Isle of Man TT legend Joey Dunlop's iconic Honda RC30 and RC45 machines go under hammer at Bonhams - this is what they sold for
Two iconic racing motorcycles previously ridden by Northern Ireland sporting legend Joey Dunlop have gone under the hammer at Bonhams.
The bikes were presented with an estimate of £80,000-£100,000 each and Joey’s legendary machines were auctioned at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show on Sunday.
Revered 26-time Isle of Man TT winner Dunlop’s 1999 Honda RVF750 RC45 – on which he claimed one of his most famous victories at the Ulster Grand Prix in 1999, when he beat hot prospect and young rival David Jefferies – was provided directly by the Dunlop family along with a 1998 TT-winning Honda RC30.
The RC45 was sold for £80,000 (£92,000 including premium), while his Formula One and Senior TT-winning RC30 from 1988 fetched £115,000 (£132,250 including premium).
Joey clinched his 24th and final UGP success at Dundrod on the RC45 in 1999 after beating Jefferies and team-mate Iain Duffus, who were riding factory-backed V&M Yamaha R1s.
The RC45 took pride of place in Joey’s Bar in Ballymoney for many years, where it was suspended from the ceiling, becoming a showpiece of the renowned establishment for thousands of fans who travelled from far and wide to visit the five-time Formula One World Champion’s bar.
Joey continued to race the RC45 up until 2000 and rode the machine at an obscure race meeting in Tallinn in Estonia in July 2000, when he tragically lost his life aged only 48 in a racing accident during the 125cc race.
Joey won the 600cc race in Estonia and triumphed in the 750cc race on the RC45, which is one of the last big bikes he ever raced and won on.
Joey’s 1998 Formula One and Senior TT-winning Honda VFR750R RC30, which was also displayed in Joey’s Bar, was the machine which Joey said “changed everything” for him on the Mountain Course at the TT.
His victory in the Formula One race in 1998 was the first for Honda’s RC30.
Joey also won the 250cc race that year on a Honda and completed his second TT hat-trick with a win in the Senior.
He also rode the Honda in several World Superbike Championship rounds in 1998, including at Donington Park in April 1988 - the very first round in the Championship's history - where he finished on the podium in the opening race and claimed third overall on combined results.
The bikes were paraded through Ballymoney town centre in May to mark 25 years since Joey’s passing.
An exclusive collection of 25 machines previously raced by Joey were ridden by his former rivals, team-mates and friends, including World Superbike champions Jonathan Rea and Carl Fogarty in the special ‘Joey 25’ event, which was organised by Causeway Coast and Borough Council in conjunction with the Dunlop family.