This Cyclone Board Track Racer Was Once Dubbed The World's Most Expensive Motorcycle

Throughout the years, bike enthusiasts have seen fads come and go, and many of the classic motorcycle brands they once followed aren't around anymore. Records are broken year after year, and it's hard to keep track of which bikes are ranked what. For example, once upon a time, a Cyclone board track racer earned its place as the world's most expensive motorcycle, only for it to be dethroned years later.

Created by the Joerns Motor Manufacturing Company throughout the 1910s, the Cyclone impressed on the dirt track racing scene for a few years. Unfortunately, production costs and increased competition pushed the bike out of the market, resulting in the Andrew Strand-designed Cyclone being discontinued in 1917. Fast forward almost a full century to 2015, and one of these rare and desirable bikes went to auction, fetching a remarkably high sum in the end. The 1915 Cyclone board track racer, formerly belonging to Hollywood icon and multiple expensive car owner Steve McQueen, went for a whopping $852,000 making it the most expensive motorcycle ever sold at auction.

So, with the celebrity name value and remarkable rarity behind it, what could've possibly gone for more money than McQueen's 1915 Cyclone?

[Featured image by txinkman via Flickr | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-NC 2.0]

Estimates place the number of Cyclones manufactured and released at around 300, with only a small handful still in existence well over a century later. With this in mind, as well as the fact that Steve McQueen once called the Cyclone his own, the staggering $800,000-plus auction sale price isn't too surprising. What is surprising is that all of these factors couldn't prevent it from being unseated as the priciest auction bike of all time.

The Cyclone was first overtaken by a 1951 Vincent Black Lightning in 2018. The motorcycle sold at auction for a remarkable $929,000, setting a new sale record by quite a wide margin. Much like the Cyclone, the Black Lightning was eventually dethroned by a truly historic piece. A largely original 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank nearly set a million dollar record at auction. As one of the rarest bikes out there, it sold for an astounding $935,000 in 2023. Its pricetag remains unopposed as of publication.

The 1915 Joerns Motor Manufacturing Company Cyclone board track racer is no longer the most expensive motorcycle sold at auction in history, and many wouldn't put it among the most iconic motorcycles of all time. However, it's still a cherished gem. Cyclones are iconic throwbacks to the early experimental days of motorcycle construction and racing. Sure, they didn't stick around on the market for long, but at least they have an enduring spot in the history books all the same.