Engineering ace and star of The Motorbike Show , Allen Millyard has put his world-famous ‘ Millyard Viper V10 ’ up for auction, with the 500bhp one-off build expected to fetch between £100,000 and £150,000 at the National Motorcycle Museum next month.
Powered by an eight-litre engine producing 525lb.ft of torque, the bike will be auctioned by H&H Classics at the Solihull venue on Wednesday, July 22 and is the first Millyard creation to ever be solid in this way directly by the man himself.
“I don’t think I’ve got anything to prove with it anymore,” Millyard told MCN. “To be honest with you, it takes up a lot of space in the house, and there’s a responsibility in keeping it maintained.”
Although a challenge to look after – the engine alone weighs as much as a Honda Gold Wing – the bespoke Viper V10 is undoubtedly one of Millyard’s most famous creations. Starting with just the engine in 2004, it hit the road in 2009 – achieving 207.101mph in the hands of MCN test rider, Bruce Dunn.
Allen himself has also racked up thousands of miles, including a trip to the Isle of Man TT races , as well as setting a Guinness World Record for the ‘ fastest speed achieved by a tandem motorcycle ’ – reaching 183.5mph with fellow presenter Henry Cole on the pillion seat .
“I made a V8 in 2001 and I sold that and it financed a lot of fun for me and my kids,” he recalled. “Once it’s gone, it’s still my bike but it’s just in a museum somewhere, or with someone else.
“To me, the fun is making it and the challenge of build it,” Millyard added. “I’ve got mixed emotions and feeling about selling it. Half of me is saying ‘what am I doing’ and half of me is excited.”
Allen hopes that the bike will be purchased by a museum or passionate collector and has already begun thinking about the next build once the space has been cleared in his garage.
Alongside the V10, the sale also includes a number of previous Millyard builds – offered by their current owners. This includes a 1978 Kawasaki S1 550 four-cylinder special that was created by blending two 250 triples but by cutting and joining the crankcases and creating a bespoke crankshaft.
Alongside this is a 1974 Honda ‘SS250’ special – a gentle Honda SS50 with the standard motor swapped out for a liquid-cooled 2006 Kawasaki KX250F motocross engine. Finally, there’s a 1972 Kawasaki S2, which is powered by a unique five-cylinder 415cc engine again built by Allen, too. For information on how to bid, visit the H&H website today.
Only three people have ever ridden the Millyard Viper V10 – and that’s Allen Millyard himself, plus former MCN Road Testers Bruce Dunn and Trevor Franklin . While it’s a great shame that Allen is selling it to a new owner, the money and space that it’s set to free up for more new projects is an exciting prospect indeed.
Dan is a fully-trained journalist, with a Gold Standard Level 3 Diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists. He has a passion for motorcycles of all capacities, but feels at home aboard a sportsbike. He's been working for MCN in print and digital for the best part of 10 years, with regular contributions to RiDE Magazine on the side.
News Editor, trackday fan, lover of 90s sportsbikes