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Shape-shifting the motorcycle fleet
Travels with
Guido 384
February 2026, by Guy 'Guido' Allen
As your tastes and desires change,
sometimes doing the big and dramatic clear-out works
Look, there is a bit of room in the shed! Not enough to
swing the proverbial cat, but it’s a start…
Last week I sent a load of five
motorcycles to Donington Auctions in Melbourne, Australia,
for an online sale starting soon. It will be the third
time I’ve done something similar in the last two years.
Across three sales, that now makes 16 motorcycles that
have been shipped off: two in February 2024, nine in
November that year, and now another five.
What’s going on? Part of the answer is
that in recent years I’ve had a floating population of
about 30 motorcycles in the shed. Over time some have
impressed me, some have been a disappointment and, often,
the reality of my tastes turned out to be different to the
ambitions.
A good example was the first two that
went to auction: a 1975 Norton Commando 850 and Ducati 750
GT. Both were stunners with good provenance and paperwork,
low miles and were in exceptional running condition.
However they were both needy when it came to attention and
maintenance – hardly surprising for 50-ish-year-old
machines.
More crucially, when I sat back and
thought about it neither really pushed my buttons as a
ride. In the case of the Norton, my Triumph T160 of the
same year suited me better, while I much preferred the
Ducati 916 in the shed over the 750 GT. And, the latter
would help to fund a bevel Hailwood.
That proverbial toe in the auction water
produced a great overall result. While the Ducati went for
a disappointing Au$17,000, the Norton more than made up
for it by fetching Au$30,000. Clearly two people really
wanted the latter.
Move on to November 2024 and I’ve bought
a Series C Vincent Rapide from the USA, which means it
would be really nice to free up some funds out of the
over-stuffed shed. Plus, this was a good time to review
what was in the fleet and make some decisions about what I
really wanted to keep and how the herd might look once the
dust had settled. That’s when nine bikes were lined up for
new owners.
Sorting the cull for sale is a major
exercise. Here is what you’re doing: removing numberplate
and personal paperwork, but keep them in case something
doesn’t sell; Check everything is working as it should;
Inflate all the tyres; Provide a brief history/profile for
each one; Assemble files of keys, paperwork and spares.
Oh, and get them to the auction house. Not such a big deal
for one motorcycle, but a week’s work for a mini fleet.
This is where I should reveal my own
approach to this gig. We’re working the auction route
because I hate going through the private sale process and
the idea of doing it two or nine or five times sounds like
a descent into hell.
My favorite feature of auctions is they
provide a deadline for people to make a decision – yes or
no. A little like landing an aircraft – a story for
another day…
Of course there is no certainty on the
outcome. In my case the individual results have been
mixed: some were disappointing, some were great, some were
okay. Overall, I’ve been happy with the experience. And
this is where your own approach needs to be looked at –
what are you trying to achieve?
From where I was sitting, the mission was to clear out some machines that were not a great fit for whatever reason. That would free up some money to look at and buy other options, and so the cycle keeps going.
In every case so far, I have deliberately
set a low reserve (pain threshold or a little lower) to
ensure the machine does not come back. Why? I really don’t
see the point in sending something to auction, only to
have to revisit the whole selling process. Another factor
is I’m not in this to make money – that’s what dealers do
and there are several whose company I value and thoroughly
enjoy.
I’m not doing this to eat or feed my
children. The mission is to have fun with the bike and
then move on. My view of any sale, whether it be private
or by auction, is you need to keep in mind what you are
trying to achieve.
If the result moves me on to the next toy, that’s fine. Did I get the best possible price, win or lose money? Neither of those things will make me happy. Okay, a little win might pay for the first Shiraz or two. But, really, the bigger picture is looking at and riding the Vincent or the 916, or whatever new acquisition this is paying for. Whether or not I tore up a little money, or screwed up in some other way, doesn’t really matter.
And this week? With 30 bikes and six cars in the fleet, I eventually worked out that’s too much to cope with – particularly when you’re keeping them all healthy, happy and running. Or trying to. So sending five off to new homes is a start and already feels like a load off the schedule.
Now, maybe this is a good time to chase
down that perfect Laverda…
(Top pic by Ben
Galli)
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