1989 ex-Merkel Honda RC30

This ex-Fred Markel RC30 is coming up for auction with Bonhams in Feb 2013. It's a special bike.

Merkel won the American championship three years in a row for Honda but was let go after controverial allegations were rumoured. He quit the US and went to join Oscar Rumi's Italian squad to compete in the European Superbike Championship. The following year, with the same squad, he  won the inaugural World Superbike series and then repeated that in 1989. This RC30 is one of the bikes he rode during his two-year dominance before Raymond Roche (Ducati) took the title off him in 1990. That was to be the start of Ducati's show of strength in WSB.

The estimate on this bike is £16,000 - £24,000. I'd be surprised if it didn't go for at least double.

By Ben Cope