Joey Dunlop’s RC30 Leads 122 Bikes Across the Block at Kempton This Saturday

Iconic Auctioneers rolls 122 motorcycles across the block at Kempton Park this Saturday, and there is proper metal in the room. A Joey Dunlop race RC30, a Carl Fogarty 916 replica with the T-shirt still in the box, and a 70-year-old Italian shark are three of the names worth blocking your diary for.

If you have a spare Saturday and a wallet that is feeling brave, Kempton Park Racecourse is the place to be on 18 July. The Iconic Motorcycle Sale runs from 11am alongside the Kempton Autojumble, so even if you are not there to spend, there is a full day’s worth of bikes, bits and browsing to be had. Here is what caught our eye.

Lot 352: Joey Dunlop’s RC30 – £60,000 to £80,000

The Honda VFR750R RC30 was built with one job in mind: winning the World Superbike Championship. Gear-driven cams, a 16-valve V4, a single-sided swingarm and a price tag twice that of its rivals when new. Riders have lusted after them for thirty-odd years, and this one has the provenance to match the reputation.

This is an ex-works NLOB machine built in Louth to Formula 1 spec, with a Tony Scott tuned engine and a frame stamped “Hislop 90”. Steve Hislop raced it, finishing second behind Carl Fogarty at Oulton Park. Nick Jeffries took it road racing in 1992, banking a fourth in the Formula 1 TT and a fourth in the Senior. Then in 1993 Joey Dunlop took ownership and rode it to second at the Ulster Grand Prix. The history file includes a signed letter from Neil Tuxworth and a copy invoice from Honda UK.

Straight talking bit: the sale room notice confirms the engine has been recommissioned and is now running, but it will need the brakes sorting and safety checks doing before it turns a wheel on track. At sixty grand-plus, that is a detail worth factoring in.

Lot 357: The Foggy Replica, Down to the T-Shirt

Launched in 1998 to celebrate Carl Fogarty’s World Superbike titles, the 916 Fogarty Replica was based on the 916 SPS running the 996cc engine, and only 202 were ever made. This is number 174, showing just 2,559 miles from new, with one owner since 2002 and fifteen years tucked up indoors.

The good news for collectors is that it is all there. The owner’s plaque, the keyring, the stand, the cover, the tool kit, both keys, a new spare seat, all the books, and yes, the “Foggy” T-shirt. Estimate is £20,000 to £30,000. It was last serviced by Baines Racing back in 2003, so budget for a proper recommission or major service before you think about riding it on the road.

Lot 346: A 70-Year-Old Shark From the Robert White Collection

Squalo means shark, and this 1955 MV Agusta 175 CSS is the sort of thing that turns heads in a paddock full of Italian exotica. After Cecil Sandford won the 1952 125cc World Championship on a MV, the factory started building over-the-counter customer machines. Single overhead cam, 175cc, twin duplex frame and Earles-type forks, aimed at the Italian home market but a winner in the 200cc class over here too.

Formerly part of the respected Robert White Collection, it is estimated at £10,000 to £15,000 and comes with some MV Agusta club magazines and a previous auction listing. It is not road registered and will need recommissioning after years indoors. Do your homework first, though: the sale room notice states the engine appears to be a modified 175 Sport unit fitted with some genuine Squalo parts, so it is not a matching-numbers factory racer. Buy it with your eyes open.

And the Rest of the Room

Those three are far from the whole story. There is another ex-Joey Dunlop and Steve Hislop RC30 in the sale, a superbly original one-owner RC30 showing 1,144 miles, and Michael Dunlop’s 2010 Hunts Racing Fireblade that lapped the TT course at over 128mph. Add a Ducati Desmosedici RR with seven recorded miles, three Vincent Black Shadows from the late Alan McCoy Collection, a Suzuki RG500 in HB colours and a barn-find WW2 BMW R35, and you have a catalogue that runs from Edwardian to modern.

How to Get Involved

The hammer drops from 11am on Saturday 18 July at Kempton Park Racecourse, Sunbury-on-Thames. You can bid in the room, by phone, online or by commission. Remember the buyer’s premium on top of the hammer price, which is 15% plus VAT (18% including VAT) on the motorcycles. Even if bidding is not on the cards, the Autojumble alongside makes it a solid day out.

Want to know what else is on across the UK this weekend and beyond? The Lid Life Events Finder has track days, race meets, bike nights and rallies all in one place. Find Your Next Ride →