Motorcycle Auctions in the UK

My first visit to a motorcycle auction still stands out as one of the best non-riding motorcycling experiences I’ve had.

I went with the intention of buying a bike, so perhaps the nerves and anticipation heightened the experience for me.

Listed in the catalogue was a rare bike that I’d been after for years and the estimate was around half of what I was prepared to pay. The auctioneers clearly didn’t know what it was and I was set for a bargain!

I registered at the front desk with my ID and bought a catalogue. I perused around the other auction lots, from boxes of rusty old bike parts to hordes of motorcycle memorabilia and stacks of books but I was only interested in the one bike.

There were over 100 bikes being put through the auction and I patiently waited for my lot to come under the hammer. Then it was time. The bidding started at just below the estimate, 1 bid and it reached the estimate, 2 bids and it was well clear of the estimate. Still within my grasp, I didn’t want to miss out but I didn’t want to inflate the price so I thought I’d wait until the last minute and put in a cheeky winning bid. Seconds later the third bid came in and it was close to my upper price. The realisation dawned on me that I was about to miss out. 4 bids and it was well clear. Just like that, the bike – my bike – was out of my reach.

Floating in a rough sea of emotions, I felt I’d been mugged by the room. I didn’t realise there would be so many other people clued up on that bike and prepared to pay for it. As quick as a flash, the hammer dropped and it had gone for almost double what I was prepared to pay and almost three-times the estimate.

While I lost out and felt my trip had been a waste of time, little did I know I was hooked.

I quickly got my head around the auction game. I realised that low estimates were just to entice mugs like me to turn up with the thought of walking away with a string of bargains. I appreciated how a bike that looks brilliant in the photos, hides all sorts of things in the flesh. I also realised that sometimes the right bike’s in the room but there aren’t the buyers to snap it up and therefore being flexible can reap rewards. Before my bike came up for auction I watched a string of unregistered Bimotas go for peanuts but I didn’t bid for them as I’d pooled my money to go for the bike I missed out on. My chance had gone.

My strategy of heading to an auction to buy one bike on a tight budget was risky at best, downright foolish in reality.

And that sums up the magic of an auction. The atmosphere goes from candid to electric once the bidding starts. Every auction I’ve been to is a unique experience where you’ll see bikes that you’d never see on eBay or other online marketplaces and you’ll soak up an atmosphere that eBay could only dream of.

For true motorcycle fans, an auction is a must-see experience. Below we’ve listed the various different physical auctions in the UK and a couple of decent online auctions too. From classics and collector bikes to police and salvage auctions.

If you’re lucky enough to find a bike you want to buy, prepare for a roller coaster!