Having a motorcycle that has won races on the Isle of Man in your garage has never been so close, as long as your savings are abundant. The prestigious auction house Bonhams has just announced the future sale of the BMW M 1000 RR with which Peter Hickman took two of the four victories that signed up for the last edition of the Isle of Man TT, a superbike that is delivered just as it crossed the finish line last June, including the thousands of mosquitoes that are still embedded in its enormous dome to this day .
Hickman is considered the best road racer of the moment; He debuted in the TT in 2014, and only nine years later, and after the 2020 and 2021 editions were canceled due to the pandemic, the 35-year-old racks up a whopping nine victories at the Isle of Man Mountain Courseas well as holding the absolute fastest lap record thanks to the 135.452 mph (217.989 km/h) he achieved on the last lap of the 2018 Senior TT.
The M 1000 RR up for auction is a 2022 version of the popular German superbike, a motorcycle that belongs to the Gas Monkey BMW by FHO Racing team and with which Hickman scored two victories last year, also being the fastest driver of that edition with a personal best lap of 133.461 mph.
Its level of preparation is of a high level, starting with its engine, a propeller tuned by the BMW specialist, Alpha Racingspecifically a 7.1 version developed for teams that want to compete in the British Superbike or the FIM Superbike and whose price is around 20,000 euros on the market.
The engine is assembled by hand from scratch using original BMW material (connecting rods, pistons, crankshaft…), and mounts a modified airbox, high performance intake and exhaust camshafts, the original BMW Motorrad -M Race electronic kit Calibration Kit- and MoTeC hardware for data logging. Alpha Racing recommends an engine rebuild every 2,500 kilometers, beyond that useful life it does not guarantee its reliability. Total, The bike delivers 229.7 horsepower at 14,500 rpm. and is capable of generating 123 Nm of torque at 11,250 rpm.
The level of preparation of Peter Hickman’s M 1000 RR is first class, something logical for a rider who is capable of covering a country road like the Mountain Course (60.7 kilometres) in just over 16 minutes. The FHO Racing Team uses the best of Brembo and Öhlins to ensure Hickman’s stability and guarantee him a heart-stopping braking, while Akrapovic is in charge of releasing the gases from his powerful 230 hp engine through a titanium exhaust outlet, from the tail to the manifolds. Even the tires are the same Dunlop D212 that Hickman finished the last Senior TT on, totally shredded.
“It is a very special motorcycle”says Dave Hancock, one of Bohams’ consultants. “You have survived 12 laps in two races on one of the most challenging and infamous road courses in the world: 450+ miles at an average speed of 130+ mph. It’s as close to a working race bike as you can buy, an absolute rarity.”
James Stensel, director of the auction house, assures that “Never before has a modern TT-winning motorcycle been offered for sale at public auction and Bonhams is particularly proud to have been commissioned to find a new owner for Peter Hickman’s 2022 bike. It is a truly rare opportunity to acquire an important part of motorcycling history.”
Read also: Kawasaki ER6 Superveloce, a colorful and low-cost retro sports car
This imposing machine will be auctioned next April, the weekend of 22 and 23, for a price that will move between 90,000 and 113,000 euros calculated from Bonhams; In addition to this M 1000 RR, the auction participants will also be able to bid on an impeccable 250 cc Honda CR72 from 1963, a motorcycle that belonged to Jim Redman and whose starting price at auction will be set at 136,000 euros.