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World’s Oldest Production Motorcycle Sells For $212,000

By General Posts

This example may be the earliest one still in existence in 2023.
World’s Oldest Production Motorcycle Sells For $212,000 At Auction

by Janaki Jitchotvisut from https://www.rideapart.com

The early days of motorcycling were a wild time. From strapping engines to the frames of unsuspecting bicycles, to steam-powered velocipedes, people were eager to find new and improved ways to get around. New technological frontiers are typically a time of great experimentation, and this era in motorcycling was certainly no different.

In February, 2023, an extremely interesting piece of that early history went up for auction at Bonhams Paris The machine in question is an extremely rare 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller, which bears the reputation of “the first powered two-wheeler to enter series production,” as well as the first vehicle to be called by the name “motorcycle” (or “motorrad,” in German). It ultimately sold for €195,500, or roughly $212,000 Yankee dollars including the premium.

Brothers Heinrich and Wilhelm Hildebrand set to work crafting their first powered two-wheeler designs during the crucial transition between steam-powered and gasoline-powered vehicles. As the story goes, they started with steam, but eventually turned to a two-stroke design in cooperation with two other individuals: Alois Wolfmüller and his mechanic Hans Geisenhof.

Development is often an iterative process, and what the team eventually came up with to make this production vehicle was a water-cooled, four-stroke, parallel twin engine with what must have been a breathtaking displacement at the time: 1,489cc. This reportedly made about 2.5 brake horsepower at 240 RPM, and resulted in a machine that could top out around 30 miles per hour. That might seem terribly slow in 2023, but was likely more impressive in a time when motor vehicles (let alone faster ones) weren’t so commonplace.

If this machine seems like an alien contraption to your modern eyes, that’s because it’s quite different from any motorcycle we know today. Here’s how the Bonhams listing describes some key features of this bike:

“Steam locomotive practice was further recalled by the long connecting rods directly linking the pistons to the rear wheel, which opened and closed the mechanical exhaust valves via pushrods actuated by a cam on the hub. The latter contained an epicyclic reduction gear and there was no crankshaft flywheel, the solid disc rear wheel serving that purpose. Rubber bands assisted the pistons on the return stroke. Fuel was fed from the tank to a surface carburetor and thence via atmospheric inlet valves to the cylinders where it was ignited by platinum hot tube, as developed by Daimler. The box-like rear mudguard acted as a reservoir for the engine’s cooling water, while one of the frame tubes served as the oil tank. The tires, manufactured under license from Dunlop by Veith in Germany, were the first of the pneumatic variety ever fitted to a motorcycle,” it reads.

Also, this bike didn’t have a clutch. Instead, the starting procedure involved pushing it until the engine fired up, then jumping into the saddle and riding it wherever you needed to go. (Perhaps it wasn’t only the world’s first production motorcycle, but also the world’s first production exercise bike?)

The design for this bike was patented in 1894, and the machines were produced both in Munich, by parent company Motofahrrad-Fabrik Hildebrand & Wolfmüller , and also under license in France as La Petrolette. People of the time were reportedly optimistic about the new bikes, but their optimism was soon tinged with regret and demands for their money back due to starting difficulties and unsatisfactory running performance. By 1897, after French licensee Duncan, Superbie et Cie lost a court case with a customer about these issues, both the German and French concerns went bust. It’s unclear how many of these machines were ever made, but it’s believed to be somewhere between 800 and 2,000 in total.

This specific example is believed to be the earliest numbered example still existing today, with frame number 619 and engine number 69. It was last sold in 1990, and documentation that accompanies this sale includes papers from that time, as well as period marque literature (mostly, if not all, in German). The tires and bands have been replaced (and one of the bands needs replacing yet again), but this bike is otherwise in mostly untouched condition—which makes it even more remarkable, given the fact that it’s almost 130 years old.

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Highly Anticipated 2023 Mecum Auction Report

By General Posts

by Bandit with photos from Mecum and Micah McCloskey

Are We Doomed or Kickin’ Ass?

Some feel the Las Vegas Mecum Motorcycle Auction is the Devil Incarnate. The money-making desire to flood the market with almost 2000 Vintage motorcycles in an unpredictable inflationary period could destroy the motorcycle industry and return us to where we started—grubby bikers.

Others were excited to find bits and pieces to complete vintage projects. Some wanted to sniff the action for clues to future sales. The Bikernet investigative team, which we can’t name included builders, brokers, collectors, racers and celebrities.

Click to Read the full photo feature report only on Bikernet.com

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Revised Edition: Estate Planning for Motorcycle Collectors

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by John Stein with edits from Bandit and John Martinisko

Or what might happen to your beloved bikes when you’re not around

Note: I’m not pretending that this is the definitive work on winding down your collection or living your life. But if it gets you to at least consider what steps should be taken, and how, the article will have done its job.

As motorcycle fanatics, we’ve all laid awake nights wondering how we could add to our collections. At some point in our lives, doing exactly the opposite probably makes more sense. The reason, of course, is advancing age while hanging onto a deeply misguided belief that our family shares our passions.

Click Here to Read the revised article on Bikernet.com

P.S.
The previous version of this ‘priceless’ article was published on Bikernet.com dated March 2022.
To view the same, click here. For more ‘valuable’ information and news, follow Bikernet Free Weekly Newsletter, referred below.

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Celebrating 120 years of the most desired motorcycle brand

By General Posts

by Wayfarer

Click Here to Read this Photo Feature Article only on Bikernet.com

The Milwaukee Motor Company, with fans around the globe, turns 120 years old. There has been quite a few announcements regarding the homecoming as well as a public park on land they own. Most awaited however, was their announcement for model year 2023.

Fans and dealerships waiting patiently for the model release would surely be impressed if not dancing in the streets. Some limited edition collectibles are of course for ‘collectors’, but there is plenty for us common two-wheel monkeys to run with.

Breakout makes a comeback and Road Glide is now available as a Trike too. There is a Nightster Special and a re-imagined Freewheeler.

Of course, these can’t be all that’s offered. What’s happening with the ADV Pan America and the Electric LiveWire? So much more awaited by one and all, especially after the boss announced that H-D will be all-electric in the near future. One can also expect lot of activities at the H-D Museum and there will surely be ‘limited-edition’ apparel, tee-shirt tie-ins and new jackets and boots….

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Discovering British V-Twin Classics

By General Posts

Could there be a Connection?
by Bandit and crew, including the National Motorcycle Museum

“Recently, I spotted this BSA V-Twin and was inspired first by the fact that BSA manufactured a V-Twin but then by the styling that called out Brough Superior. Two motorcycles dominated the upscale V-Twin market in the UK during the early 1900s.

Vincent and Brough Superior, so I was astounded to discover this BSA from the National Motorcycle Museum.

I’ll let you kick around what I found and let me know your thoughts. Hell, someone surely knows something that may connect these bikes.”
— Bandit

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Barn-Find Delights: Tom Cotter’s new book

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Books That Make You Get Out & Explore

“After having read about Tom Cotter in the Bikernet.com Thursday News, shared by National Motorcycle Museum (click here) (past few weeks ago), I started watching Tom’s video series on YouTube.

I could resist no more and bought Tom Cotter’s Best Barn-Find Collector Car Tales (Sep 2018) and his latest mentioned by National Motorcycle Museum, Secrets of the Barn Find Hunter (May 2022). Both Hardcovers, sitting pretty, reminding me to get outdoors & cruise.”

Click Here to Read the latest on Book Reviews only at Bikernet.com

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Rarest Ducatis to star at London Concours in 2022

By General Posts

Two-Wheeled Heroes in the heart of the City: Rarest Ducatis to star at London Concours in 2022

  • Rarest and most significant Ducati motorcycles to be assembled at London’s Honourable Artillery Company this June.
  • Exceptional examples from the past 50 years will be united at the capital’s leading concours d’elegance event, charting the rich history of this most storied motorcycle brand.
  • 4x World Superbike Champion and Ducati Ambassador, Carl Fogarty, will also appear at this summer’s event, in association with Bikesure
  • Sixth annual London Concours to run from the 28th to 30th of June in the heart of the City.
  • Tickets on sale now at londonconcours.co.uk/tickets, from £35

London, UK (27th May 2022): The London Concours, presented by Montres Breguet, has announced that this June’s event will feature a selection of two wheeled stars from the most iconic and evocative motorcycle brand of all, with its ‘Ode to Ducati’ Ducati. Spanning close to 50 years of the Italian marque’s illustrious history, the remarkable collection of bikes will wow alongside the Concours’ breath-taking array of four wheeled machinery – from spectacular supercars to the finest classics – on the immaculate lawns of the Honourable Artillery Company in the heart of the City.

The wonderful selection of motorcycles from the Bolognese manufacturer will include an example of the rare 750 GT ‘Sandacst’ from late 1971. The bike, Ducati’s first v-twin cylinder machine, was born when Fabio Taglione, or “Dr. T” – Ducati’s longstanding chief designer and technical director – was tasked with building a 750 class bike to compete with the likes of Moto Guzzi, Laverda and of course the Japanese giants. The move into the 750 class was viewed as crucial to the success of the marque; a gateway to significant sales volumes in the USA. Taglione’s proposed low-cost solution was to blend two of Ducati’s well proven small capacity ‘singles’ onto a common crank case, creating a 90-degree V, or “L Twin” as he termed it. The 750 GT, widely praised by journalists in period for its smooth power and sharp handling, represents the genesis of Ducati’s illustrious lineage of V-Twin machines. In order to get production going as quickly as possible, the very early bikes had engines with sandcast cases and many other detail features not seen on the series production machines, which featured die-cast motors. Just 400 out of a total production of some 4,000 GT’s were built this way before the revised “square cased” engine was introduced in 1975. Relatively few of these early bikes have survived, with a small handful at most to be found in the UK. One not to miss.

This summer’s show will feature another ‘70s 750 – the Super Sport, or “Imola Replica” dating from 1974. This, the very first Ducati SS was conceived as a road going version of the race bike that made a stunning debut with the late, great Paul Smart on board, winning the famed 1972 Imola 200 on its first outing. With Smart’s teammate Bruno Spaggiari taking a close second place, Ducati found themselves catapulted from an unknown producer of lightweight single cylinder motorcycles to a major name on the world map of exotic sports machinery. Unsurprisingly, Ducati management, not least ‘Dr T’ were keen to build on this seismic victory with a road-going replica of the winning bike. A limited run of Imola replicas were sanctioned, the first prototypes emerging in late 1973. Following on from the prototypes, just 401 examples of the ‘Replica’ were ‘batch built’ in the spring of 1974 – all under the direct supervision of Taglione in Ducati’s race shop. At a heady £1650, the SS came in at 50% more than Kawasaki’s mighty Z1.

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The 750 SS on display this June was one of perhaps 25 bikes at most delivered new to the UK – shipped to its first owner by air freight – and has been cherished ever since by a total of just four owners in 48 years. Often referred to as the “green frame” these 401 bikes were the only round case Ducatis to leave the factory with the iconic “Desmodromic” cylinder heads.

The Honourable Artillery Company will play host to another ‘racing replica’: a 1980 Ducati 900 MHR. The bike is closely affiliated to one of, if not the, greatest racers of all – “Mike the bike” Hailwood. At the age of 38, 11 years after retiring, Hailwood made a comeback appearance at the Isle of Man TT in the Formula 1 class. Riding a modified and specially prepared 900 SS Ducati, he won the 1978 race. This burnished his already god-like reputation among fans, and prompted Ducati to introduce what would become their best-selling bike of the late 70s and early 80s: the 900 “Replica” or MHR. The MHR that will be on display at the HAC this June recently made a pilgrimage to the Isle of Man for the Classic TT, following in Hailwood’s tyre tracks 40 years on from his stunning victory. Much of the credit for the race preparation for the 1978 race goes to Steve Wynne of Sports Motorcycles in Manchester. It’s a source of great satisfaction to the owner of all the bikes on show that it was none other than Steve Wynne who rebuilt the engine and cosmetically refreshed the 1974 750 SS “green frame” also on display.

A Ducati from the late 1980s will also be amongst the bikes on display, an 851 Kit Racer from 1988 – a fuel injected, water-cooled four-valve machine that moved the game on significantly for Ducati sports bikes. The 851 featured an evolved version of Ducati’s two valve, air-cooled ‘Pantah’ engine, revised by its original designer, Massimo Bordi, with a little help from a famed British engineering firm Cosworth. The resulting power plant laid the foundations for 30 years or more of Ducati Superbikes. The road going variant, the “Strada” was initially criticised for its unusual steering characteristics – on account of its 16” wheels – and lack of firepower when compared with Honda’s RC30. The ‘Kit’ rectified things, with power boosted to 120bhp, larger 17-inch magnesium wheels, a braced swinging arm and a close ratio gearbox, amongst other race shop only features. Only 207 examples were built, and the Kit Racer is viewed by some as the most thrilling and visceral of all Ducati’s sports bikes.

This June’s event will also host more modern machinery, including the Ducati D-16 RR of 2008. The 1000cc, four-cylinder D-16 RR – modelled on Ducati’s GP6 Moto GP racer – was a real weapon, offered only to select customers, promising nigh-on Moto GP performance for the road. In the view of the late, highly respected journalist Kevin Ash, Ducati delivered on this promise. Packing a 200bhp V4 (with four valves per cylinder and four cylinders, hence ‘Desmo- 16’) and revving to 14,000 rpm, the D-16 Race Replica offered a lucky few a glimpse of what it was like to pilot a Gibernau or Capirossi factory race Ducati of the period.

The collection of superb Ducatis will also include the 1199 Superlegerra of 2014 – the bike that heralded the end of the road for Ducati’s long line of twin cylinder superbikes. Whilst the v-twin is still found today in Ducati’s middleweight and sports touring models, Ducati waved goodbye to the v-twin Superbike with these exclusive limited-edition models. The Borgo Panegale factory pulled out all the stops, producing two batches of super exclusive “Superlight” ‘twins’ – the 1199 of 2014, and the 1299 of the following year. Just 500 numbered examples of each were delivered worldwide. The 1199 SL that will star at this June’s event retailed at £60,000, produced an eye watering 205bhp, and weighed just 155kg dry – a weight more typical for a 500 or 600cc middleweight sports bike. Packed with the latest in technology and rare materials such as magnesium, carbon fibre and even tungsten – the latter used for components within the engine – the SL was a furious performer. Autocar underscored just how furious by substituting an 1199 SL for a Ferrari La Ferrari when carrying out a supercar test with the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918. The Superleggera matched the 903bhp McLaren P1 and Porsche’s 918 right up to 180mph, even pulling ahead after a standing start, before the cars’ slippery aerodynamics and longer gearing gave them an edge. A rare opportunity to witness this remarkable machine in the metal.

These dramatic Ducatis, and more, will be on show at the Honourable Artillery Company this June, at the capital’s ultimate automotive extravaganza. Carl Fogarty, the 4x World Superbike Champion and Ducati Brand Ambassador, will also make an appearance, on behalf of Bikesure, the ‘Ode to Ducati’ class co-sponsor. Fogarty will be chatting with Dave Vitty and Jason Plato, from the Fuelling Around podcast on Wednesday 29th June.

Further class announcements will follow in the coming weeks, as we build towards the 6th edition of our unmissable event.

Andrew Evans, London Concours Director, said:

“It gives us great pleasure to reveal this latest exciting class, which will bring the most spectacular bikes from the most evocative motorcycle manufacturer of all to the heart of London. Ducati is a magnetic brand that holds great allure for anyone with a drop of petrol in their veins. The superb selection, along with the fantastic array of supercars and iconic classics, is set to make this June’s show the most special yet.

“Guests to the Honourable Artillery Company will be treated to a truly special array of cars, along with a decadent range of food and drink options, and a carefully curated line-up of luxury brands and boutiques. London Concours 2022 is set to be another occasion of total automotive indulgence.”

CHECK OUT www.concoursofelegance.co.uk

adidas Originals and Past, Present, & Future of Kawasaki ZX

By General Posts

adidas Originals and Kawasaki Celebrate the Past, Present, and Future of ZX with Two Collaborative Sneakers

Herzogenaurach, 11th April 2022 – Born out of a shared passion for forward thinking design and unrelenting innovation, this season, adidas Originals and Kawasaki join forces to celebrate the history and future of ZX with two unique takes on the ZX8000 and ZX 5K BOOST silhouettes.

An icon that needs no introduction, Kawasaki has been at the forefront of the motorcycle manufacturing industry for decades. Known for its inimitable aesthetic approach, the brand’s signature sportbike brand – ZX™ – served as the inspiration for the adidas design team when they first introduced the original ZX500 sneaker in 1984.

Taking cues from Kawasaki’s instantly recognizable design philosophy of motorcycle and color palette, the collaborative ZX8000 sneaker features a White kangaroo leather upper, with Kawasaki Green leather overlays, blue map suede accents, and a Kawasaki Ninja® graphic on the lateral. Meanwhile, the ZX 5K BOOST boasts a Black TPU overlay and eye stays, Kawasaki green accents, a semi-transparent Black ripstop vamp, and a Kawasaki Ninja® logo on the toe-box.

Both sneakers are capped off with electroplated lace tips, shoe jewelry and heel pieces, as well as co-branded sock liners. Each pair then comes packaged in a custom box with a printed graphic of the latest Kawasaki Ninja® ZX™-10R, filled with tissue paper bearing a printed Kawasaki motorcycle sketch.

The launch of the adidas Originals and Kawasaki collaborative partnership is accompanied by an evocative campaign film which pays homage to Japanese motorbike culture by taking the viewer on an unexpected journey through the city’s streets.

Arriving on 14th April 2022, the collaborative ZX8000 and ZX 5K BOOST Kawasaki sneakers are available globally (excl. China) through adidas stores, adidas.com, Confirmed, and select retailers.

Additionally, the ZX 5K BOOST will also be available directly from Kawasaki*.

* In Japan, EU, USA, Canada, Australia, Thailand

About adidas Originals:
Inspired by the rich sporting heritage of adidas – one of the world’s leading sports brands and a global designer and developer of athletic footwear and apparel – adidas Originals is a lifestyle brand founded in 2001. Visit Website at http://adidas.com/

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