Bonhams wrapped up an impressive motorcycle auction in Las Vegas, and some very pricey metal rolled across the block. While seriously expensive bikes like the 1955 Vincent Black Prince pictured above and a 1915 Harley-Davidson 11-F Twin failed to bring home enough cash to find new owners, the 1953 Vincent Black Shadow to the right brought home well north of its early bid estimates. A new owner laid down a hefty 2,500 for the pleasure of ownership. Likewise, one very sparse-looking 1907 Indian Camelback went for ,860.

We took the time to pick through the auction’s offerings to show off some of the more interesting bikes to roll across the stage in Las Vegas. You can check out the gallery for our personal faves or click over to the Bonhams site for more information on specific lots. The auction featured plenty of memorabilia in addition to full bikes.

Bonhams Las Vegas Motorcycle Sale sees big numbers for vintage bikes originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Safety advocacy is a touchy subject when it comes to the motoring world. After all, everyone has heard the warnings about buckling up, drinking and driving, and more recently, the dangers of distracted driving. And while we applaud the intent of these messages, we can’t help but have our doubts about how effective most of these campaigns are. Still, there are many different approaches to the road safety public service announcement genre, and we’ve seen a few genuinely stirring takes on the matter, including some strikingly beautiful work like the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership seatbelt campaign.

Choosing to veer more toward the scared-straight school of thought is Australia’s Transport Accident Commission, and its ad quotes a particularly interesting (if frightening) statistic related to motorcycle riding. Admittedly, the spot is not as shocking as the UK’s teenage driver gorefest PSA of a couple years ago, but it’s still the type of thing that makes us sit up and take notice, so perhaps these more graphic PSAs have more of an impact.

What do you think, are road safety PSAs like this effective? Watch the video PSA after the jump – the whole thing – then have your say in our poll below.

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Continue reading Australia takes the fear approach to motorcycle safety [w/poll]

Australia takes the fear approach to motorcycle safety [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Classic television fanatics and motorcycle aficionados alike can rejoice in the news that the Triumph Trophy TR5 ridden by one Arthur Fonzarelli in “Happy Days” has been found lurking in a motorcycle shop. The bike effectively vanished after the sitcom wrapped up in 1984, leaving collectors to assume that the machine met an unpleasant end at a scrap yard. The Fonz’s motorcycle was originally owned by stuntman Bud Elkins, who kept the Triumph after filming shut down. You may remember Elkins as the man behind many of Steve McQueen’s stunts, including the famous barbed-wire fence jump in The Great Escape.

Elkins held onto the bike until 1995, when he sold it to friend Marshall Ehlers. Ehlers purchased the old Triumph on the notion that the machine was simply a fairly well-preserved example and didn’t know that it had any ties to one of America’s most iconic TV shows. Now that the bike’s origins have been established, it’s headed to auction in Los Angeles on November 12, where it’s expected to bring in north of ,000. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Fonzie’s Triumph motorcycle up for auction

Fonzie’s Triumph motorcycle up for auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Oct 2011 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Close your eyes and picture a motorcycle. Chances are, you’re seeing something with two wheels, an engine sitting right in the middle and a spot for the rider splayed out on top. If you’re Joey Ruiter, though, you might have something else entirely on your brain. Says Ruiter:

We want to re-set the definition of a motorbike, stripping away historical attributes that make them so great. It’s hard to imagine a motorcycle without fancy paint, overpowered motors, exposed mechanical genius, and sweet exhaust tones.

While it’s true that we love seeing exposed elements on our motorcycles, there’s something intrinsically cool about Ruiter’s concept and the way it makes a rider appear as if he’s floating down the road on an appliance… if only because it’s unique.

Taking the concept a step further, this machine is powered by an electric motor and it sends its ride data (speed, distance traveled, etc) to the rider’s smart phone. See the Moto Undone concept in the included gallery.

Artist creates invisible motorcycle called “Moto Undone” originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Designer Min Seong Kim envisions a rather interesting world where Hyundai, alongside its automobiles and heavy equipment, also builds motorcycles.

The structure of the bike is, in true conceptual fashion, made of a material that can tighten or relax, which the designer believes would aid in steering similar to the way our muscles aid in… well, pretty much everything we do. There’s a cage around the rider, apparently to aid in protection, but we wonder how easy that would be to see around. The six-cylinder powerplant sports bold HYUNDAI lettering across the valve covers, and probably comes with a great warranty as well.

We do have a problem with the rider, however, who is clearly rooting for a different motorcycle manufacturer. There’s nothing wrong with Suzuki bikes, but if you’re going to be shilling for a futuristic manufacturer, you should also be wearing their branded leathers. Regardless, the concept is interesting from all angles, and you can check it out for yourself in the gallery.

Designer imagines a motorcycle for Hyundai originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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