What Happened To The Von Dutch Motorcycle From 'American Pickers'?

When it comes to the more unique picks made on "American Pickers," the true one-of-one Von Dutch motorcycle Mike Wolfe shelled out $21,000 for in a Season 6 episode titled "Mike's Holy Grail" no doubt ranks high on the list. That episode title stems from the fact that Wolfe openly admits that the bike in question — dubbed the XAVW — is a legitimate Holy Grail piece for him, as such unique builds from the legendary customizer are rarely seen on the market.

As it was, the XAVW wasn't exactly on the market when Wolfe tracked it down in North Carolina, with the owner initially wary of parting ways with the bike, professing she'd always envisioned passing it down to her kids. But Wolfe — who gets noticeably weak in the knees when he first sees the bike — clearly has no plans of letting the "Holy Grail" escape his grasp, and is eventually able to pry the bike away at $21,000. That was partly due to his insistence that he would not restore the one-of-a-kind Von Dutch, which the builder Frankensteined together using parts from Harley-Davidson and Volkswagen bikes, and further customized with his own artistic flourishes. 

Along with that promise, Wolfe also noted he'd ensure that the bike was seen by the public as often as possible. Thankfully, Wolfe has delivered on both pledges, with the unrestored Von Dutch XAVW splitting time between the museum circuit and his own Antique Archaeology store since he bought it in 2012. 

Though Mike Wolfe offered a brief history of Von Dutch on "American Pickers," if you haven't seen the episode, it's safe to assume you don't have much context for the artist's legacy. It's even possible your only affiliation with Von Dutch is the line of hats and clothing that sprung up bearing his name circa the early 2000s. The artist — whose real name was Kenneth Howard — had virtually nothing to do with the clothing line, having passed away in 1992. Rather, Howard rose to prominence in the 1950s as one of the originators of the modern style of "pin striping," a method of decorating cars and motorcycles with distinctive designs that became all the rage in hot rod and customization circles of the '50s and 1960s. 

As Wolfe points out during the "American Pickers" episode, the XAVW indeed boasts some well-preserved pin striping from the master himself, as well as his name and logo forged into some of the bike's steel elements. Making this particular bike more covetable than perhaps even the Triumph Bonneville Von Dutch customized for Steve McQueen is that the 1966 special was initially owned by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, the legendary customizer behind Southern California's Kustom Kulture scene and the beloved "Rat Fink" hot rod character design.

As for Von Dutch, the legacy of the artist and customizer has been tarnished a bit of late, as some resurfaced personal letters allegedly penned by Howard alluded to racist and anti-semitic beliefs. While those alleged beliefs may have tarnished the clothing brand bearing his name, Von Dutch's bikes are still highly sought after by bike lovers and proudly displayed in collections the world over.    

At $21,000, the Von Dutch XAVW is hardly the most expensive, or financially lucrative motorcycle Mike Wolfe has scored on "American Pickers." He did, after all, flip a $55,000 Royal Pioneer for $100,000, and the uber rare Ace he picked for $45,000 in Season 17 recently sold for almost $200,000 at auction. Still, given his reverie for the Von Dutch XAVW, and desire not to sell it, adding the bike to his personal collection for just $21,000 likely feels like the deal of the century.

The Von Dutch is apparently still part of Wolfe's personal stable of vintage bikes, and has been prominently displayed in his Antique Archeology shop in Nashville, Tennessee. That facility is not the only place Wolfe's Von Dutch has been featured over the years, as just a few months after the "Mike's Holy Grail" episode of "American Pickers" aired in 2012, Wolfe agreed to lend the bike out to the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa — a facility owned and operated by his longtime friend, John Parham.

Unfortunately, it's not entirely clear where the Von Dutch XAVW can be seen these days. That's in part because the National Motorcycle Museum closed its doors in 2023. There have been unconfirmed reports that Wolfe has lent the bike out to other museums in the U.S. over the years. However, SlashGear has recently confirmed through Antique Archeology that Wolfe parted ways with his "Holy Grail" bike via a private sale several years ago, but as of now, neither its owner nor location can be confirmed.