From a 1965 Norton to a 1975 Ducati: A Slew of Coveted Classic Motorcycles Is Heading to Auction
Most serious gearheads have an interest in motorcycles that parallels their fascination with automobiles. Motorcycles are elemental and pure, like the movement of a manual-wind mechanical watch. No grand complications: just two wheels, an engine, and a skeleton to hang it all on. Motorcycles and cars grew up together, and while motorbikes were once a serious component in the transportation equation, they are relative footnotes today on western roads.
On the other hand, the greatest classic motorcycles are more popular than ever as collectibles. Similar to the automotive world, some bikes stand out as the high watermarks of an era, generally based on the success of the machines and their riders in motorsport competition. And some two-wheelers are as rare and coveted as any Porsche or Ferrari.
Bikes from the 1960s and 1970s have a special allure, and Gooding & Company is offering 13 vintage examples from that period—all part of the Adam Lindemann Motorcycle Collection—during its upcoming Geared Online auction from December 4 through 8. Offered at no reserve, these represent a “Who’s Who” of the most desirable makes and models. Any dream motorcycle collection would have at least a quartet of Italians, and Lindemann has assiduously tracked down multiple examples of Italy’s “Famous Four,” comprising Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Laverda, and MV Agusta. Brit-bike aficionados will appreciate Norton and Triumph, with representatives from BMW and Honda also in the mix.
“These motorcycles represent some of my all-time favorite two-wheeled fantasies, and each bike in this collection exhibits something special and unique, whether it remains in unrestored condition or has a special provenance,” said Lindemann, himself a vintage motorsport competitor in the HSR/IMS prototype class. Here are our favorites crossing the virtual auction block, in ascending value.
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