Our analysis of the top 100 motorcycles ever sold at auction has yielded a goldmine of previously unavailable information such as the most sought after vintages and engine configurations, where the top bikes are sold, who sells them and the most valuable and collectible motorcycle marques.
This list is comprised of the motorcycle manufacturers which command the highest prices at auction and are most populous among the top 100 – the distillation of activity in a marketplace which has existed for just over a century.
The golden heritage of the American motorcycle industry is perhaps the most interesting aspect of this analysis. The United Kingdom would reasonably have been expected to dominate the results thanks to the well publicised auction values commanded by Brough Superior and Vincent motorcycles. Those marques are the most heavily represented but in total, British motorcycles make up just 46 of the top 100 motorcycles ever sold at auction, and beyond those two marquee names, there is little else – there are only eight other British motorcycle brands in the top 100 (and one of them only produced one motorcycle).