John Lennon’s Monkey Bike sells for £30,000

The auction of a monkey bike once owned by John Lennon (MCN, April 23, 2008) has surpassed the reserve price set out by auction house Bonhams by a massive £22,000.

Bonhams had set the reserve price for the 1970s Honda 160Z at £6,000-8000, but the bike eventually fetched £30,000 at the auction held yesterday, after fierce bidding by a pair of phone buyers saw the price rocket.

The previous owner of the motorbike, Richard Anderson, told MCN he was delighted with the price achieved. “Bidding started at £4,000, and then went up in £250 increments. The auctioneer changed the increments to £1,000 once we’d passed the £8,000 mark.”

Anderson inherited the bike from Lennon’s band-mate Ringo Starr, who took over Lennon’s country estate in Berkshire when the musician moved to the US. Starr gifted the motorcycle to Anderson as a thank you for helping him to move house.

“It was something that was leftover. I let my son’s ride it,” Anderson told MCN.

The lucky former owner was in Harrods when MCN caught up with him. “My wife’s currently looking at Cartier,” he said, weeping gently.