No Reserve Honda Collection Heads Shannons Sydney Auction

SYDNEY – Dec 21, 2012: What is believed to be one the largest collections of ‘no reserve’ classic Honda motorcycles ever offered at auction in Australia will be put under the hammer by Shannons in Sydney on Monday February 4.

The nine Hondas spanning the time warp between 1965 and 1988 are amongst a total of 18 motorcycles from Japan, the UK and the US to be sold alongside a similar number of classic cars in Shannons Sydney Summer Classic Auction.

The Hondas represent a small part of a significant NSW motorcycle collection and are being sold by their elderly enthusiast owner as part of a rationalisation of his two-wheel assets.

A highlight of the collection is a stunning circa 1965 Honda Dream 305cc Twin Cylinder, which when introduced in 250cc form in 1959 was the first large capacity motorcycle that Honda exported.

Finished in distinctive Honda red, the C75 model Dream being auctioned has emerged from a ground-up restoration to concours condition and is 100 per cent correct in every detail.

Sold with no reserve, Shannons expect it to make an important addition to any motorcycle enthusiast’s collection and sell in the $8,000-$12,000 range.

Equally exciting for collectors and also with no reserve is the circa 1988 Honda XBR500 single cylinder motorcycle that has never been registered and has covered just 1km since delivery. Being literally ‘as new’, Shannons expect it to bring $4,000-$8,000.

Another sought-after Honda should be the circa 1980 six cylinder CBX1000 that has been repainted, but otherwise is completely original and correct.

With its odometer showing just 10,000km, this early Honda ‘superbike’ is expected to sell in the $10,000-$14,000 range.

Other Hondas from the collection being sold with no reserve are:

a circa 1968 CB72 250cc Twin and a circa 1975 CB550/4 – both older restorations, but completely correct. Each is expected to bring $4,000-$7,000

an unrestored, but in very good condition and correct circa 1972 CB350/4 with its odometer showing just 27,756km ($4,000-$7,000)

a circa 1972 CL450 Twin that is again an older restoration, but has been repainted ($5,000-$8,000)

a circa 1972 K2 750/4 in unrestored, but correct condition ($6,000-$9,000)

a circa 1970 CD90, 90cc single cylinder motorcycle in good original and correct condition ($2,000-$3,000).

The other motorcycles in the auction include three classic Triumphs, three Nortons, a Kawasaki 500H1 (Triple) and a Harley-Davidson.