Motorcycle inventory for the all no-reserve Kannenberg Collection Auction, presented by Gas Monkey Garage, is now online

August 16, 2021 by Worldwide Auctioneers

Worldwide Auctioneers, responsible for representing some of the world's more exciting classic vehicle collections, is gearing up for the sale of one of the most diverse offerings of largely pristine motorcycles to ever come to market. The Kannenberg Collection Auction is scheduled for September 10th and 11th, 2021 in Auburn, Indiana. Presented by Gas Monkey Garage and Richard Rawlings, who became the custodian of the lifetime collection of flat track racer Denny Kannenberg in 2019, the no-reserve sale will offer 160 mostly original motorcycles including racers, dirt bikes, street bikes and mini motorcycles, as well as an eclectic selection of 30 collector cars and a veritable treasure trove of memorabilia, petroliana and toys.

Denny Kannenberg earned the name the 'Kannonball' during a racing career which ran from 1956 to 1973, when he retired to devote his full-time attention to his Sport Wheels business in Minnesota, building his astonishing, historic collection along the way. Highlights in an offering full of attention-grabbing bikes include one of the rarest of the Indian Fours, a 1942 Indian Four, fitted with an Indian sidecar with Art Deco fenders, one of just 700 approximately made. This example may be one of the very last Indian Fours ever built before the factory ceased civilian production at the outset of WWII. Also included is a true piece of Americana with known history, an as-raced 1953 Harley-Davidson KR that was successfully campaigned by Denny Kannenberg throughout the Midwest, a period example with Bates pillion pad, alloy fender, an alloy oil tank, and the rare Wiseco racing magneto. Another storied bike on offer is a 1982 Honda CX500TC, gifted by Honda to the king of drag racing, 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits in honor of his accomplishments, with the headlight fairing inscribed and autographed by Garlits himself. With 4,500 miles on the odometer, it is obvious that the NHRA champion rode it instead of simply putting the bike on display in his museum.

Among the many untouched and extraordinarily low-mileage Japanese bikes in the collection is an infamous 1969 Kawasaki H-1, the fastest production motorcycle of the year, often nicknamed 'The Widow Maker' because of its blinding acceleration and evil handling. This is an opportunity to own the most original one in the world, with just 1.7 miles on the odometer, the example that all restorations will be judged against. The Kannenberg Collection has something for everyone who ever loved anything on two wheels, with names like Moto Guzzi, Ducati, Metisse, a marque made famous by Steve McQueen, Hodaka, Bultaco, Maico and Ossa also in the mix. The entire motorcycle offering can now be viewed online at worldwideauctioneers.com and you can take a virtual tour with Richard Rawlings himself on Gas Monkey Garage's YouTube channel.

'I'm blessed by the opportunity to bring the, literally, lifetime collection of my friend Denny to the world and honored to be the custodian of this legacy, tasked with finding new owners who will treasure its contents as much as he did,' said Richard Rawlings. 'It's an unbelievable representation of everything that it is bikes and racing and motoring and petroliana and there will not be another opportunity like it.'

The Kannenberg Collection Auction will take place on September 10th and 11th at Worldwide Auctioneers headquarters in Kruse Plaza, Auburn, Indiana, with preview days scheduled from Wednesday, September 8th up to the sale itself. Details on the full schedule and bidder registration are available at worldwideauctioneers.com or by calling 1.260.925.6789, with bidding options available to suit all comfort levels; live in-person, online and absentee by telephone.

About Worldwide Auctioneers. Worldwide Auctioneers is a US-based, boutique catalogue auction company that is unique in having principals who are owner auctioneers, wholly invested in seamlessly delivering the optimal result for every client. In addition to the acquisition and sale of classic automobiles at auction, it offers an extensive range of personalized services to the serious collector, including appraisal, collection direction and consultancy, estate planning and asset management. For those seeking to sell a car or collection privately, the company's private sales division incorporates The Salon, a 200,000-square-foot, climate-controlled and purpose-built showroom housed at its Auburn headquarters, along with a dedicated memorabilia division. Worldwide's normal annual schedule includes The Scottsdale Auction in January, The Pacific Grove Auction on the Monterey Peninsula in August (next scheduled for August 2022), The Auburn Auction, held over Labor Day Weekend in Indiana, and stand-alone auctions of significant private collections.