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A Rock ’n’ Roll Legend’s Vintage Honda Scrambler Can Be Had for Much Less Than a King’s Ransom

The ’60s bike with Elvis Presley provenance is going for less than you’d expect, but the auction ends very soon.

Silver and black vintage Honda motorcycle with a round headlight and knobby tires against a gray wall.Bring a Trailer
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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As cool-looking as modern retro-styled scramblers made by the likes of Triumph, Ducati and Honda are, there’s something special about bikes actually made during the era they are referencing.

The appeal increases dramatically if they just so happen to have crossed paths with a legendary pop culture figure.

Vintage silver and black Honda motorcycle with knobby tires parked on concrete against a gray wall.
Considering its place in both moto and music history, the $5,200 leading bid for this bike is almost shocking.
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Those qualities coincide with this 1964 Honda CL72 Scrambler, which was once owned by the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll himself, Elvis Presley.

It’s currently available on Bring a Trailer for a surprisingly low price, but you must act fast, as the auction ends in just a few hours.

Star-powered Scrambler

First, the back story: according to the eagle-eyed blokes at Visordown, who uncovered this beauty, the bike was purchased by 2001: A Space Odyssey star Gary Lockwood in 1967.

Lockwood became friends with Presley while filming It Happened at the World’s Fair in 1962, which features the singer riding another Honda, the CB77 Super Hawk.

Silver and black vintage Honda motorcycle with knobby tires and dual exhaust pipes parked on a concrete floor.
The Scrambler serves as a great artifact of 1960s moto styling, even without its Kingly connection.
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Lockwood later sold this Scrambler to Presley, who admired the bike, and why wouldn’t he? 

Mated to a four-speed transmission, the 247cc SOHC parallel-twin engine makes a rather quaint/charming 24 horsepower.

Other highlights include a single downtube frame with an integrated skid plate, 19-inch wire-spoke wheels, drum brakes, preload-adjustable shocks, a kick starter and both center and side stands.

Close-up of a vintage Honda motorcycle engine with visible kickstarter, chain, and black leather seat.
The 247cc engine was originally brought to life with a kick start, but it has since been outfitted with electronic ignition.
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The classic silver tank (complete with rubber knee grips), fenders and bodywork are nicely complemented by a black vinyl two-up seat with a handy strap across the middle for the passenger to grip, though your own Priscilla can also hold onto you instead, of course.  

Another notable detail is the heat-shielded chrome high-mount exhaust system, with the long, thin pipes riding on the left side, whereas most modern Honda pipes appear on the right side. 

Close-up of a silver Honda motorcycle engine with visible exhaust pipes and black seat edge.
These days, most manufacturers place single-side pipes on the right, not the left, with BMW a notable exception.
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While the bike shows clear signs of age in the blemishes and oxidation seen in the photos, it has been updated for modern times.

Service earlier this year involved adjusting the valves, cleaning the carbs, rebuilding the petcock and replacing the battery, tires, primary chain, fuel lines and some cables.

Close-up of a vintage motorcycle speedometer showing 15 miles and chrome handlebars with cables.
Resting in the headlight bucket, the replacement speedo has seen far fewer miles than the original did, presumably.
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More significantly, the bike was fitted with a Pro-Trigger electronic-ignition unit, so you no longer have to kick-start the thing.

Though the original speedometer is included, it has been replaced on the bike with a 100-mph Nippon Seiki unit showing 15 miles. 

The actual mileage is unknown, but with a hunka hunka burnin’ bike this special, does it really matter?

Availability and pricing

The ex-Elvis Presley 1964 Honda CL72 Scrambler is available on Bring a Trailer, with the highest bid currently just $5,200.

At the time of this writing, the auction ends in just over three hours, so if you are interested, don’t snooze.

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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