Thursday 28th April 2011

PH2: Steve McQueen's Dirt Bike Up For Grabs

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

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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.

[graham22]

McQueen connection or not - there's something very cool about 1970's dirtbikes, European or Japanese.

[Digga]

Big, single-pot Husqvarna dirt bikes sound epic too; like God farting through Motorhead's sound system.

[ScoobieWRX]

[Vintageseekers]

I want this bike soooo much, I've had dirt bikes all my life. I'd take it to Californian dessert and ride it as it was intended to be ridden, flat out with 10 ft roosters shooting off the rear nobblie ... oh the joy.

[Biker's Nemesis]

I wouldn't mind having that in my collection.

[Stu R]

I'd love to own that.

[soad]

Safe to say, it'll fetch a small fortune

[stagsmanuk]

Digga said:

Big, single-pot Husqvarna dirt bikes sound epic too; like God farting through Motorhead's sound system.

I had to get back on the chair after reading that, so funny!!!

[aeropilot]

Vintageseekers said:

I'd take it to Californian dessert and ride it as it was intended to be ridden, flat out with 10 ft roosters shooting off the rear nobblie ... oh the joy.

This will go for a serious 5 figure amount though..... could even break into the six-figure numbers (in US$)....?

[Stu R]

Some more history up for auction... www.bikerscafeblog.com/2011/04/26/ex-carl-fogarty-...

Edited by Stu R on Thursday 28th April 16:42

[BBS-LM]

Digga said:

Big, single-pot Husqvarna dirt bikes sound epic too; like God farting through Motorhead's sound system.

HaHaha

[HDM]

A touch off topic, could you imagine the agent of Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt seeing that magazine cover nowadays!? Their precious multi-million dollar movie star jumping a dirt bike with "ahem" minimal protection!

[Tiggsy]

TC is forever seen on a bike. Given his ownership of many, plus planes, I'd have thought it highly likely he's done a wheelie without full race leathers on at some stage in his life!

[fatboy69]

It's a McQueen bike.

Say no more. I would love to own that bike.

BTW. The Porsche 911 that he drove in the opening sequence of Le Mans, & which he subsequently bought because he liked it so much, is also up for auction soon.

What a display centrepiece the bike & the car would make.

[poo at Paul's]

Great bike and the sort I plyed my then trade on in the early 70's!


BUT if that is out of your price league and you want a "Steve Mqueen" bike, how about one of these!

http://www.metisse-motorcycles.com/stevemcqueen.ht...


Built by the same people who built the original, utterly gorgeous in a retro and even modern way too. If they were road legal from the factory, I would have one in the garage right now, dont care how much!!

[bobberz]

By themselves old dirt bikes are cool. With the McQueen connection, it's a must have!

I'll give it a 9 out of ten simply because I'd rather have one of his old Indian motorcycles!

Oh, and I'd ride it, too; Steve would want it that way.

[Richard A]

Bonhams' estimate is $50000 to $70000.

[Y282]

christ that's cool.

[MC Bodge]

I like those old dirt bikes, the McQueen connection is incidental

[Twincam16]

Richard A said:

Bonhams' estimate is $50000 to $70000.

I reckon it'll eventually go for more like $100k. Put it this way, a pair of rusty old padlocks Steve McQueen used to use to keep his aircraft hangars locked went for £5k once.