A historic 1894 Roper Steam Motorcycle is expected to establish a new world record for a motorcycle sold at auction when more than 400 motorcycles are offered Jan. 12-14 at Auctions America in RM’s debut at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
The second of only two steam-powered motorcycles built by Sylvester Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts, arguably one of America’s first auto manufacturers, the 117-year-old motorcycle is regarded as one of the world’s oldest, predating early examples produced by Orient, Indian and Harley-Davidson.
The current world record for a motorcycle sold at auction is held by a 1915 Cyclone Board Track Racer OHC, which sold for $520,000 USD in 2008.
Based on the frame of a Columbia bicycle, its revolutionary design features a compact rectangular boiler, burner and grate, and a small steam engine on the right side. A water tank was located directly over the boiler, from which a smoke vent exited at a rakish angle. All controls were located on the handlebars. In keeping with the true definition of a motorcycle, the Roper was completed without pedals.
In addition to its pioneering design, the Roper Steam Motorcycle boasts a remarkable provenance from 1894, including a known, unbroken history from new. Regularly used by Roper, it averaged a record speed of 40 miles per hour on the Dorchester Road in Boston for a measured mile in May 1896.
For full event details on Auctions America by RM’s Las Vegas Premier Motorcycle Auction, or to view a frequently updated list of entries, please visit: www.auctionsamerica.com
Photo by Paul Eddy/courtesy Auctions America by RM.
Article Last Updated: October 28, 2011.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.