As another year draws to a close, the season of retrospectives begins. This applies not only to the car market but also to the two-wheeled world, as the appreciation at Hagerty extends beyond four-wheeled vehicles to motorcycles as well.
Over the past 12 months, the motorcycle market has leveled out in a manner similar to the car market, with previously strong segments experiencing a slowdown in 2025. New and emerging areas, such as sport bikes and dirt bikes, have stood out, as a generational shift in collecting continues to influence the motorcycle world. To close out the year, the database was reviewed to identify the five most noteworthy sales of the year.
1915 Cyclone V-Twin
Sold by Mecum for $1,320,000
Originating from the early days of cycling, the Cyclone brand is relatively obscure today. The company was only in operation for three years, and the number of surviving motorcycles is believed to be as few as 14. This particular example is even rarer due to its race configuration. Among its most remarkable features is the 61-cubic-inch engine, producing 45 horsepower through techniques that were revolutionary at the time, including overhead valves and hemispherical combustion chambers. These innovations enabled the Cyclone to reach speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. For context, this output exceeds that of the Ford Model A by five horsepower, despite the latter being introduced 14 years later. Moreover, overhead valves would not become commonplace in automotive engines until the 1950s. This motorcycle was restored by noted Cyclone expert Stephen Wright, further enhancing its historical significance.
A seven-figure motorcycle sale had not previously been recorded, making this a landmark moment in the motorcycle world and establishing a new benchmark. Much like the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, which surpassed the $100 million mark in 2022, this price is unlikely to be repeated in the foreseeable future, yet it demonstrates what is possible at the highest level of the market.
Of the 10 most expensive bikes ever sold, all are prewar bikes and the previous record holder was a $935,000 1908 Harley-Davidson. This is a bigger sale by a huge amount, a watershed moment for motorcycles and one that will be discussed in cycle collecting circles for years to come.
1938 Crocker Twin
Sold by Mecum for $880,000
Crocker started life as a parts company, producing overhead valve conversion kits for Indian V-twins. Through the mid-1930s it focused on engine building, culminating in Crocker’s own overhead valve V-twin engine making a reported 55-60hp, substantially more than a comparable Harley or Indian engine. By 1936, Crocker was producing its own bikes using their new, powerful engine. Production was low with number estimated at no more than 110 bikes, with perhaps half of those still intact.
Crocker is widely considered as the superbike of the time; think a 1930s Hayabusa in today’s terms. They’re highly coveted and while they’re not the rarest bikes out there (see the Cyclone above), it’s a bit like a Ferrari 250 GTO moment for the bike world. When one comes up for sale, people take notice. Prices have been hovering in high-six-figure territory for some time as well, making them among the most expensive bikes in the market and likely a good candidate to be a future seven-figure contender.
2001 Honda CR500
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Sold on eBay for $78,100
Known to fans as the “ping king” for it’s distinctive exhaust note, the Honda CR500 is one of the most iconic and feared motocross and supermoto bikes of all time, winning five AMA Motocross 500cc titles between 1984 and 1991. The raw power of this bike is fearsome and legendary among riders, but the craziest part is the fact that Honda sold these bikes to the public. The amount of power these off-roaders produced is incredible and the only limiting factor to accessing these machines is the size of your bank account.
The CR500 ran from 1984-2001 with examples from the late ’80s and early ’90s being considered the wildest to ride. These days, to pick up a CR500 with no real needs, you’re going to need to be prepared to shell out $8,000-$10,000, which is a hefty sum, especially when considering these are not street legal.
But when this bike hit the market on eBay of all places, it caused even more of a stir with a sale price of $78,100. It was offered still in the crate by well-known classic motorcycle dealer Kaplan Cycles, and was rightfully described as the “last brand new in the crate CR500”. Historically, new in-crate bikes have performed well on the rare occasions when they come up for sale, the catch being what’s underneath the cardboard. The next question is, what would you do with this thing? Leave it? Assemble it and ride it? Either way, while this price is highly unlikely to be repeated, it shows that the legend of the ping king lives on and people will drop massive sums to own the best.
1974 Kawasaki Z1
Sold by Mecum for $82,500
By the early 1970s, the modern sport bike concept was beginning to take shape. Although several more years would pass before the fully faired machines familiar today emerged, motorcycles such as the Honda CB750 and the Kawasaki Z1 set the foundation. While the Honda played a key role in initiating this movement, Kawasaki’s 900cc machine, producing over 80 horsepower, was exceptionally powerful even by contemporary standards. This performance earned the Z1 the nickname “the King,” as it was the fastest production motorcycle available from 1972 to 1975.
The bike offered in Monterey this year was a truly a new example. With just 2.6 miles on the odometer, it was in showroom condition. With a chance to buy what was truly a new old stock Z1, bidders showed up big time and while $82,500 isn’t a price we expect as the new norm, it does draw attention to the wider Kawasaki Z1 market, which has been gaining traction with average condition bikes creeping up from the low teens to the near $20,000 mark. This contrasted with its direct competitor from the era, the Honda CB750, which has seen softening sales.
1949 Vincent Rapide
Sold by Mecum for $110,000
Vincent sits among the all-time great motorcle brands, best known for the Black Shadow in the immediate post-WWII era, it brought motorcycle performance to new heights as the world’s fastest production bike with a 120 mph top speed. The Black Shadow, however, is not the bike for today’s topic. One of the biggest bike sales this year was for a Vincent Rapide. Starting production in the mid-1930s, the Rapide was the first Vincent bike to receive a V-twin engine. Gradual improvements came after the war with the late 1940s Rapide being the most refined version of the model. While not the powerhouse as the Black Shadow, the Rapide was no slouch outputting similar power to a contemporary Harley.
There are rarely Rapide sales that overshadow the Black Shadow conversation, but this bike does. It was gorgeous and was restored using NOS parts and had an incredible story of being a “bike in boxes”. The price paid (not to exhaust the comparison) was appropriate for a similar condition Black Shadow. So what does this tell us? Well, the best bikes still bring the best money, but perhaps the Rapide is emerging from it’s sibling’s “shadow”.
Report by Greg Ingold
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