Legendary bespoke bike builder Allen Millyard decided to sell his Dodge Viper-engined special earlier this year to concentrate on something new. In an H&H Classics auction at the National Motorcycle Museum, the one-off hand-engineered bike, arguably the most outlandish custom ever, sold for a stunning £130,000.
The V10 Viper was the headline attraction at the sale: it’s been a part of the British bike scene for much of the past two decades, and is a regular star of bike shows, magazine features and online videos. Millyard built the bike around the eight-litre V10 engine from a Dodge Viper muscle car, and has ridden it for almost 10,000 miles over the years. “I can still ride it, but I think my muscle strength is less than it was years ago,” said Millyard. “I’ve done everything with it. I’ve been to Germany on it, the Isle of Wight, and ridden it at shows all over the country. I feel like I’ve done everything I wanted to do with it, and now it’s time for something new.”
The new owner is Tim Whittaker, who’s agreed to loan the Viper to the National Motorcycle Museum over winter, so the bike will stay in the UK, and British fans can continue to marvel at the creation. “When I first saw the V10 Viper a few years ago, I immediately recognised I was looking at an incredible feat of engineering,” said Whittaker. “With my background in automotive engineering, I couldn’t quite believe that one person had designed and built something so extraordinary. When I heard it was coming up for auction, I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“I didn’t want to see such an iconic motorcycle disappear into a private collection. It deserves to be ridden and enjoyed, and I’m looking forward to learning from Allen how to ride it properly. I’m incredibly proud to become its next custodian.”