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A motorcycle belonging to late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell is going under the hammer
The 2004 Voxan 996cc Black Magic has only 3,726 kilometres on its odometer.
Credit: Bonhams
A motorcycle belonging to late Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell is going up for auction via Bonhams, with an expected sell price of £7,000 – £10,000.
The bike – a 2004 Voxan 996cc Black Magic – was gifted by Cornell to the current owner, who Bonhams says has since “cherished it as part of his collection”. The 14th Black Magic produced by Voxan, at the time of sale it has only 3,726 kilometres on the odometer.
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The bike is also offered with a copy of the French attestation bequeathing the motorcycle to the current vendor, current MoT, Voxan dating certificate and a V5C.
“Vincent, Hesketh, Buell and Voxan have one thing in common: all built highly desirable, limited edition, v-twin sports motorcycles and all ended up out of business. Voxan was founded in Issoire, France in 1995 by Jacques Gardette, whose ambition was to create a high-profile French motorcycle company, perhaps inspired by what John Bloor had achieved with the revitalised Triumph in the UK,” says Bonhams.
“The Voxan’s unique, 72-degree, 8-valve, water-cooled, 996cc v-twin engine was built by Sodemo Moteurs, one of French motorsport’s most prominent tuning companies. Its chassis was the work of well known designer Alain Chevallier whose Yamaha-engined machines had won several Grands Prix during the 1970s and 1980s, so all the right ingredients were in the mix. Sadly, the Voxan’s magnificent engine was hamstrung by France’s absurd 100 bhp limit for motorcycles, but it certainly looked the part.
The sale of Chris Cornell’s old Voxan motorcycle is the latest in a string of auctions hosting gear and memorabilia of famous music artists. Earlier this month, Prince’s Cloud 3 guitar fetched over $900,000, after selling for just $8,000 in 2005. It came after John Lennon’s famous Framus Hootenanny sold for nearly $3 million to become the fifth most expensive guitar ever sold at auction.
For more information, head to Bonhams.