Description
This motorcycle is Lot 154 of Bonhams Motorcycles Online – The Summer Sale; open for bidding 5-15th June 2026. This Lot is available for public view and eventual collection from Bonhams Motorcycle Department, Milton Keynes.
Please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Auction Timings:
Bidding on all Lots commences Friday 5 June, 12:00 noon.
Bidding closes Monday 15 June, 12:00 noon, starting with Lot 1
Each subsequent Lot will then close one minute apart unless bidding remains active.
Public Viewing (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY):
All Lots:
Wednesday 10 June, 9am - 5pm
Thursday 11 June, 9am - 5pm
Please email using the button below with your availability to schedule an appointment.
Lot 154
The Connoisseurs Collection, Part III
c. 1962 Aermacchi Harley-Davidson Racing Motorcycle
Registration no. not registered
Frame no. not visible
Engine no. not visible not visible
This Lot has arrived in the UK from overseas under Temporary Admission. Shippio Ltd must complete all post-sale customs clearance administration, for import or export, on behalf of the purchaser. A compulsory fee of £195 + VAT will be added to the buyer's invoice for this service. This Lot may not be collected from the auction venue by the purchaser or any third-party transporter until Shippio Ltd has confirmed that this Lot has cleared customs.
If this Lot is to remain in the UK, or is not exported within 90 days of the sale, Import VAT at 5% of the hammer price will be payable.
A household name among motorcyclists thanks to its heroic achievement of producing the most highly developed and successful overhead-valve racing single ever, Aermacchi was a relative latecomer to motorcycle manufacture, building its first machine in the late 1940s and the first of its trademark, horizontally-mounted, four-stroke singles - the 175cc Chimera - in 1956. The 'enclosed' Chimera was soon joined by more conventionally styled 175cc and 250cc machines, the racing versions of which were christened Ala d'Oro (Golden Wing). Alberto Pagani's 9th place on the 250's Dutch TT debut in 1960 demonstrated the bike's potential, which was confirmed the following week when Pagani finished 5th at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The need for more power led to short-stroke engine dimensions (of 72x61mm) being adopted on the 250 for 1964, by which time a 350cc version had appeared. With increased power came increasing unreliability, necessitating a re-design for 1966 when larger flywheels, modified piston and connecting rod, dry clutch and wider gears were among improvements introduced. The works concentrated on developing its new 250 two-stroke twin from the late 1960s onwards, but before then had introduced a bob-weight crankshaft, external flywheel and new crankcases with an extra main bearing on its four-stroke single. Although the pushrod Aermacchi never won a World Championship race, it did achieve a number of 2nd places, Alan Barnett's in the 1970 Junior TT being one of the most memorable. Despite a lack of ultimate success in Grands Prix, the Aermacchi single was outstandingly successful at national level and today, having benefited from another three decades of development, remains a competitive force in historic motorcycle racing.
At time of cataloguing it had not been possible to determine the engine capacity of this restored Aermacchi racer. A frame number was not located (our vendor refers to '141132'); likewise the engine number (our vendor refers to 'A-A 106').
Following a period of inactivity, this motorcycle will require recommissioning and/ or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's completeness, history, authenticity, originality and mechanical condition prior to bidding.
£1, 200 - 1, 800
All lots are sold ‘as is/ where is’ and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams Motorcycles website for all pertinent auction information.
