There are lots of variables that need to be considered when writing about the most expensive motorcycles – do we include classic bikes that can only sit in a museum? Or do we only consider road bikes? What about bikes that are sold at astonishing prices at auctions but never ridden in real life? Or race bikes?
It’s tough to think so much, so we just thought of the bikes we would like to have in our garage or those that our readers should know about. So here’s a list of the most expensive and interesting bikes that we came across the internet listed in no particular order. It is worth noting that there are more expensive bikes out there, one in particular costs a stonking US$11 million, but with no credible proof of that much money changing hands for the bike, we did include it in this list so you can marvel at it. We also listed the prices in Ringgit Malaysia pre-tax, so the actual price, should you want to buy one, can be much higher than listed here.
1. 1915 Cyclone Board Track Racer (RM3,330,292)
This classic bike was sold at an auction in 2015 in Las Vegas. So what makes this bike so expensive? A record holder and a celebrity ex-owner is bound to jack the price up.
Back in 1911, this Cyclone belt-driven 996cc Overhead Cams V-twin motorcycle was capable of an astounding 180km/h, which was considered super fast back in the day. Even in the early 90s the Cyclone was a rare sight, so to come across such a well maintained unit a hundred years later makes it almost as rare as a unicorn.
Below is an interesting silent video of how motorcycle racing used to be in the first and second decade of the 1900s.
2. Captain America Chopper (RM3,906,500)
Said to be the most famous bike to have ever been on Television, this Harley-Davidson started life as a 1952 Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide. Legendary actor Peter Fonda had earlier bought it from a police auction, and given to bike customiser Tex Hall for the 1969 motion picture “Easy Rider” .
The bike is also known to be one of only two bikes to have ever sold for a million US dollars at an auction. Two bikes were built for the movie, one was stolen and never recovered, and this one was crashed in the final scene of the movie. It was later rebuilt and sold at auction 1996. Never watched the movie? Check out the introduction to the movie below:
3. Confederate B120 Wraith – (RM361,352)
This bike is all about the design and not much else. It is made out of aircraft grade billet aluminium and carbon fibre everything. It is powered by a twin-cylinder engine that makes 125hp and holds a record as the fastest bike in its class, it holds a speed record of 267km/h achieved at the Utah Salt Flats. Check out the video below and you will understand just how unique this bike is and how it justifies it’s asking price.
4. Vyrus 987 C3 4V – (RM405,494)
The brand and model of this bike may be a mouthful, it is one of those things that looks just as crazy as it’s name suggests. It is designed by Italian company Vyrus, and is powered by a 1200cc Ducati engine that gives it an unbelievable 211 horsepower and with exotic build materials, it weighs in at just 159 kilograms. The Vyrus company specialises in designing ultra-cool bikes powered by Ducati engines.
5. Kawasaki H2R – (RM300,000)
Just to mix things up between the unusually expensive and the real world expensive, the Kawasaki Ninja H2R is the stealth fighter of modern motorcycles. We have wrote about it numerous times and you can read about it all here, or you can read about our special test ride here, yes we ridden this bike.
The H2R is all carbon fiber and is powered by a 998cc, in-line four cylinder engine that puts out an scarcely believable 297hp with the use of a supercharger. The H2R is not road legal but if you are able to buy one, Kawasaki Malaysia will also throw in a few track days for you to test its limits.
6. MV Agusta F4CC – (RM468,470)
This bike is super exclusive (and expensive) because it actually started off life as a one-off model exclusively for MV Agusta CEO Claudio Castiglioni as his personal bike. Only 100 models were ever made and other nice touches include lots of carbon-fibre, and Ferrari know-how as the engine valves were designed in collaboration with the Italian car maker. Sadly it was introduced during a recession so most of these bikes now sit in showrooms around the world.
7. NCR MH TT (Mike Hailwood) – (RM507,845)
Now this is a real unicorn as only twelve units were ever built. Dubbed the NCR MH TT, this motorcycle was built to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Mike Hailwood’s victory at the Isle of Man. It puts out 130 horsepower but its titanium frame weighs only 136 kilograms. With its price tag and exclusivity, this bike is almost exclusively for collectors only.
8. Honda RC213V-S – (RM718,796)
Now this is as close to a MotoGP bike any mere mortal is going to get. It is based on the race-only RC213V which Marc Marquez rode to two MotoGP world championships and Honda said that the new street-legal machine is closer to a MotoGP bike than any road-going model ever offered to the public.
The bike is built in an exclusive workshop in Japan and is powered by a compact 90-degree 999cc V4 engine with titanium connecting rods. Race derived features include a under-seat fuel tank, carbon fibre fairing and then there are parts that come directly off the MotoGP bike like the swing arm, slipper clutch, the magnesium Marchsini wheels, Ohlins fork, adjustable footrests and foot controls, plus parts of the Brembo brake components. Up to 80% of the bike is from the MotoGP race bike. Mental is an understatement.
9. Icon Sheene – (RM671,918)
When it was introduced in 2010, the Icon Sheene was for a while the most powerful motorcycle in the world. Built as a tribute to racing legend Barry Sheene, the bike is a work of experienced hands and modern technology.
The engine is a turbo-charged 1400cc Suzuki engine that produces 250 horsepower. The bike is also built by engineers and riders who used to work on Barry’s bikes. For example the frame is all hand made from aluminium by Barry’s former frame builder. The handling of the bike is tuned by Steve Parish, Barry’s former teammate. The overall paintwork and bespoke helmet is all done by Mike Fairholme, Barry’s former helmet painter. No kidding.
It is also built using a lot of exotic materials, watch it go in the video below.
10. Dodge Tomahawk V10 Superbike (RM2,152,122)
Many will remember the Dodge Tomahawk as the bike that took the world by storm when it was introduced back in 2003. However, the Tomahawk is not in production, it is still in concept form. But it offers some juicy statistics; it runs on the same 8.3 litre V10 engine as the Dodge Viper, it produces 500 horsepower, it weighs a hefty 680 kilograms, it accelerates to 100km/h in just 2.5 seconds and reaches a hypothetical top speed of over 480km/h – 680km/h.
Watch the Dodge Tomahawk in action in the video below:
11. Yamaha BMS – (RM11,738,850)
This bike is here just because of it’s price tag and its outrageous design and the fact that it is coated in 24K gold. It is powered by a 1700c V-twin engine and is nothing out of the ordinary mechanically, but in terms of overall design, the Yamaha BMS is a rolling work of art.
12. NCR Ducati Desmosedici – (RM909,760)
The Ducati Desmosedici is already wildly expensive (rumoured to be over RM600,000 in Malaysia in stock form), but at the hands of NCR and its vast selection of trick parts, the parts have turned this already capable bike into a wild, lightweight performance monster and one of the most expensive bikes in the world. The bike produces over 200 horsepower, features ceramic matrix composite Braketech brakes, two-into-one (x2) titanium NCR exhausts and Ohlins FGR000 43mm with adjustable off-set. The bike weighs in at a feathery 144 kilograms.
13. Suzuki AEM Carbon Fiber Hayabusa – (RM782,590)
By itself the Suzuki Hayabusa is already unbelievably fast, but with some collaboration work with AEM Carbon Fiber, this Hayabusa is simply mental. Introduced at the 2008 Sema show in Las Vegas, this extremely lightweight ‘Busa allows its engine to go up till 300km/h while forged 9.5:1 turbo pistons and rods, adjustable cam sprockets and HD valve springs, a MLS head gasket give the bike an exotic and exclusive touch.
13. Harley Davidson Cosmic Starship – RM5,864,325
There’s only one way to truly describe this bike – it is a Harley-Davidson V-Rod with one really expensive paint job. Known as the Cosmic Starship, this Harley was handprinted by artist Jack Armstrong whose paintings usually fetch around US$300,000 and US$3,000,000. So judging by the price of the paintings, some are calling this bike a real bargain. We would like one to place in our living room please.
14. 1949 E90 AJS Porcupine – RM27,366,850
Retro cafe racers are all the rage these days, but it doesn’t get more retro than this, the AJS Porcupine, a race winning machine from 1949. Only four versions of this bike were ever produced. This bike in particular won the 1949 World Championship, and what makes it even more valuable is that the design for AJS bikes changed a few years later, so this bike in particular is one of the rarest motorcycles in the world. It even has the title as one of the most innovative and beautiful motorcycles ever designed, we don’t know about the innovative part, but beautiful it definitely is.
15. Neiman Marcus Limited Edition Fighter – RM43,005,050
If you are thinking this bike is not worth the price tag, you are of the same opinion as us. Neiman Marcus is actually a departmental store that deals in luxury goods, so why it is branding motorcycles under it’s name is beyond us. And besides, this bike is actually made by the Confederate Motor Company and costs US$110,000 and is limited to just 45 units. So why it would sell for RM43 million at an auction is beyond us. There is no real information online about the transaction, which could mean it is a bogus claim. But the bike is undoubtedly beautiful and is made of all the right exotic materials and is powered by an air-cooled V-Twin engine, which is quite regular really.
Source: The Richest, Forbes
Removing the wheel from the tyre is one of the more tedious parts about changing a tyre, and it can be even more difficult without the right set of tools. This 15 minute do-it-yourself (DIY) video shows how you can do it with just a set of zip-tie strips and some patience. An informative DIY video to watch if you have 15 minutes to spare.
According to reports online, BMW’s Motorrad division is looking to take on Ducati’s award winning power cruiser – the XDiavel.
There is no word on how it is going to look like or what is going to be powering it, but this is not the first time that BMW has ventured into the cruiser market – who can forget the BMW that James Bond rode in Tomorrow Never Dies – the R1200C.
Both Ducati and BMW have wanted to take on the power cruiser market for many years now, and have come away scarred and bruised. Ducati seems to have learned a lot judging from how beautiful the XDiavel is, and BMW seems to be magically balancing good looks and performance in it’s current line-up of motorcycles.
Lets also not forget that BMW recently teased us with its own take on a BMW bagger called the BMW Concept 101, which is based on the K1600.
So what will be powering the new bike? Only time will tell but BMW has a vast array of powerplants to choose from; an inline-four, inline-six and even the well proven boxer engine. It remains to be seen what BMW will ultimately go for though.
So when will we be seeing such a stunning machine from Munich? A concept debut at EICMA this year sounds fitting.
Source: Asphalt & Rubber
Yamaha has been hitting home lately when it comes to building impressive bikes. It’s MT-09 range of bikes have been very well received, the MT-09 Tracer and its three-cylinder engine is especially being hailed as one of the best touring bikes in the industry now.
But the show must move on and this time Yamaha has done it yet again with the Tracer 700. The touring variant to the MT-07 range of bikes seen in these photos here for the first time.
An obvious evolution to the popular MT-09 Tracer, the smaller Tracer also works along the same lines as its bigger sibling; a bigger fuel tank, taller ride height and practicality to make it one of the most anticipated dual-purpose bikes of the year.
It is powered by the same 75bhp twin-cylinder engine from the MT-07 and is largely the same mechanically, except for the taller and re-engineered suspension.
It does however have a longer wheelbase thanks to a swing arm that is 50mm longer for a total wheelbase of 1450mm. Yamaha says this is to increase stability when riding with a pillion or added weight.
The new Tracer 700 is also a relative lightweight with a kerb weight of just 196 kilograms.
Yamaha sent out a press release to the world’s motoring media this morning, and in it Yamaha described the new Tracer 700 as:
“Excitement has been engineered into the Tracer 700’s DNA, as its compact and lightweight chassis features a tubular steel frame that has been developed from the highly acclaimed MT-07 platform. This minimalist design instantly established a strong reputation for its agile handling and responsive character, and the Tracer 700’s newly developed chassis features a range of exclusive refinements that are designed to enhance its versatility and comfort while retaining a strong sporting heritage.
“For a more stable riding character at higher cruising speeds – especially when riding 2-up with luggage – the Tracer 700 is equipped with a 50mm longer swingarm to give a wheelbase of 1450mm. To suit its long distance role, the 130mm travel front and rear suspension systems feature revised settings for smooth and responsive characteristics in a variety of conditions. Dual 282mm front discs with four-pot calipers and a 245mm rear disc deliver powerful and responsive braking performance, and ABS is equipped as standard.
“These chassis refinements – combined with a class-leading wet weight of 196 kg – ensure that the Tracer 700 is ready to excite in every corner, and yet can be transformed into a serious long distance tourer with the addition of a range of Genuine Yamaha accessories.”
It’s not known yet if and when the Tracer 700 will be available in Malaysia. But with the MT-07 already available here at about RM36,000 in CKD form (read about it at our sister site here), Hong Leong Yamaha, assembler and distributor of everything Yamaha in Malaysia, is in a good position to finally give the very-capable Kawasaki Versys 650 some decent competiton.
Born in the land of the rising sun, the Subaru WRX STI has got a brilliant back-story indeed. The ‘Rex, as it is fondly called amongst its legion of fans, can trace its roots back to early 1990s. Alongside its arch nemesis the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, it stood as one of the best street-homologated rally cars Japan had to offer.
The term ‘rally car for the road’ isn’t exactly new, with the idea born out of the World Rally Championship (WRC) regs’ back in the 1980s and 1990s requiring manufacturers to produce road-going examples of the cars it competed with. Pioneering this in the 1980s were the all-wheel-drive (AWD) and turbocharged examples such as the original Audi Quattro and Lancia Delta HF Integrale.
The rally-bred street car truly came into its prime in the 1990s after the arrival of the Ford Escost RS Cosworth, but the decade’s biggest starts were undoubtedly the two Japanese names mentioned earlier, not forgetting Toyota as well with it Celica GT-Four series. Suffice to say if you were a car-loving teen in the 1990s, the Impreza WRX and its souped WRX STI variant was in your wish list of dream cars to own.
Sadly, the glory days of the road-going rally monster slowly began to dissipate after the WRC rules mandating production versions were repealed towards mid-2000s. Perhaps the final nail in the coffin for this genre came with the rising global enforcement for lowered emissions of the recent decade, forcing carmakers to scrap enthusiast performance cars from its range.
With that in mind, it is easy to see why cars such as the Subaru WRX STI is fast becoming an endangered species, with only a handful left in the hands of enthusiasts worldwide. However, when Malaysian Subaru cars distributors Motor Image Malaysia rolled out the latest iteration of the ‘Rex late in 2014, it seems all is not lost yet for the mighty ‘Rex and its fans, with many of which breathing a sigh of relief upon its launch.
As it is, the ‘Rex STI you see here is one mean-looking monster of a car. Sure, it has several ‘current’ traits added to it such as the LED daytime running lights and accompanying LED foglights, not to mention a much sleeker profile it now dons as oppose to the boxier appearance of its predecessors.
Nevertheless, its aggressive stance is exuded fully thanks to the STI variant-specific traits such as the massive rear spoiler, the optional dark gun-metal alloys measuring 18-inches each, as well as those equally gargantuan Brembo rotors shod behind them at all four corners. Call it ‘over the top’ if you will, this is one car that can still stir trembling fear in the eyes of those who lay eyes on it for the first time.
Step inside into the cockpit and the car’s purposeful aggression becomes even clearer. Greeting drivers are racy things such as the six-speed short throw manual shifter, the centrally-mounted digital info screen with a multitude of data options such as the turbocharger’s boost level, the snug and supportive bucket seats covered in the optional Alcantara leather trim, not forgetting the large-sized steering wheel wrapped in the same material too. All it needs here to become a full-fledged ‘racer’ is to have a roll-cage installed.
For many purists, the fun on board only comes when you push this fourth generation WRX STI’s engine start-stop button to awaken the fire-breathing heart sitting up-front under the hood. True, the ‘Rex’s turbocharged 2.5-litre DOHC horizontally-opposed or ‘boxer’ flat four-cylinder mill is indeed an ageing one, but even in an age that favours more intelligent mills, the ‘Rex’s heart is still quite a menacing thing as it makes a whopping 296hp and 407Nm of torque altogether.
The mill’s soundtrack may be a tad bit subdued as compared to previous iterations, but there is still that fearsome and unmistakable bass-rich note coming out of this flat-four, sounding rather fearsome even when merely idling.
Typically, this port-injected turbocharged flat-four does lack a little in the lower rev-band. But get the needle past the 4,000RPM mark and this boxer is ready to shell out a heavyweight knock-out punch to propel all four wheels via the intelligent SI-DRIVE and DCCD multi-mode AWD and differential systems.
Master the heavy clutch pedal with the six-speed cog’s short throws and you’d see yourself meeting Subaru’s claimed 5.2-second century sprint time with ease, with the rush of things thrusting you back firmly into the bucket seats when it does so.
Of course, power is nothing without control, and this current generation ‘Rex has got plenty to offer its drivers in terms of passive and active electronic aids, plus a race-bred and proven chassis. Whilst the chassis is brilliant stiff and sharp – just as how any performance car should feel – it was the electric-assisted power steering that felt pretty off in our hands as it felt strongly artificial with the unnerving tendency to lighten its weight when you dial in some lock during corner entry. Nevertheless, it was easily forgiven as soon as you grasp the fact that it made driving the ‘Rex much easier when not on the limit.
Much praises need the be mentioned as just how sharp and precise the electronic wizardries felt when working with hardware such as the sports suspension, the symmetrical AWD and those sticky Dunlop sports tyres shod all-round. Tinker with the multi-mode DCCD and SI-DRIVE system properly and you might just more with the right setup is chosen. Whether it be getting off the line rapidly, or tackling a set of twisty back-road corners, this is definitely not a car for the faint-hearted or amateurs.
What is truly brilliant about this high performance potential the ‘Rex holds is the fact that it is available in a decently practical four-door saloon with space to carry a few of your mates and an adequately large-sized boot to lug a sizable amount of cargo around. You simply cannot get this from an equalling European sports coupe that costs twice, sometimes three-times as much. And in case you were wondering, the ‘Rex STI also comes with several other creature comforts like automatic air conditioning and a crisp-sounding audio system that sweetens this car’s cause as a daily-driver even further.
As it stands, the Subaru WRX STI could only be described with words such as ‘potent’, ‘engaging’, and perhaps ‘awe-inspiring’ as well. This is one for the all the driving purists out there who seek supercar-like performance without sacrificing too much on daily-driving practicality and ease. For that, it is also easy to see why such a car commands a large asking price of RM280,393.16.
Call it steep if you will, said figure is still a bargain after taking into account that a European sports coupe with similar performance levels costs way more. And perhaps this is why some have regarded the Subaru WRX STI as the ultimate hero car amongst blue-collar driving purists worldwide.
| ENGINE |
|
| TRANSMISSION | 6-speed manual (MT) |
| POWER | 296hp @ 6,000rpm |
| TORQUE | 407Nm @ 4,000rpm |
| 0-100KM/H | 5.2 seconds |
| TOP SPEED | 255km/h |
| FUEL ECONOMY | 10.4 litres/100km (claimed) |
| PRICE | RM280,393.16 (6% GST + Road Tax & Insurance) |
| WARRANTY | 5-year or 100,000km (whichever comes first) |
| FROM | Motor Image Malaysia Sdn Bhd http://www.subaru.asia/my/en/home/ |
