Helmuth Fath URS Sidecar Goes Under the Hammer

The upcoming Collectors' Motorcycles and Related Memorabilia from Bonhams, scheduled to be held in Stafford UK on October 17, will feature the historic racing motorcycle on which the legendary Helmut Fath won the Sidecar World Championship in 1968 and with which Horst Owesle took the title in 1971.

Fath built his own four-cylinder URS racing engine naming it after the village of Ursenbach in Germany where the project was conceived. The historic racing machine has an estimate of GBP 70,000 - 80,000.

The URS is offered from an important UK private collection together with another unique post-war racing motorcycle: the 500cc URS-engined Seeley prototype that John Blanchard rode to 4th place in the 1967 Ulster Grand Prix and which was raced later in 750cc form by Tony Jefferies (estimated at GBP60,000 - 70,000). Divided into two separate lots, a vast quantity of URS spares is on offer also, sufficient to build several additional engines (estimated at GBP5,000 - 10,000 each)

Automobilia highlights include a limited edition Graham London 'TT Watch' awarded to Manxman Dave Molyneux (14 times TT winner) for his and passenger Dan Sayle's win in the 2009 Sidecar Race 'A' (GBP 2,500 - 3,500); Junior and Senior Isle of Man TT race programmes dating from 1914 (GBP 400 - 600 each); and a Brooklands silver motorcycle trophy awarded to competitor and author Charles Mortimer together with two of his books, 'Brooklands: Behind the Scenes' and 'Racing a Sports Car' (GBP 150 - 200).

"It's another fabulous line-up already, encompassing the whole range of collectors' motorcycles. Our sale at Stafford is clearly the auction to be at for anyone with a passion for old motorcycles!" said Ben Walker, Head of Bonhams Collectors' Motorcycle Department.