Huge Japanese and European retro motorcycle haul discovered

YOU see the term ‘barn find’ in any number of motorcycle adverts and listings, and the definition can mean anything from a rusted wreck to a genuine diamond in the rough. For this latest haul though, we think the term is pretty much spot on!

It’s a bit of a dream of classic bike fans to be the first to come across a rusted barn, unopened for decades that is brimmed with rare, classic machines. That seems to have been just what has been found in Japan after, at the tail end of 2022, the barn door was pulled back to reveal this eye-opening stash!

It comprises around 40 motorcycles in total, many of them seeming complete, while some are missing some parts. What is surprising though is how well-protected most of the bikes seem to have been from the elements. There is, of course, the obligatory layer of barn find dust, although rust doesn’t seem to be present. It also seems that any of the local rodent life has respected the machines, with many of the bikes showing little or no damage to their wiring looms and cables.

Huge Japanese and European retro motorcycle haul discovered 

The bulk of the bikes are Japanese machines, with Kawasaki GPZs, Ars, and more marques featuring in the haul. Dirt bikes are also a big part of the collection, although probably the most interesting model seems to hail from Europe. Buried in the dust is a remarkably tidy looking, although not 100% complete Ducati GTV. It’s not clear from the picture which model it is, they were built in 350 and 500cc variants, although as some of the rarer bikes from Ducati’s back catalogue, they will likely be catching the eye of classic bike enthusiasts. Alongside the bikes, there is a significant spare parts collection, including many new old stock parts still in the original packaging.

The find is now set to go up for auction as a job lot, and we’ll be keeping an eye on things to see how that goes.