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
Continuing on with our Most Interesting Biker (MIB) series, we caught up with Malaysia actor and entrepreneur, Jehan Miskin.
There are lots of celebrity bikers in Malaysia, both male and female, and we hope to be able to write about them all as we go along, but Jehan is a dear friend to us so all it took was a Whatsapp message explaining the MIB series and a reply saying, “sure, want me to bring my bike?”
How could this guy not make this list?
It is also funny to think that someone who never learned to ride a bicycle would eventually end up riding Harley-Davidsons to places most people don’t ever visit, what more on a Harley-Davidson.
“I never learned to ride a bicycle as a kid,” he said over coffee in Empire Damansara.
“My brothers and sisters all learned but not me. I remember being 11 or 12 and crashing my brothers bicycle at the backroad of my terrace house in SS2. I fell in the drain and the bicycle looked like it had been crashed, but I learned to ride a bicycle on my own eventually.”
The big switch to motorcycles came at 14, an era Jehan describes as “zaman mat moto.” That was the period of the Kawasaki Victors, Yamaha TZMs, RX-Z and the Kawasaki KIPS. But his first bike was the tiny but fun 125cc, two-stroke Cagiva Mito. After that and for many years he didn’t have a bike as he focused on developing his video production business.
But the calling came eventually, just as it always does. Jehan was invited to attend a Harley-Davidson event which required some riding. Being more of a sports bike kind of person, he says he didn’t think much of the Harleys, until he saw a Nightrod.
The bike belonged to a customer who agreed to let Jehan ride it to a movie premiere, up north and eventually sold the bike him.
“I have a lot to thank Awie* for in that decision to eventually buy the Nightrod. The owner had let me ride the bike to an event in Perak, so when I met Awie I told him about my experience and showed the bike to him. Awie told me to change the handle bars and gave me a piece of advise I didn’t forget, and so I went and bought the Nightrod,” says Jehan.
*Yes, that Awie
He rode it around town for a few years first, hung around with the Harley Owners Group, and never really went on long distance rides. Until the Asia Harley Days in Thailand came along, and that was it. The tour riding bug had hit, fast forward a few years and Jehan and some mates are conquering Chinese roads in search of the real Shangri-La, not the five star hotel.
He has taken the bike where no Harley-Davidson Nightrod owners would go, and there were places where the bike wasn’t even designed to go, like the twisting mountains of Laos, and the dirt roads of Thailand. Places a BMW GS or a Kawasaki Versys would feel more at home on, not a Nightrod.
“I have always been a superbike kind of guy, but I had a pact with my brother to never own or ride a superbike. They are really fast bikes, and our mother and sister were completely against the idea, so to keep things cool we decided to agree on a pact to ride, but not on a superbike.”
Jehan’s brother eventually got on a superbike but not before promising his younger brother all kinds of things.
“And so I felt that the Harley Nightrod was one of the few bikes that could give me the performance of a superbike without being a superbike. I have always appreciated a Harley but never really wanted one, but the Nightrod is cool enough, dragster enough, powerful enough, a hybrid between a cruiser and a superbike.” – Jehan.
After our meet in Empire Damansara, Jehan went on another ride to northern Thailand for Songkran and to Bangkok to hook up with Harley owners over there. Spending over two weeks on the road, the Nightrod once again was the weapon of choice.
“Riding has evolved to be more than just speed for me. It is about friendship and it is about getting away. There is escapism in riding, adventure you can’t get anywhere else. When you ride long distance, you are in a new town everyday. It is about being on the road and not worrying about anything else but the road, that is why I ride,” concludes Jehan.
Harley-Davidson of Kuala Lumpur is organising a weekend of great deals on its bike and fun times for your family.
The weekend of the 23rd and 24th of April, H-D KL is celebrating the Harley-Davidson “Mania Carnival” at its headquarter in Petaling Jaya, and it is open to everyone from 10am till 6pm.
In a statement to the media, H-D KL says fans of the H-D brand and its lifestyle are strongly encouraged not to miss the two-day event as there will be great deals on H-D bikes with special offers on some very special bikes.
There will also be special prices for H-D merchandise and accessories for H-D bikes.
There will also be special entertainment areas for the family and for the kids with refreshments, cotton candy and balloons.
The Harley-Davidson “Mania Carnival” is definitely something not to be missed by Malaysian H-D fans.
Harley-Davidson has just introduced it’s latest addition to the Sportster family, and calls it the Roadster.
The new Roadster has been stripped down with a minimalist design with only the “essential elements of a pure riding machine,” as Harley so eloquently put it.
The new Roadster also marks the continuation of a legend that began when the Sportster was first introduced back in 1957. The Sportster is also the longest continuously produced motorcycle in the world, and it is not about to lose steam.
The new Roadster will join Harley’s Dark Custom line-up with a design inspired by the barebones classic racing motorcycles and the latest trend in simple, basic, ‘naked’ builds.
The new Roadster may not look very different than older Sportsters, especially the Iron range, but there is a lot that is new; the Roadster gets new exclusive 5-spoke cast aluminium wheels and tyres (the front are 120/70 R19, the rear is 150/70 R18) and are mated to a new rear suspension and a front fork which is now set at a steeper angle. Harley says the 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels together with the revised suspension will deliver better ground clearance. The seat however is still set low at just 785mm.
The brakes are also new with dual 300mm floating discs up front with ABS-enabled twin-piston callipers, and a 260mm rear disc with a twin-piston caliper. The low-rise handlebar is also new while the mid-mount foot controls are supposed to centre the rider’s weight, while the fuel tank is the same 12.5-litre Sportster fuel tank.
Visually, keen Harley fans will notice that the rear fender is shorter than before while a drilled and slotted belt guard and exhaust shields seem to mimic the lightening holes in a race bike. Also new is a single four-inch clock up front tucked low in front of the triple clamp. The meter has also been changed from the usual analogue speedo, to a large analogue tacho, and a digital panel for the speedometer and other information.
The new Harley-Davidson Roadster will be available in the US in June in four colours together with a wide range of custom parts in the official Harley-Davidson catalogue. The bike shown here features a modified bike with blacked-out exhausts, a new seat, rider footrests, transmission and engine cases, blacked-out heads, removable numberplate hanger, new bar grips, mirrors, darkened indicators, a new fuel cap and a performance air filter.
Features
1200cc Evolution engine
Premium emulsion technology rear suspension with screw-style pre-load adjustment
43mm inverted front forks with premium cartridge dampening technology and triple clamp design
Dual disc front brakes with ABS
Optimised steering geometry for a responsive, confidence-inspiring ride
Two-up seat with ribbed detail and minimalist styling
Lightweight offset-split 5-spoke Cast Aluminium wheels – 19in front, 18in rear
Mid-mount footpeg controls
Chopped front and rear fenders
Low rise handlebar
Nual-function clock
Finned cast timer cover
Custom tank graphics
Harley-Davidson V-Rod riders are a special bunch; they are passionate about their V-Rods and are always eager to ride as far as they can. If you own or fantasise about owning a Harley-Davidson V-Rod but feel that you cannot really take it very far, then this article is for you.
Malaysian celebrity and entrepreneur Jehan Miskin and the team at Bikes Republic were hanging out recently when Jehan told a story about how he and a group of friends beat all odds and rode their V-Rods up till Shangri-La in China.
It was a triumphant ride for the bunch as everyone told them it couldn’t be done with the Harley-Davidson V-Rod. The story is exciting enough to create a short movie but since we didn’t have enough clips, Jehan wrote a short story on it to share with us, and the official magazine for the American chapter of the Harley-Davidson Owners Group (HOG). The following is what he sent us a few days ago:
— Written by Jehan Miskin —
Ever since I got my custom Harley-Davidson Nightrod Special in 2011, most riders I meet would say, “Hey, badass bike man. But you can’t go long distance on that bike for sure!”
Then I met a couple of other crazy V-Rodderz called Simon and Rambo and found out they were the first Malaysian V-Rod riders to ride from Kuala Lumpur to Vietnam and back.
We did a few rides in Thailand covering thousands of kilometres and still people would say ‘No way you guys can’t go further than that on a V-Rod”.
So last year, we decided to ride from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia all the way to Shangri-La in Tibet, China. A month long ride that would take us on unpredictable roads through Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and Tibet in China. Simon and Rambo rode from Kuala Lumpur up to Chiang Rai in Thailand, a seven day ride over 2,500kms.
Because of other commitments, I shipped my bike to Chiang Rai and we started our expedition there with some other bikers from Indonesia and Thailand.
We rode from Chiang Rai to Chiang Kong, then crossed into Laos, stopping briefly at the laid back town of Luang Namtha.
Next we crossed the border into China, stopping in a different town every night. Mengla, Xisuangbanna, Linchang, Dali, Shangri-La and finally the peak at 15,000 feet, Deqen. The weather got colder and the air thinner the further north we rode.
We rode through countless mountain roads, crossed rivers and lakes, rode off-road and on-road, in high altitude, even in the rain in sub zero temperature. Every chance we got we took the scenic route and skipped the highways. We lived in the moment and adapted to whatever the road or weather would throw our way. And after we reached the peak, we rode back again from Shangri-La, stopping by the ancient city of Lijiang, then back to Dali, Xisuangbanna, Mengla, Boten, crossing over to Laos and back to Chiang Rai.
Here the trip ended for the other riders but we were not done. We wanted to conquer the Road of a Thousand Corners, a legendary road to bikers in this part of the world otherwise known as Mae Hong Son. So we continued our journey from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai, stayed over in scenic Pai, to Mae Hong Son where we got our official 1000 corners certificate (it actually acknowledges 1862 corners!), then down south to Mae Sariang and back to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai to complete the trip. In all, we covered a total of 8,500kms in 30 days, on V-Rods.
This ride was an unforgettable experience and has inspired me to seek out even longer rides on my Rod. Every moment spent riding was a joy, even in the most challenging times like riding for two days in nonstop rain and in sub zero temperatures. Thank you awesome people at Harley-Davidson for making such a fun bike for us to go on our adventures with.
I have since had a realisation. When people say “You can’t ride that far on a Rod,” they’re not actually talking about the limitations of the bike, but it is more a reflection of their own limitations as a rider. The V-Rod can be ridden far and long and hard, probably even around the world. So the question is not whether the bike can make the journey, but whether we are the right riders to dare to take the Rod on that ride.
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