Mecum Las Vegas 2026
Up, down, ’round and ’round
Ask nearly anyone following Mecum’s 2026 motorcycle auction and you’ll likely hear a similar story. Prices, or the crashing thereof will no doubt dominate the conversation and it’s valid, if not easily explained. Working against the widespread dour and endless pessimism, a quick scan of 2026’s top sellers in Las Vegas shows a full and familiar cast of characters clearing the $100K hurdle – sandcast Hondas, Brough Superior, pre-war American and German twins, Vincents and green frame 750 Super Sports in all their roundcase glory. For collectors this is familiar territory, but many former Mecum luminaries suffered a palatable lack of enthusiasm on the bidding floor. Expanded to five full days (January 27-31) I assume to better manage the sale of 2000-plus lots, Mecum Las Vegas has evolved into the USA’s premier vintage motorcycling event, but complaints ranging from surprise billing to spotty descriptions were again noted. Working through the crowd to focus on material for this report, my interviews produced some profound quotes, each addressing the dropping values of exotics from England, Europe and Japan. “What happened to Ducati?” asked one buyer while loading his $3500 860GT into the trailer, or the young CB750 enthusiast who claimed “nobody” his age even knows what a 750 Honda is. “The sky is not falling,” said one established collector when I asked for his take. “Several ‘rising star’ collectible models like first year Z1’s, some polished up with repop parts flooded the auction this year. The market isn’t failing, it’s correcting.”
Personal interests and passion working in unison, I set out across the auction floor looking for real or imagined vintage riders. This, I have long expressed, is the true magic that happens in Las Vegas, where every year a handful of bona fide, badass motorbikes slip through the cracks of Mecum’s big top extravaganza. This website existing to document just such machines, the three feature bikes I’ve assembled are either valuable, historic, or both, but not everyone drinks the same wine. Here’s believing fully that most would find something special along the rows and displays (this photo showing only a portion of what was there) in stock, period mod or fully restored form – for sure. Have I mentioned the lovely beds, food and friendly staff at the South Point, or the generous discount offered for auction attendees? Here’s to not wasting your time bloviating about prices or trends, find out for yourself by surfing to Mecum’s expansive database and log in to view this year’s top sellers.
Braniff Blaster: BMW R69S
(Lot F282 – Sold $13.200 w/fees)
Hours pass studying rows, with son Alex asking more than once if I’d found a favorite. That answer couldn’t be given until this 1965 R69S cast its considerable spell and it happens to me nearly every year – that one bike that grabs and won’t let go. Repeatedly walking past it without notice (just like the Labitzke R75/5-S I fell hard for in 2024) a quick glance of the ‘Braniff Boys’ work on the BM’s front stopper made me stop. Shaped at an early age by a circle of Euro-machinists, my Harley-riding father told me in 1968 that BMW’s /2 was the cheapest motorcycle one could own; even at double the price. That assessment proved to be spot on, for even with cut-up fenders this vintage flyer pulled in $13K…as did the previously mentioned Labitzke slash-five. No doubt helped by the August, 1968 Cycle World feature article displayed with it, the Earles-equipped twin was rebuilt by Walter Gruenberg and his mates at Braniff International Airways in Texas. Engineered for “fast, reliable high speed touring” larger, custom offset pistons increased compression, bore and stroke, taking displacement to just over 700cc. Further mods include larger valves, porting, 30mm Dell’orto PHFs, custom exhausts and cylinder base plates to make room for the piston’s increased travel. Stronger crankcase/cylinder mounting too. Bordering on specs overload, I can’t finish without mentioning the shapely Hoske tank, Bowman alloy flywheel plus the machined sump and rocker boxes. Since seeing this one in Las Vegas, I’ve discovered the Braniff Boys made others…
Being honest, if I were in the market for a classic Brit parallel twin it probably wouldn’t be this tidy 1971 Beezer, but the ten-years newer T140 Royal parked elsewhere. Generally preferring the BSA on average, it’s the Bonnie’s more-modern chassis and stonking triple Lockheed that really make the difference in real world situations, a certain level of modernization that allows those of us not basking in the hills to take our dirty, mostly rude expressways out of town towards the nice scenery. Admiring the linage through A10 and A65 units, 1971’s mechanical and styling makeover produced the best BSA ever in my opinion, the ‘Lightning 75’ sharing its chassis with the still available 650cc version but receiving major, performance enhancing engine revisions. An under-square stroker measuring 75 x 85mm (11mm more throw than the A65L) much was changed internally for what was mainly intended as a homologation (200 built) racing special for the USA, allowing Dick Mann more glory…even after winning Daytona on a Honda. Purely on the restoration scale this example was dreamy, with 751cc’s of thrust and highly distinctive with angular lines that still look fresh and clean. Had BSA’s A70L Lightning made it to 1982 like the T140, I envision it looking much like this but with modern crankcases able to take displacement out to 850cc or bigger, uprated suspensions and twin 300mm Brembo’s on 18″ cast wheels. Sigh.
It’s hard to believe nearly 30-years have passed since my first Las Vegas motorcycle auction. Way back in the Mid-America days at the old (now razzed) Tropicana where every room had shag carpet and a free pack of Marlboros in the nightstand. Price wise, those events were dominated by pre-and-post war US and English classics, with the occasional Italian sports bike tossed in to keep everyone happy. Watching it change before my eyes and even before moving to the South Point, more than one auction goer noticed the steady rise of Japanese classics, and that tide rolled higher year by year. Being a young biker in the 1970s Honda 750’s were seemingly everywhere, inspiring the ‘UJM’ moniker as endless versions in all sizes and shapes eventually flowed from each of Japan’s big four. That dip in popularity was short lived, and by the early 2000’s Honda’s 750 was recognized for what it truly was – the most important, pivotal model in motorcycle history. As I write this auction report in February of 2026, I can’t say if prices for classic Japanese superbikes have peaked or not, but considering this 1968 prototype, sent to America Honda’s Bob Hansen was the first one here (even pre-dating the ‘famous four’ pre-production models) and among the first ones bolted up, one might think the sky’s the limit. So, while this beautifully detailed, one of a kind and highly authentic Vic World restoration didn’t come close to the rumored million dollar mark, it sold for more than any Honda 750 in history. Click on the Lot# for full details and Cycle Guide’s 1968 test. Nolan Woodbury
Photography: Alexander Woodbury and Nolan Woodbury – WMM