Hunter S. Thompson’s Husqvarna Sells For Nearly $40k
If you were looking to acquire a piece of true 20th century American motorcycle history, you missed your chance last week when Hunter S. Thompson’s 1972 Husqvarna 360C Enduro sold through the Bring a Trailer auction site for the sum of $37,250. This inevitably raises the question, “Have vintage motorcycle prices gone mad?” The value may have more to do with the lineage rather than the motorcycle itself.
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Hunter S. Thompson, the self-proclaimed “Doctor of Journalism,” was known for a career filled with wildly-worded books and articles in both fact and fiction genres, and a new style of writing called “Gonzo Journalism” that combined elements of both. His writing varied widely, from cynical political commentary to straight-up sports writing to a fantastical novel about a drug-fueled rampage through Las Vegas. His career was kick-started by the non-fiction book called Hells Angels: A Strange And Terrible Saga, detailing several months of accompanying the motorcycle club through their 1960s California lifestyle.
Thompson even dabbled in motorcycle journalism for a time after being relentlessly pursued by a features editor at Cycle World. Famous quotes from such works include the lines, “Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death,” and “Love is the feeling you get when you like something as much as your motorcycle.”
Thompson owned and rode a string of motorcycles after the infamous book, including trailbikes like the 1972 Husky that just sold at Bring A Trailer. That Husqvarna was painstakingly restored by John Lefevre of San Marco, California in 2023 and 2024. It would have fetched a pretty penny regardless of its previous ownership, but with a paper trail showing it was Thompson’s old bike, made it that much more valuable to the right person. It should be noted that Thompson has never really been historically associated with Husqvarna, but the dealership paperwork was enough to satisfy one enthusiastic bidder.
If you want something similar but don’t have $37k to spend, this 1979 Husqvarna 390 OR for sale in Fresno, California would be much easier on the wallet. The buyer is asking only $2,785, which some of us could find in the couch cushions if we really had to. Thompson also rode a Bultaco Matador, which is a bit of a rarer beast. He also owned a Penton off-roader. The bike that he is arguably most closely associated with was his BSA Lightning Rocket, which he bought to accompany bikers on their club runs in the 1960s. Our marketplace currently features a number of Lightnings from the late 1960s, all with more palpable price tags than the Husky that just sold on BaT.
This 1968 model offered at $6,000 has had a fair bit of work done to it, including a professional engine rebuild and paint job, Boyer Mk IV ignition, rebuilt carbs, and a replacement wiring harness. The listing for this 1967 model in Illinois offers fewer details, but has also seen a fair bit of restoration work to justify its $6,000 listing price.
While neither of those machines is exactly what Hunter S. Thompson rode (his was a 1966 BSA A65 Lightning 650), they are close enough that you, too, might be able to embrace the open road, and perhaps even, find The Edge.
Zac Kurylyk
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