The Monterey Classic Bike Auction held on the Laguna Seca race weekend moved a lot of bikes but a few didn’t quite hit their mark. Loris Capirossi’s MotoGP race winner didn’t hit it’s reserve even though bids topped $200,000. Jordan Suzuki was selling a race bike and its street legal twin which were both snapped up by a husband and wife.
Those onsite at the event were treated to first-hand vehicle descriptions by such industry luminaries as Mert Lawwill, Gary Nixon, Mitch Boehm, Steve Huntzinger, Troy Lee, and Jesse Rooke, whose custom-built X-1 garnered a whopping $80,000 on Saturday night. Other familiar faces dotted the capacity crowd. Jeff Ray, from the legendary Barber Museum in Alabama, was an active bidder, winning a ’98 Bimota Trofeo Factory race bike, possibly the last ever produced. Vintage Iron’s Rick Doughty was also an active participant this year and reported having a positive experience.
In only two years the Monterey auction is establishing itself as a top event and they’re already making plans for 2007. If you go for the races, setting aside some time for the auction might be a good idea.