THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS SHOW,STAFFORD OCTOBER 2009

Bonhams celebrated its third major collectors' motorcycle sale of the year with an outstanding 
premium-inclusive total of £981,638. Top of the bill, a 1948 Vincent Rapide famously ridden by Arthur 
Merrett at the year's International Six Days Trial achieved £57,600,selling to a UK buyer. Strong 
demandfor these Stevenage-built v-twins was confirmed as all six examples sold for a £152,500 total. 
The famous ex-Francis Williams 1930 Cotton Blackburne,also known as 'The Village Fire Engine', sold 
to a buyer in Mumbai,India for £34,500, emphasing the International  scope of the collectors' 
motorcycle market.Many of the machines on offer were bought by high-profile private collectors 
throughout the Eu as well as in Japan, Switzerland,Australia, New Zealand,South Africa and the USA. 
Other top performers included: 1936 and 1952 Norton Internationals,at £23,000 and £22,138 
respectively: and a fully restored 1960-model Triumph Bonneville the relsied £12,650. Representing an 
increasingly important sector of the market, the 1974 Kawasaki Z1a,lovingly restored by editor of the 
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics,the late Rod Gibson,realised £9,430.