MOST EXPENSIVE BIKE
- Thread starter axsepul
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Harley-Davidsons, Indians, Elgin Robin and Bluebird :wink: That's what I think :mrgreen:
the bowden spacelander circa 1960 brings big bucks from the collectors. search bowden spacelander on nbhaa.com for history
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How about that Evinrude that gets relisted on ebay every once in awhile?
it works really simple, for 30 grand you buy it and park it lol. from what ive read, the brakes are in the bottom bracket and its gear driven from there to the rear hub. Good design but too expensive to put into production
How is "present" a vintage bike? heh heh,,,,,
I dunno nuts about vintage bikes. I've got a couple modern candidates though.
I don't include factory-team race bikes, which I think is beside the point. A lot of factory team bikes cost a fortune when they first appear because they use new tech, but it comes down in price later (like full-suspension MTB's did). The following examples are basically "fixed prices", for various reasons they're unlikely to be cheap for a very very long time, just due to the materials costs or craftsmanship expertise needed to manufacture them.
1...The Beryllium-frame bikes would be my first candidates. These used beryllium tubes bonded into other various lugs, and there have been MTB's and road bikes made by different companies over the last few decades. Beryllium is about half the weight of titanium but even stronger and stiffer but not weldable, so that's why the frames used bonded lugs. And beryllium is way more expensive than titanium. At the bottom of this page ( http://www.mombat.org/American.htm ) under the "1993" heading, lists one MTB for an estimated price of $26,000, while the same "deluxe" steel framed-model was under $1000.
Beryllium is no cheaper today than back then, which explains it's rarity in consumer goods. It is also a highly-rated carcinogen in humans, which is probably another reason. :shock:
Mostly it is used for jet engine parts. This is important to know if you ever get your filthy paws on a "real" jet engine to play with....
2... A few years ago I was surfing online looking for bicycle parts, and came across a website in Chinese for a manufacturer there that made EVERYTHING for an MTB out of titanium.
Every,,,,,,,, single,,,,,,, frickin,,,,,,,, metal,,,,,,,, part. Frames. Shocks. Suspension forks. Spoke nipples. Chains. Chainring bolts. Sprockets. Rims. V-brake springs. I actually went through their product listing and checked, and the only thing not there was bearings.
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Titanium normally costs around 10X what steel or aluminum the same size does, and back then a good MTB could easily have a $1,500 price tag. So even though the website did not give prices (it appeared to be a production/commercial vendor that only sold in bulk) it was not unreasonable to estimate that a MTB assembled entirely out of Ti parts would have cost at least $15,000 or so.
3... The other one is the Moulton Double Pylon, a (deep breath) folding, stainless, space-frame, full-suspension bicycle. Prices aren't really set as it was a custom-order model, but the base price was up near $11,000.
I dunno nuts about vintage bikes. I've got a couple modern candidates though.
I don't include factory-team race bikes, which I think is beside the point. A lot of factory team bikes cost a fortune when they first appear because they use new tech, but it comes down in price later (like full-suspension MTB's did). The following examples are basically "fixed prices", for various reasons they're unlikely to be cheap for a very very long time, just due to the materials costs or craftsmanship expertise needed to manufacture them.
1...The Beryllium-frame bikes would be my first candidates. These used beryllium tubes bonded into other various lugs, and there have been MTB's and road bikes made by different companies over the last few decades. Beryllium is about half the weight of titanium but even stronger and stiffer but not weldable, so that's why the frames used bonded lugs. And beryllium is way more expensive than titanium. At the bottom of this page ( http://www.mombat.org/American.htm ) under the "1993" heading, lists one MTB for an estimated price of $26,000, while the same "deluxe" steel framed-model was under $1000.
Beryllium is no cheaper today than back then, which explains it's rarity in consumer goods. It is also a highly-rated carcinogen in humans, which is probably another reason. :shock:
Mostly it is used for jet engine parts. This is important to know if you ever get your filthy paws on a "real" jet engine to play with....
2... A few years ago I was surfing online looking for bicycle parts, and came across a website in Chinese for a manufacturer there that made EVERYTHING for an MTB out of titanium.
Every,,,,,,,, single,,,,,,, frickin,,,,,,,, metal,,,,,,,, part. Frames. Shocks. Suspension forks. Spoke nipples. Chains. Chainring bolts. Sprockets. Rims. V-brake springs. I actually went through their product listing and checked, and the only thing not there was bearings.
----
Titanium normally costs around 10X what steel or aluminum the same size does, and back then a good MTB could easily have a $1,500 price tag. So even though the website did not give prices (it appeared to be a production/commercial vendor that only sold in bulk) it was not unreasonable to estimate that a MTB assembled entirely out of Ti parts would have cost at least $15,000 or so.
3... The other one is the Moulton Double Pylon, a (deep breath) folding, stainless, space-frame, full-suspension bicycle. Prices aren't really set as it was a custom-order model, but the base price was up near $11,000.
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Harley Davidson, Indian, Elgin Bluebird, Schwinn Autocycle, and Schwinn Black Phantoms.
OH MY! :lol:
OH MY! :lol:
American Vintage Bicycle Supply
Double Nickle
The Twin-flexes are expensive also. Not as rare as some but a fully restored Twin-flex would probable bring 4,000 to the table! Thats just my thoughts! :wink:
The "Death Bike" version of the Twin Flex, this is the only known surviving example, all were recalled. Don;t know if it ever auctioned, but if it did it would kill.
Good post Doug C. Not many people know much about Beryllium, but it was used to great extent in GP cars in the 60s and 70s as engine and transaxle/suspension perch casings before it was outlawed? I have not heard about it being a carcinogen (not saying that's not true). I heard that among population, 2% were deemed to be particularly "susceptible" to Beryllium dust and can just drop dead from it's poisonous effects. Sounds crazy.
There is currently a manufacturer in Russia (or somewhere) which treats it as a controlled substance and will not sell the raw material. Rather, they consult with a client and provide finished parts based on the client's specifications. I heard they were the ONLY producer of it in the world. I could be wrong.
I'm just writing this from memory and hearsay, so don't hold me to it.
There is currently a manufacturer in Russia (or somewhere) which treats it as a controlled substance and will not sell the raw material. Rather, they consult with a client and provide finished parts based on the client's specifications. I heard they were the ONLY producer of it in the world. I could be wrong.
I'm just writing this from memory and hearsay, so don't hold me to it.
Here are the 3 most expensive bikes that have been confirmed sold (drumroll)
At #3 we have the William Randolph Hearst schwinn 1935 aerocycle (original)
this bike was the top of the line schwinn that year and was ordered by the Hearst family.
At #2 we have the 1 of 3 prototype Shaft drive elgin robins made in 1936 this one owned by Jessie james (restored)
this bike came up for sale when Jessie James and Sandra bullock's divorce came about.
At #1 we have the huffman deathbike (original) only known example
this bike was only in books and myths until about 20 years ago when one came into a swap meet. the bike was then sold and has not been in the public eye for many years.
At #3 we have the William Randolph Hearst schwinn 1935 aerocycle (original)
this bike was the top of the line schwinn that year and was ordered by the Hearst family.
At #2 we have the 1 of 3 prototype Shaft drive elgin robins made in 1936 this one owned by Jessie james (restored)
this bike came up for sale when Jessie James and Sandra bullock's divorce came about.
At #1 we have the huffman deathbike (original) only known example
this bike was only in books and myths until about 20 years ago when one came into a swap meet. the bike was then sold and has not been in the public eye for many years.
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I'd say any bike tied to a celebrity would bring big dollars, like the Jesse James bike above. Bikes that on their own merit bring big dollars are the ones that were expensive back in the day and not many could afford. Also bikes that were a "flop" or had design issuses like the Evenrude that was recalled due to fork failure. Also bikes that we can all relate to like the Schwinn Stingray, folks trying to re-live their childhood.
that Elgin shaft drive bike, drool...
