It took many a long time for collectible Japanese bikes to get any respect on the public sale block. It was 2009 earlier than a Japanese motorbike first topped the USD$100,000 mark at public public sale, however collector generational change is inevitable, and Honda has now been the world’s largest motorbike producer since 1959 and at this time’s collectors are lastly starting to appropriately body the corporate in historic perspective.
Therefore Mecum’s 2026 January Las Vegas Bike Public sale has created what seems to be a pivot level for the collectible motorbike fraternity as there are TWO Honda bikes which may lastly prime the USD$1.0 million mark.
Mecum’s January Las Vegas Bike Public sale is now so necessary that it units the agenda for world collectible motorbike costs for the rest of the yr. The perfect collectible bikes now routinely journey throughout oceans yearly to current at Mecum’s annual Mecca-auction and final yr saw someone pay $1.32 million for a Cyclone V-twin, the one and solely time {that a} motorbike has offered for greater than USD $1.0 million at public public sale.
And just like the four-minute-mile that stood as a psychological barrier for eternity, as soon as a psychological barrier is breached, the flood gates typically open – greater than 2000 athletes have since crushed that mark.
The obvious Japanese contender for the Cyclone’s $1.32 million public sale file is that this Honda CB750 prototype – Lot S155 to be auctioned Saturday, 31 January 2026.
We’ve written about Honda CB750 prototypes beforehand, however we have been unsuitable. We have been of the understanding that the 4 bikes despatched to America in January 1969 have been prototypes whereas their standing has now been recognized as Pre-Manufacturing CB750s particularly constructed for show at Honda’s Las Vegas Vendor Present in late January (1969).
These bikes have been preceded by a solitary CB750 despatched from Japan in October 1968 – this bike – and long-time Honda CB750 collector and authority Vic World is now promoting what seems to be the only remaining real Honda CB750 prototype in existence.
World Bikes specializes solely in the restoration of sandcast Honda CB750s, and all Vic’s information and a long time of analysis have gone into the creation of a website that explains the importance of this bike: cb750prototype.com.
Given Honda’s constant annual standing because the world’s dominant motorbike producer for the final two-thirds of a century, and the Honda CB750’s now broadly acknowledged standing as essentially the most vital motorbike in historical past, there’s each justification for this prototype being essentially the most beneficial motorbike on Planet Earth sooner or later, and therefore we expect the intense collectors of the following technology will contend the prize.
Honda too, may be eager to reclaim this keystone of its heritage, and if it enters the fray, and there’s one other deep-pocket contestant to bid towards, who is aware of what may occur???
By nearly any reckoning, the world motorbike trade falls into two intervals – earlier than and after the discharge of the Honda CB750. The motorbike world modified at that time. Not understanding there was another, we motorcyclists had put up with finicky, unreliable bikes till that time. The CB750 was the primary “superbike”, and it heralded a wonderful section of motorcycling historical past.
When you ever get the prospect to trip an early Honda CB750, you may be amazed at how docile it feels in comparison with the brand new beasties that come off the showroom ground of at this time. That such a quantum leap in efficiency was provided by such a totally civilised motorbike speaks volumes for what got here earlier than it.
There’s additionally some irony within the pricing of collectible Honda CB750s to this time limit.
On reflection, you’d assume that Honda would have identified it had a successful components with the brand new four-cylinder CB750 properly earlier than it hit showroom flooring, however the reality stays that the primary 7,414 Honda CB750s offered have been produced by a distinct engine-casting methodology as a result of Honda wasn’t ready to pay for the costly moulds to supply them in bulk … and less expensive. They weren’t “sand solid” however that’s what they turned often known as, and people bikes fetch a substantial premium at this time.
The 4 Pre-Manufacturing CB750s flown into Las Vegas in January 1969 have an public sale historical past. Every was painted in one of many showroom-to-be colours, being “sweet” variations of Blue-Inexperienced, Gold, Crimson and Inexperienced. After the seller conference, the bikes have been thought of outdated and have been dispersed. The Blue-Inexperienced finally resurfaced in 2010 and was offered at public sale in 2014 for $148,000. The Gold bike discovered its option to England and offered at public sale in 2018 for $217,000.
The pink bike was despatched to Honda’s Wisconsin Coaching Middle the place its body, motor, and a few components have been crushed. The Inexperienced bike was final heard of in 1969 in France, and its whereabouts are unknown. It is astonishing {that a} bike that might now be price in extra of 1 / 4 million {dollars} might be misplaced to time as a result of it was perceived as nugatory and outdated simply 50 years in the past.
Honda may need been late to the motorbike social gathering in historic phrases, and its profound influence on each facet of motorcycling has by no means been actually recognised on the public sale block, however we count on that to vary a while on 31 January and as Mecum’s auctions are streamed reside, may we advise that if you happen to tune in to Mecum’s Youtube channel, you’ll witness an necessary second in motorbike historical past …
… maybe extra …
… as a result of additionally on the identical public sale docket is one other motorbike which presents as one in every of historical past’s biggest two-wheeled treasures.
It’s an atom-perfect replica of Honda’s fabled six-cylinder RC174 racer.
The phrase “duplicate” in an public sale description usually induces warning and a direct suspicion of lack-of-authenticity, and it invariably describes a poor long run funding if it didn’t emanate from “the supply.”
This bike may greatest be described as an “authorised continuation mannequin” as a result of ten replicas of Honda’s most well-known racing motorbike have been produced by outstanding motorbike persona and all-purpose rainmaker George Beale, with Honda’s permission and help, they usually have been offered for what was rumoured to be between GBP £250,000 and £400,000 after they have been first out there in 2006.
Now forex change charges throughout 2006 assorted from USD $1.84 for every GBP £1.0 in Might by means of to $1.94 in late November, and Honda itself bought one for £400,000, which validates the authenticity and craftsmanship past affordable doubt. The ten RC174 replicas constructed have been so rapidly bought, that with the advantage of hindsight, many extra may have been offered at that value.
Therefore the numbers recommend that not less than a number of the RC174 duplicate recipients paid the equal of USD$750,000 in 2006 and with two full a long time of historic perspective having settled in, and simply 12 RC174 bikes on the planet, there’s loads of substance to help a valuation of $750,000+ for the RC174 duplicate that will sell as lot 232 a couple of hours after the CB750 prototype.
Mecum is quoting $500,000 to $750,000 for the RC174 primarily based on curiosity expressed to date, however when the auctioneer’s gavel falls on 31 January, this bike simply may grow to be the second million greenback motorbike offered that day, and we suspect these two bikes would be the most beneficial Hondas ever offered come 1 February 2026.
Now earlier than you dismiss the RC174 as only a duplicate, George Beale has subsequently turned the entire journey into a coffee table book and the end result is likely one of the biggest engineering journeys in motorbike grand prix historical past – the e book affords insights into Honda’s ingenuity and methodology, and the monumental hurdles this created in replicating a unicorn many a long time later. Even if you happen to don’t have a spare million to play this recreation, you’ll enrol in that journey if you happen to learn the e book. Not many bikes have their very personal espresso desk e book, however this one has, and that makes it much more particular.
So there’s 236 four-colour pages detailing the exacting nature of each facet of the creation of this bike (and its 9 siblings) plus the provenance of Hailwood’s unbeaten Grand Prix adventures on the unique, to not point out its pivotal place in Honda folklore.
The story is complicated. Honda famously cast its world-leading motorbike model on the Grand Prix circuits of the Sixties, constructing ever-more-complex bikes every year because it fought to maintain its four-stroke bikes forward of the fast-evolving two-stroke racing bikes of Suzuki, Yamaha, MZ, Jawa, Bultaco et al.
By 1967, Honda had developed a twin-cylinder 50cc racer (RC115 and RC116), a five-cylinder 125cc racer (RC148 and RC149), a six-cylinder 250cc racer (the RC166), and in 1967, it fielded a 297cc RC174 six-cylinder motorbike which dominated the 350cc class with seven wins from eight begins – the only loss was when lead rider Mike Hailwood had already gained the title and elected to not trip the 350cc class so he may think about the five hundred class the place he was staging a monumental battle with Giacomo Agostini on the manufacturing unit MV Agusta.
Mike the Bike was unbeaten on the RC174 at Grand Prix degree and a perusal of the data and Hailwood’s dominance on the Honda RC174 begs disbelief. Within the 1967 German 350cc Grand Prix at Sachsenring, he lapped all the area. Within the 1967 Junior TT on the fabled Isle of Man circuit, Hailwood lapped the 297cc RC174 at a mean pace of 107.73 mph, setting a brand new outright lap file from a standing begin.
When Honda pulled out of Grand Prix racing on the finish of 1967, Agostini, who had gained only one 350cc GP on the MV Agusta in 1967, was unbeaten within the 350cc class for a number of years.
Hailwood rated the RC174 as one of the best bike he ever rode.
He famously declared he “may have gained on it with one arm tied behind my again,” emphasising its overwhelming superiority over the competitors. These racer-writers who’ve sampled a Beale duplicate have been equally overwhelming of their reward for its exact dealing with, technological brilliance, dominant efficiency and unforgettable sound. Man Martin was beyond complimentary. One other to have sampled George Beale’s RC174 on the racetrack is racing legend Mick Grant who spoke of it when it comes to reverence.
Honda’s six cylinder racers intimately
So if you happen to fancy a chance to personal and really expertise what Mike Hailwood considers to be one of the best bike he ever rode, and listen to that six-cylinder engine’s battle cry at 17,000 rpm from the saddle, right here is your alternative.
Will historic perspective finally prevail?
In closing, I’ve at all times puzzled what would occur to the memorabilia market as generational collector change occurred, and a brand new technology brings a distinct set of recollections, information and perspective.
I’ve lengthy opined that essentially the most beneficial motorbike in America needs to be a Curtiss 1000cc v-twin. In 1903 Glenn Curtiss was timed at Yonkers (New York) using his “Hercules” 1000cc v-twin at 64 mph (103 km/h), incomes him a spot in historical past as the primary motorbike pace file holder.
Curtiss manufactured bikes from 1902 to 1912, and his V-twin was launched in 1903, three years forward of Indian and 6 years forward of Harley-Davidson. Curtiss designed, constructed and rode the FIRST American V-twin motorbike.
Curtiss then responded to a private request from Dr Alexander Graham Bell to construct a light-weight engine able to powering an plane in order that the Aerial Experiment Association would have an appropriate energy unit to work with.
Curtiss then constructed America’s first V8 engine, a 4000cc 90 diploma V8, put in it in a motorbike and ran 136.27 mph (219.31 km/h) on 24 January 1907 throughout Daytona Pace Week.
An eccentric firing order is as American as apple pie, rock ‘n’ roll and blue denims. All through the final century, America embraced each the v-twin for its bikes and the V8 for its cars and Curtiss constructed the primary examples of each.
Curtiss’ final attempt at the motorcycle land speed record put him greater than 20 years forward of the remainder of the motorbike trade, and made the Curtiss the one motorbike to have ever held the outright world land pace file.
NewAtlas.com
Within the annals of technological progress, the Curtiss identify is indelible. His engines went on to energy the American aviation trade, he’s thought to be the daddy of naval aviation and he was a motorbike designer and file breaker lengthy earlier than he constructed the world’s largest aviation firm.
There are solely 5 unique Curtiss V-twins (one in every of which was offered as a Hercules) identified to exist at this time, but for some unfathomable purpose, they simply do not fetch excessive costs at public sale.
In 2006, Gooding & Company sold one for $132,000, then one other was sold in 2009 for $200,000, and when a museum example went to auction in 2023, we anticipated a considerably increased value than the $214,500 that eventuated. Collectors’ lack of appreciation for Curtiss’ engineering landmarks is troublesome to grasp.
Fittingly, one of the surviving Curtiss v-twin motorcycles is going to auction on the same Mecum docket the day before these two bikes, representing a chance to buy one of many world’s most necessary bikes for a lot lower than widespread sense suggests it’ll finally be price primarily based on it is unquestionable historic gravitas. Maybe not? If anybody can clarify why the Curtiss v-twin just isn’t as revered because it may be, please share your ideas within the feedback.
From the Dick Shappy Assortment: The Historic 1909 Curtiss V Twin Roadster
For no matter purpose the Curtiss has been ignored by motorbike collectors, Honda continues to be the world’s largest motorbike producer, so it will not be fairly as simply missed or forgotten. The emergence of the unique CB750 prototype and it is appointment with the auctioneer on 31 January have modified my opinion.
I really feel fairly sure that this bike will grow to be essentially the most beneficial two-wheeler on earth, if not on 31 January, then a while sooner or later when its huge historic significance grow to be clearly seen with the 20-20 imaginative and prescient of hindsight.
Auctions are perfect for establishing a good market value for terribly uncommon objects as a result of they create a aggressive bidding setting that reveals the utmost quantity consumers are keen to pay.
On 31 January, we’ll discover out what the collectors of the world assume, and I don’t assume I’ve ever seemed ahead to an public sale fairly this a lot. I think the reside Mecum public sale stream will draw an enormous viewers for comparable causes.
Put it in your diary.
In contrast to the RC174 (ten replicas and two originals – $750,000 when new), the Cyclone 1000cc v-twin (roughly 14 extant – $1.32 million public sale file), any Crocker v-twin (40+ identified and an public sale file of $880,000), Vincent-HRD Sequence-A Rapide (60-65 extant, $420,000 file), Vincent Black Lightning (40 extant and a $929,000 file) and Harley Davidson “strap tank” (round a dozen extant and a $935,000 file), there is just one identified prototype of essentially the most vital motorbike in historical past.
The stage is about for an intriguing public sale certainly!
