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The Leo Lives! Bonhams Offers One-of-a-Kind at Auction.

A two-stroke motorcycle manufactured in California 107 years ago.  No big deal, right?  In fact, according to auctioneer Bonhams, the 1905 Leo Motorcycle pictured may be the only one of its kind.  If you are interested, Bonhams assures that “the 107 year-old Leo is in extraordinary condition, offering a freely-turning motor, strong compression, and original components, such as spokes and rims, Thor pedals and Troxel leather saddle.”  If you lose the auction, you can always have fun at the casinos.  Along with a Steve McQueen Husky, and several other notable bikes, the 1905 Leo will be put up for bid on January 10 at Bally’s Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.  Here is the press release from Bonhams (Strangely, dated tomorrow):

San Francisco – 6 December 2012 – Following the recent news of Bonhams’ consignment of the remarkably original 1902 Rambler Model B from the Indian Motorcycle Museum, Bonhams is pleased to once again announce another headlining addition to their third annual Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction.

Thought to be the sole surviving example of a marque lost to time is a recently discovered, complete and original, 1905 Leo Two-Cycle made by the L.A. Mitchell Manufacturing Company of Oakland, California.

This machine is historically significant for several reasons beyond its extreme rarity. Vehicles of California manufacture are exceedingly uncommon, Leo is thought to have been produced for just one year, 1905, and this now represents perhaps the earliest surviving example of an American two-stroke motorcycle.

Unlike many manufacturers of the day, the Leo was a purpose-built motorcycle utilizing a motorcycle – not bicycle – frame. It’s lightweight, compact motor demonstrates the brand’s progressive vision as two-cycle engines weren’t commonly used in American motorcycles until after World War I. Nor was this machine simply a prototype as close examination shows evidence of many miles of use, suggesting an explicit, well-sorted product.

Discovered in the warehouse of a New England museum where it sat hidden and forgotten for decades, the 107 year-old Leo is in extraordinary condition, offering a freely-turning motor, strong compression, and original components, such as spokes and rims, Thor pedals and Troxel leather saddle.

On Thursday, January 10th at Bally’s Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, this singular Leo will join other highly newsworthy motorcycles – such as the rare 1939 BMW Rennsport Kompressor and Steve McQueen’s 1970 Husqvarna 400 – at Bonhams’ third annual Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction. With its strong history of finding rare machines and achieving excellent results for pioneer and California-made motorcycles, Bonhams’ event is not to be missed.

For more information on this internationally attended auction, including how to purchase a catalog and register to bid, please visit: Bonhams.com/Vegas.

4 Comments

  1. Tom says:

    Sorry, still looks looks a bicycle frame to me! I wonder has it come straight from the New England warehouse or did someone ‘take it off their hands’

  2. Z1 says:

    Looks like the next model of the Janus Halcyon 50.

  3. MotoChris says:

    Hopefully before it’s salted away someone will video it being started and ridden, and post it to youtube.

  4. Ricardo says:

    Another one for Jay Leno’s collection or someone else that is rich enough to afford it, it will probably get lost in a private collection, these should be put in museums so us mortals and average people can see and admire at least from a distance. Money is beautiful in the right hands…

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