Photo: Bonhams
The auction house Bonhams will have two very special motorcycles under the hammer in early January. One of them was the star in an Evel Knievel biopic movie while the other comes from Steve McQueen's vast collection.
Even though we rarely become too enthusiasts about retro Harleys, Knievel's machine made us look closely and for a longer time than usual. The Ironhead Sportster XL1200 looks almost like new, with a spectacular shine on the chromed parts, clean hubs and spokes, and an engine that looks equally great.
The 1976 Harley Ironhead Sportster 1000 is a unique piece of machinery, as it appeared in the Viva Knievel biopic. Evel Knievel himself starred in the movie, and he rode this bike that was customized to look like his famous XR-750 stunt bikes.
After the filming was over, the Ironhead went to a museum in California, and it looks this good because it was recently restored by the very same guy who used to paint Knievel's bikes back in the 1970s, George Sedlak. A letter of authenticity from Dick Hutchins, the owner of the bike, accompanies this Ironhead. Bonhams expects it to fetch between $80,000 and 100,000 (€73,200-91,500).
This bike is regarded as one of the sought-after artifacts that stand for the friendship between McQueen and Ekins. The motorcycle was built from a 1963 Triumph Bonneville and was intended for desert racing and cow trailing, as Bonhams tells. Because of such purposes, Kenny Howard aka Von Dutch preferred a plain paint and skipped his trademark pinstripes, as they would easily be damaged in falls and scrapes.
The Desert Sled is offered from the Larry Bowman Collection and comes with some paperwork, including the certificate of authenticity issued back in 1984 when the bike was sold from McQueen's collection at the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino auction, on November 24-25.
Bonhams expects the Bonneville Desert Sled to fetch between $50,000 and $60,000 (€45,750-54,890).
The 1976 Harley Ironhead Sportster 1000 is a unique piece of machinery, as it appeared in the Viva Knievel biopic. Evel Knievel himself starred in the movie, and he rode this bike that was customized to look like his famous XR-750 stunt bikes.
After the filming was over, the Ironhead went to a museum in California, and it looks this good because it was recently restored by the very same guy who used to paint Knievel's bikes back in the 1970s, George Sedlak. A letter of authenticity from Dick Hutchins, the owner of the bike, accompanies this Ironhead. Bonhams expects it to fetch between $80,000 and 100,000 (€73,200-91,500).
Steve McQueen's Bonneville Desert Sled is also up for grabs
The second famous bike Bonhams will have on sale on January 7, 2016, is a Bonneville Desert Sled modified by Bud Ekins and painted by Von Dutch.This bike is regarded as one of the sought-after artifacts that stand for the friendship between McQueen and Ekins. The motorcycle was built from a 1963 Triumph Bonneville and was intended for desert racing and cow trailing, as Bonhams tells. Because of such purposes, Kenny Howard aka Von Dutch preferred a plain paint and skipped his trademark pinstripes, as they would easily be damaged in falls and scrapes.
The Desert Sled is offered from the Larry Bowman Collection and comes with some paperwork, including the certificate of authenticity issued back in 1984 when the bike was sold from McQueen's collection at the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino auction, on November 24-25.
Bonhams expects the Bonneville Desert Sled to fetch between $50,000 and $60,000 (€45,750-54,890).
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