The world’s biggest auction of classic motorcycles is the Mecum Annual Vintage & Antique Motorcycle Auction. In 2026, more than 2,000 motorcycle of all types will cross the auction block over five days from 27-31 January in Las Vegas.
Yes, there’ll be bling and neon lights at the cution venue, South Point Hotel & Casino, but also plenty of outstanding and historically significant motorcycles.
Mecum’s January sale is firmly aimed at collectors and enthusiasts who understand why patina matters, why matching numbers still count, and why a kickstarter can be preferable to a starter button.
Let’s take a look at just six of the bikes currently listed.
Ducati’s Green-Framed Unicorn
Few motorcycles carry the instant gravitas of a 1974 Ducati 750SS Green Frame, and this example is as serious as they come. One of just three green-frame 750SS machines with Spanish race history, it competed in the Formula 750 Spanish Championship before being painstakingly restored over 7.5 years by noted Ducati historian Ian Falloon.
With New Old Stock (NOS) parts throughout, an extensively documented engine rebuild, and effectively zero kilometres since restoration, this is less ‘used motorcycle’ and more time capsule.
The bevel-drive L-twin, Dell’Orto carburettors and uncompromising riding position remind us why the 750SS still defines Ducati’s sporting DNA.
America’s First Superbike
The 1937 Harley-Davidson EL Knucklehead represents a different kind of revolution. Harley’s first overhead-valve V-twin, it ushered American motorcycles into the modern era. This is a second-year example, complete with the distinctive ‘cat’s eye’ dash and return oil system that marked a huge step forward in reliability.
While it carries some reproduction parts — as nearly all surviving Knuckleheads do — it remains in running condition, which is arguably the point. These bikes weren’t built to be admired silently.
Vincent: Engineering Without Apology
If Ducati represents Italian passion and Harley American muscle, Vincent stands alone as British engineering without compromise.
This 1948 Series B Touring Rapide is a rare thing indeed, formerly part of the Peterson Museum collection and accompanied by impeccable documentation, including a Certificate of Authenticity from the Vincent Machine Register.
Subtle upgrades — electronic ignition and a 12-volt alternator — make it more usable without detracting from the originality. The Vincent remains a motorcycle built to outrun its contemporaries while carrying their luggage.
The Vincent has been owned by music producer Mark Howard, who has worked with many artists including Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Peter Gabriel, R.E.M. and Neil Young.
Precision, Performance and Pre-War Genius
Elsewhere in the catalogue, a 1965 BMW R69S offers Teutonic precision in black paint and Earles forks, while the pre-war British contingent steals the hearts of those who value mechanical bravery.
The 1933 Rudge Ulster, restored by marque specialist Colin Chapple, celebrates a machine named after Graham Walker’s legendary Ulster Grand Prix victory — the first road race win at over 80mph.
Alongside it sits one of the rarest production motorcycles ever made: the Matchless Silver Hawk V4. With fewer than 70 known examples and production numbers likely under 50 for 1934, it’s a reminder that innovation often comes long before the market is ready. Currently owned by Dave Moot, the former president of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, Viking Chapter of Minnesota.
More Than an Auction
Mecum Las Vegas isn’t simply a place to buy motorcycles – it’s where history changes hands. Whether you’re bidding, browsing or just listening to engines fire into life indoors, this is a reminder that the best motorcycles were never designed by committee — and that some ideas only need one chance to be brilliant.
