Kent Riches electric motorcycle at Mecum Auctions next week

[metermatch]

I was looking through the Mecum Las Vegas auction lots and came across the auction for Kent Riches electric LSR bike from about 10 years ago:

https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0120-392129/2009-riches-e-lsr/

I was interested if anyone knew more about the bike, and why he stopped running it? Obviously the batteries are toast and it had it's share of Bonneville character (corrosion).

What I was really curious about was what is the bike worth? (or about what Kent wants for it?)  Is it a $4000 bike or a $40,000 bike?

My interest is not so much to run an electric bike, as it is to use the chassis and install some small vintage pushrod engines  to run other APS classes.

I have never been to an auction like this, and was rather surprised that it costs a minimum of $150 (pre auction) or $200 at the door just for the privilege of bidding on a bike.  I would assume this turns off a lot of other people just like me.

Jeff

[4-barrel Mike]

"First electric motorcycle to set certified wind speed record"    Must have been transcribed with a dull #2 pencil 

Mike

[metermatch]

I caught that too.  It is probably why I looked at the bike closer to figure it out, and then started wondering how I could use the bike.

Jeff

[metermatch]

I think I answered most of my own questions by searching on this site and the internet.  I found a build thread on the bike from 2009.  It looks like an exceptionally well built bike, in a very short period of time.  It would have taken me years to build bike (I'm slow).  I found pictures of the build online, and it is somewhat similar to my idea from a few years ago, but using a warp 9 motor as commonly used in drag racing.  The limiting feature has always been getting large enough amounts of battery power to the motor in a small bike frame. 

The Mecum auction site updated the description of the bike today, and I was unaware of how much money Kent invested in the bike, nearly a quarter of a million dollars.  So I'm guessing Kent is looking upwards of $50,000 for the bike.  It's probably going to spend the rest of it's life on display somewhere.

Lots of potential for the bike, but it seems there is only one class the bike can run in.  Bummer.

Jeff

[Stainless1]

Well when it goes for $2000 remember the fairings cost more than that. 
 I guess we will see what happens.... 

[salt27]

Speaking of fairings, I noticed that in the photos of it on the salt it is missing the front fender.

Does anyone know why?

[edinlr]

$32,000 sales price.  I hope the new owner will race it, what an incredible bike!

[metermatch]

That wasn't the sales price.  That is what the bidding went up to.  It appears from the website that it did not sell.

I would also swear that I saw the bidding ending price on the website at $38,000 an hour after the bidding ended,  also not selling.

It is still a very nice looking bike.

Jeff