | 1977 Suzuki RG500 XR14 ex-Barry Sheene | £506,000 (about $680,000) | Apr 2026 | Bonhams Stafford |
1. 1915 Cyclone Model 7 board track racer: $1.32 million
Cyclones were built in Minnesota and raced on wooden board tracks, where speeds were high and riders were not. The Model 7 used a 42 degree V-twin making about 45 horsepower, and few survive.
This example came from the Urban S. Hirsch III collection and was restored by specialist Stephen Wright. It was the top lot of a Mecum sale that grossed a record $27.2 million.
How we valued it: final price including the buyer’s premium, from the auction results.
2. 1965 MV Agusta 500cc Grand Prix racer: £967,000 (about $1.3 million)
This works racer was ridden by Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini and later passed through the hands of John Surtees. It carried a pre-sale estimate of £160,000 to £220,000 and sold for more than six times the low end.
It set a record for an Italian motorcycle at auction and, at the exchange rates of spring 2026, sits just below the Cyclone.
How we valued it: price including premium in pounds, converted at roughly spring 2026 rates, so the dollar figure is approximate.
3. 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank: $935,000
The strap tank is one of the earliest production Harleys, named for the fuel tank held to the frame by straps. At the time of sale it was reported as the most expensive motorcycle ever sold at auction.
It held that mark for two years until the Cyclone passed it.
How we valued it: reported final price at the auction.
4. 1951 Vincent Black Lightning: $929,000
The Black Lightning is a racing version of the Vincent Black Shadow, built in tiny numbers and tuned for record runs on salt flats. It was the first motorcycle to approach $1 million at auction.
This sale made it the priciest motorcycle ever sold at auction at that time.
How we valued it: price including buyer’s premium, about £651,715 at the time.
5. 1938 Crocker Small Tank V-Twin: $880,000
Crocker built fewer than 100 machines in Los Angeles between the mid 1930s and 1941. They were fast, expensive and made to order, which is why a surviving bike behaves like a work of art.
This example is one of three Crockers on the list.
How we valued it: reported price from a published list of auction results; the exact sale date was not stated.
6. 1915 Cyclone V-Twin board track racer: $852,500
An earlier Cyclone set the standard before the 2025 sale. The $852,500 result showed how fast demand for the board track racers was rising.
How we valued it: reported final price; reports differ on the exact sale date and house, so treat the date as approximate.
7. 1936 Crocker Small Tank: $825,000
This Crocker sold at a Mecum sale in 2019 and showed that the best Crockers were heading toward $1 million long before the Cyclone.
How we valued it: reported final price from a published list of auction results.
8. 1937 Crocker Small Tank: $715,000
A second Crocker from the same Mecum event. Two bikes of the same make in one weekend over $700,000 suggests this was not a one-off result.
How we valued it: reported final price from a published list of auction results.
9. 1939 Crocker V-Twin Big Tank: $704,000
The big tank holds more fuel, and later bikes are more sought after. It sold for about $704,000 at a Mecum sale in Las Vegas.
How we valued it: reported final price from a published list of auction results.
10. 1977 Suzuki RG500 XR14 ex-Barry Sheene: £506,000 (about $680,000)
The bike is Barry Sheene’s 1977 title-winning works machine, one of two factory bikes he used that season. It was offered for the first time in nearly 40 years.
It set a record for a Japanese motorcycle at auction.
How we valued it: price including premium in pounds, converted at roughly spring 2026 rates, so the dollar figure is approximate.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
In January and February 2025 the 1915 Cyclone became the first motorcycle to sell for more than $1 million at public auction, with a result of $1.32 million. Mecum’s Las Vegas sale also posted a record $27.2 million gross total.
At Bonhams’ Stafford sale on 25 and 26 April 2026, the ex-Hailwood and Agostini MV Agusta made £967,000, a record for an Italian motorcycle, and the ex-Barry Sheene Suzuki RG500 made £506,000, a record for a Japanese motorcycle. Both were reported as new class records.
What drives these prices
- Racing history: the 2026 results were works racers with famous riders, which tends to beat road bikes.
- Scarcity from small production runs: Crocker and Vincent built very few bikes, so each sale is a rare event.
- Age and condition: pre-1920 American twins like the Cyclone and the strap tank are scarce because most were raced or scrapped.
- Museum buyers: reports indicate collectors with private museums now compete, which lifts the top end.
- Prices in this list include the buyer’s premium, which adds roughly 10 to 15 percent to the hammer price.
Keep reading
- how wealth levels map to cars: a companion read on what money buys on four wheels
The habits that let people afford this
Short audio lessons on money, mindset and discipline, in the Alux app.
Get the Alux app →FAQ
What is the most expensive motorcycle ever sold at auction?
A 1915 Cyclone board track racer holds the public auction record at $1.32 million, sold by Mecum in Las Vegas in early 2025.
What is the most expensive motorcycle ever sold privately?
Private deals are not always documented. A 1960s-style Captain America chopper from the film Easy Rider was reported at about $1.3 million in 2014, but its authenticity was disputed, so we do not rank it.
What was the most expensive motorcycle sold at auction in 2026?
The 1965 MV Agusta 500cc Grand Prix racer at Bonhams Stafford in April 2026, which made £967,000, roughly $1.3 million.
Which brand appears most on this list?
Crocker, with three of the ten results, ahead of Cyclone with two.
Why was the Vincent Black Lightning special?
In January 2018 it sold for $929,000 at Bonhams, making it the most valuable motorcycle sold at auction at that point.
How much does the tenth bike on this list cost?
The ex-Barry Sheene Suzuki RG500 made £506,000, about $680,000, in April 2026.
How we put this list together
We rank by verified auction price, using auction results compiled in an internal valuation model. Prices include the buyer’s premium where stated, are approximate, and change over time as new sales emerge.
Last updated: October 2026.
