Raising the (Gold) Bar: The World's Most Expensive Motorcycle
If you’ve had your eye on that coveted, “World’s Most Expensive Motorcycle” honor from the Guinness Book of World Records, the (gold) bar has just been raised. Bike builder Tarhan Telli, of Ankara, Turkey’s TT Custom Choppers, recently applied for the title, following the unveiling of a custom design that gives a whole new meaning to the term “mixed metals”– an unexpected amalgam of precious metal and machine: the gold motorcycle. As Boca Raton gold buyers, we see quite a lot of interesting gold pieces – but this one takes the cake.
Telli spent over a year designing and building the one-of-a-kind ride, which weighs in at a whopping 701 pounds. The blinged out bike offers smooth passage, thanks to a 125 horsepower-producing 1801cc V-Twin engine. If you saw this behemoth on the street, you would likely walk right by it, as the bike’s appearance is downright–dare we say?–ordinary. Telli has masked the estimated $1.1 million worth of metal inside a rugged exterior that belies the ride’s golden core. Look closer, and you might glimpse some glimmering giveaways: the chassis and body shell are artfully made of white and yellow gold leaf, while Telli has given a playful nod to Greek mythology by incorporating hints of extravagant design, such as serpentine-detailing on the rear fender, and a sculpted head of Medusa on the gas tank.
While Telli is still waiting for the final word from Guinness regarding whether “Medusa” officially made the cut, we think it’s a lock, as our research turned up no evidence of a current titleholder, if there even is such a thing. (The closest we could find was the Dodge Tomahawk V10 Superbike, ten of which retailed for $555,000 in Neiman Marcus’s 2003 Christmas Book.) But don’t despair, fellow would-be record holders: we have it on good authority that the title of “World’s Most Expensive Pogo Stick,” remains up for grabs. We’re thinking titanium.
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