How Much Did 'American Pickers' Sell A Royal Pioneer Motorcycle For?

While "American Pickers" mastermind Mike Wolfe has proven himself vastly knowledgeable in virtually every corner of the antiquing arena, the master picker has long displayed a particular affinity for vintage motorcycles in the vein of pricey Harley-Davidson EL Knucklehead builds. In fact, Wolfe's desire to buy, restore, and eventually resell antique builds of all makes and models has led to some of the pricier picks seen on the long-running reality series.

During one Season 9 episode of "American Pickers," Wolfe dropped what was then the biggest stack of Benjamin's the team had ever seen to acquire a rare antique motorcycle bearing the name of Royal Pioneer. Wolfe and his former co-star Frank Fritz track the bike down at a South Florida home that is closer to the proverbial beaten path than they typically traverse on a pick. But once Wolfe lays eyes on the homeowner's prized possession — a 1910 Royal Pioneer motorcycle that looks to be little more than frame and engine — Mike can hardly contain his eagerness to pack it into the van, and promptly offers $35,000 for that chance.

That lofty sum isn't enough to close a deal, with the owner countering at $60,000 and the pair eventually striking a deal at $55,000. Wolfe's instinct more than paid off, as it was reported he eventually flipped the bike for a whopping $100,000. In turn, the Royal Pioneer instantly ranked among not just the priciest, but the coolest vehicles the "American Pickers" team have ever found.

It is unclear how much money Mike Wolfe sunk into restoring the Royal Pioneer from rusted frame to re-sell ready condition, so we'll likely never know how much money he actually made in the deal. But with an upfront investment of $55,000, it's likely that the profit margin was pretty slim even with a $100,000 payday. Whatever the case, Wolfe's persistence in picking the bike paid off, because it offered the vintage motorcycle enthusiast the chance to work on what may be one of the rarest motorcycles he'll ever see.

While Wolfe is bent on picking the bike when he hears the name Royal Pioneer, he's subsequently pushed to purchase it by his go-to antique bike guy, "Jersey" Jon. He states in no uncertain terms that Royal Pioneers are Holy Grails on the vintage motorcycle market. It helps that Jon notes a Royal Pioneer had sold recently for more than $90,000, with that number finally convincing business partner Frank Fritz the bike might be worth the bucks.

Turns out that "Jersey" Jon's estimation of the Royal Pioneer's rarity was hardly an overstatement. 1910 was the only year the motorcycles were manufactured by Worcester, Massachusetts based Royal Motor Works, as a massive factory fire bankrupted the company that same year. It's estimated that fewer than 500 Royal Pioneer motorcycles were ever built, with only four known to still exist today. While there are rarer motorcycle builds out there, given the scarcity of Royal Pioneer bikes today, the $55,000 paid out by the "American Pickers" team sort of feels like a steal.