PH2: Steve McQueen's Dirt Bike Up For Grabs

How much would you pay to put your backside on the saddle of a legend?

Sell the family silver. An ex-Steve McQueen Husqvarna 400 motocross bike is about to go under the hammer at a massive Bonhams motorcycle auction in Carmel, California.

It's the bike McQueen was riding on the cover of an issue of Sports Illustrated in 1971. There's no information as to whether this bike was one of the Huskies ridden in the epic 'On Any Sunday' documentary that launched thousands of us into biking.

What's an ex-Steve motocross bike worth? It ain't going to be cheap because these days a pair of ex-McQueen toenail clippers would be worth thousands. Anything to do with the King of Cool is worth a fortune.

The thing is, even if you were a zillionaire and could wave a hand in the air for the Husqvarna, what would you do with it? Not race it, that's for sure. Too valuable. We are talking about a Steve McQueen machine, but I'm not sure about all this one-famous-owner business. It's only a form of showing off.

Also, 1970s motocross bikes are seriously cool in themselves. If you scan the bike section of the PH classifieds and look under Dirt bikes, you will occasionally see an old Maico, Ossa, Bultaco or Husqvarna for sale - and for not big money if they need work.

Any one of the above would make a great sitting room ornament. I wouldn't recommend trying to ride on of these big '70s monsters though. I once got over-excited and bought a Yamaha YZ490.I entered a race and went straight from the first corner to casualty. Several broken ribs. Ow.