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Monterey Classic Bike Auction 2006



Temperatures soared during the day and the bid prices soared by night as the second annual Monterey Classic Bike Auction took place during a blistering MotoGP weekend at Laguna Seca. Collectible motocross machines were particularly well-represented and much sought after inside the packed MCBA auction pavilion adjacent to Fisherman's Wharf and the Portola Plaza Hotel in downtown Monterey.

Bikes linked to superstar riders led the charge, starting with the Team Troy Lee Designs '04 Honda CRF 450 Supermoto that Jeff Ward piloted to his record-setting eighth AMA championship. That machine will now take a place of honor in Alabama's Barber Motorsports Museum. Also finding a new home was an '03 Honda XR 50 sporting a Mike Metzger graphic treatment and autographed by the Godfather himself. And a gem from Rick Doughty's Vintage Iron Collection also inspired some active bidding: a works-laden 1979 Suzuki RN 400 Gerrit Wolsink re-creation meticulously built in tribute to the legendary multiple Grand Prix winner and teammate to Roger DeCoster. That one-of-a-kind beauty is on its way to a private collection in the UK.

Other notable sales included a splendidly race-worn '63 250cc Greeves TE Scottish Trials bike that's begging to be restored and/or run at the next vintage race; a lightning-quick '04 50cc Derbi Senda, a rare DRD Edition that is one of only a dozen to be found in the U.S.; and a pair of hard-to-find '81 Maicos "a 400 and a 490" whose next appearance will only come after a ground-up restoration befitting these classic MX racers.

Besides the picturesque setting and the race weekcharged atmosphere, another unique aspect to MCBA was the virtual presence of numerous Internet bidders participating in real time via National Powersport Auctions' state-of-the-art live simulcast bidding software. Having buyers involved from around the globe did its part to drive the prices up to eyebrow-arching levels on many of the stunning specimens in this second annual outing of the Monterey auction.

Details are being firmed up now for MCBA 2007, and those interested in staying informed need only send an email to auction@resmarket.com to receive news and updates. From MCBA