Vintage Vincent costs more than a Desmosedici

How much would you pay for a 50-year-old bike?  More than the £40,000 you would have to shell out for a brand new Ducati Desmosedici?

One buyer did just that when he snapped up a 1951 Vincent Black Shadow for £47,700 at auction in Harrogate, Yorkshire.    

The concours standard 998cc V-4 Black Shadow was the most expensive bike sold at the Bonhams auction, but this is little surprise.

Anything with a Vincent badge on it is guaranteed to raise good money at auction. Last year a Vincent-HRD Series-A Rapide became the most expensive bike ever sold at auction in the UK. It raised a staggering £201,000 – smashing the British record and its estimate by around £50,000

But it is not the only marque to demand top dollar. Indian is always popular too, and this week a 1930 Indian Model 402 Four sold for £33,350, while a rare pre-war Matchless Silver Hawk in need of restoration raised £28,175.