On June 23rd, Bonhams will be auctioning off 323 lots (with no reserve!) from the collection of Den Hartogh. 49 of those lots are motorcycles – here are my 3 favorites.
1. 1988 TMZ Tula 5.951 – estimated to sell between $2,356 and $4,712. In this context, TMZ refers to a Russian firm called Tulamashzavod which was created in 1879. According to this site, the 5.951 was released in 1984 as an experimental prototype run of 100 units, and mass production commenced a year later. It weighs 284 pounds and the motor supposedly produces 12.5 horsepower and was capable of a top speed just over 50 miles per hour – this was designed to be ridden off-road in gnarly conditions. This example is “believed to be unused” with 4 miles on the odometer. Like every other bike in this auction, it’s been sitting for a while and will need work to run.
2. 1947 Moto Guzzi Superalce – estimated to sell between $2,945 and $3,770. Alce translates to “elk”, so this Super Elk was named because it got an engine upgrade. The Super Alce was produced between ’46 and ’57, and according to some websites I looked at when I last featured a Super Alce, only 35 examples are known to exist in the US. The 498cc OHV single produced 18.5 horsepower, enough to get the bike up to almost 70 miles per hour. This example (VIN: AV*33200*) is “believed to be an ex-military example” because it’s “still in military trim and paint, with military ID numbers present”.
3. 1955 Sparta SL250 – estimated to sell between $1,531 and $2,356. This is another bike I wasn’t familiar with beforehand, but Sparta was a Dutch company that started as a bicycle manufacturer called Verbeek & Schakel. They started building motorcycles in ’31 with Sachs motors, and they would go on to use Villiers, JLO, and Victoria motors, including the Victoria two stroke single in this example. The odometer shows an impressive 52,305 miles (84,177 kms).
For a look at all of the motorcycles that will be auctioned off, head on over to Bonhams!