Auction Recap: Mecum Chicago Motorcycle Auction 2016

Mecum concluded their 2016 Chicago motorcycle auction at the Schaumburg Convention Center with $1,261,000 in total sales. 300 bikes were on offer, and 171 of them sold for a 57 percent sell-through rate. Average price was on the high side for bikes at $7,375, but there plenty of options in the $1,000 – $3,000 range as well as enticing projects for a few hundred bucks, like the 1953 DKW RT200 that sold for $400 or the 1958 Moto Morini 98 that sold for $500.

The sale featured a solid range of motorcycles, from early American to modern Japanese and lots of choices from England, Italy and Japan. Top sale of the weekend went to a 1912 Flying Merkel with an original Merkel engine and carburetor for $65,000. Another early bike, a 1906 Indian Camelback, sold for $41,000 while a very neat 1970 MV Agusta MV600 Roadster, reportedly one of just 40 examples in the U.S., sold for $40,000. A fully restored 1949 Triumph Tiger also sold for the huge price of $30,000, and an ex-Steve McQueen 1949 Indian Arrow sold for $33,000. Some of the biggest no-sales, meanwhile, included a 1914 Harley-Davidson Model 10E that was bid to $44,000, a 1911 Harley-Davidson 7A Single that was bid to $55,000 and a 1931 Henderson KJ that was bid to $29,000.

Overall top 10:

1. 1912 Flying Merkel sold for $65,000
2. 1906 Indian Camelback sold for $41,000
3. 1970 MV Agusta MV600 Roadster sold for $40,000
4. 1913 Indian V Twin sold for $33,000
5. 1949 Indian Arrow sold for $33,000
6. 1949 Triumph Tiger sold for $30,000
7. 1943 BMW R75 Gespanne sold for $30,000
8. 1929 Harley-Davidson Model D45 sold for $29,500
9. 1950 Vincent Comet sold for $25,500
10. 1939 BMW R71 sold for $25,000

Mecum will featured 50 motorcycles, including an Ariel Square 4, a 1914 Flying Merkel and a 1931 BMW R62, at their 2016 Monterey auction that will be held from August 18-20.