Our crew is just back from an extended journey out West where we first visited Las Vegas for the annual mecum Motorcycle Auction, followed by a week ripping through the canyons north of Los Angels, test riding a crop of pretty impressive, 2026 retro and naked performance bikes. While we’ll be publishing reviews on the latest test rides in Cafe Racer magazine’s April/May issue, we’re still stoked about the incredible array of classic and not-so-old motorcycles that rolled through the auctioneer’s stage at the Mecum event. This year’s massive sale saw more than 2,000 machines of all years, makes and descriptions sold off to new buyers, which is a record for the Mecum team.
Even if you’re not in the market for a new classic ride, this event is a blast to attend as your senses and sense of history will be lit up by the amazing variety of motorcycles on display. And just when it seemed the motorcycle world had no more surprises in store for our team of seasoned motojournalists, we come across some historical brands and models that we’d never seen or heard of before. For example-we spotted a Victoria Bergmeister, which sounds like an English traditional ale from some secluded Essex pub, but actually proved to be a snazzy, art-deco roadster from the early 1950s.
Customized rides are a hit-and-miss affair at these events as many in attendance (and bidding online) are searching for historically correct, period-perfect mounts. Still, some jaw-dropping cafe racers, bobbers and streetfighters brought in impressive money during the marathon five-day sale, a few of which are worth a second look.
Harley-Davidson 61 ci Knucklehead Bobber
Milwaukee’s venerable Knucklehead, the Motor Company’s first overhead valve V-twin, has been on a roll with collectors as of late, with scabby, rusty old unrestored versions claiming upwards of $60K at auctions. This absolutely beautiful, restored and customized bobber version caught eyes all weekend before it went under the gavel for a decent-but-not outrageous $36,000 on Saturday. The price isn’t so much a decline in appreciation for these bikes, considered by many to be Harley’s best, but an inevitable market adjustment reflecting more realistic prices.
Ducati 350 Sport Desmo
Just when you believe you know just about every Italian motorcycle to be produced over the last half century or so, this oddball Ducati twin appear. The parallel twin, Desmo valve roadster was produced just briefly by the Bologna firm and though it failed to catch on with riders more accustomed to Ducati’s speedy 90-degree twins and early singles, collectors have recently discovered the unloved 350 and prices are starting to rise accordingly. sold for a mere $9,900, this rare, yellow example of undersappreciated tech will be a source of pride and curiosity for its new owner.
Triumph Daytona Super II
Speaking of wildly underappreciated motorcycles, Triumph’s first-generation, water-cooled triples have lost most of what little resale value they had here in the Us while British and European fans revere the well-engineered musclebikes for obvious reasons. This baby was on our radar as the Super II was the souped-up, high-performance version of Triumph’s mid-1990s flagship Daytona 900, kitted out with twin, six-piston front brakes, high-compression Cosworth pistons and plentiful carbon fiber accents. With just 38,400 miles on the odometer, this British road-burner was a steal at $2,200.
1959 Norton Dominator 99
If someone had approached me to bet on whether Norton produced a touring version of their speedy Dominator 99 as late as 1959, I would have taken the wager and lost some much-needed cash. It turns out they indeed did, and the stately, fiberglass-wrapped, green and white machine was an inspiring sight to see. One of the last Norton’s to roll with the first-generation wideline featherbed chassis, the OHV 600 parallel twin was smoother than it should have been and much have made for a steady, corner-loving ride. An $8,200 final bid was one of the day’s true bargains, though a restored Atlas 750 attained only $3000, which proves the price of British classics is yet to stabilize. read more in Cafe Racer’s April/.May issue, on sale soon.
