BONHAM'S MOTORCYCLE AUCTION GALLERY
Story and photos by Mick Ofield

A wide variety of bikes and memorabilia went under the hammer at last weekends Bonhams auction held in the Petersen Museum. The lots ranged from very collectable Brough Superiors and Vincents to basket cases of dusty parts brought over from South Africa.

Some jewels of the auction were Steve McQueens Matchless that went for $40,000, a rare 1939 Vincent HRD that was not complete but went for $105,000 and a 1913 Flying Merkel that went for $100,000.

At the other end of the scale was a very rideable 1973 Triumph Daytona that fetched just $3,000. David Edwards from Cycle World came away with a 1980 Ducati Darmah for an unbelievable low price. The strangest purchase had to be a very incomplete AJS 7R roadracer that fetched $15,000.

If you have never been to a motorcycle auction, you should go, the items and the characters are worth the trip even if you don't buy.