An ultra-rare 1954 AJS E95 “Porcupine” is set to smash records and become the world’s most expensive motorcycle at Bonhams‘ automotive auction at Quail Lodge in Carmel, CA on August 18. 

One of just four E95s ever built, the Porcupine (so nicknamed because of the spiked cooling fins on its cylinder head) was created as a works racer by British manufacturer AJS. 

One of the most legendary motorcycles in history owing to its brief but astonishing racing success and extreme rarity, the example on offer at the Bonhams sale is expected to fetch up to $750,000.

That will shatter the current world record of $520,000 for a 1915 Cyclone Board Track Racer set in 2008. “As far as motorcycles go, the Porcupine is at the very top,” Bonhams CEO Malcolm Barber tells DRIVEN.

 “It is arguably the most beautiful, graceful and innovative racing motorcycle ever built, the perfect blend of technology and art.”

[The World's Most Expensive Motorcycle on UrbanDaddy's DRIVEN] 

DRIVEN is the newest offering from UrbanDaddy, a free, exclusive email magazine devoted to bringing you the single thing you need to know every day about the country's top cities, with 21 different editions. DRIVEN, an online magazine with daily updates, is about cars, design, conversations, horsepower, luxury, sex appeal, style, the open road, the future and the past – all through the lens of UrbanDaddy editorial. Fasten your seatbelts and put on your shades, it's time to hit the road.

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I still can’t figure out why people don’t don their helmets without being told.

I mean, imagine all that sex appeal when Mr. Right walks up to you slowly getting the helmet off of his head.

And you know that you've got the right guy if he wears a super stylish helmet too!

Andrea Cardone is all out with a new range of motorcycle helmets. The Italian brand has come out with leather helmets embellished with Swarovski crystal highlights.

And what’s more it that you can go places as a couple, thanks to matching handbags that are set in leather and Swarowski as well. The collection is available in white leather, black, and red helmets and matching shoulder straps. Click here for details.

This post originally appeared at Luxurylaunches.

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Upper Deck is offering Michael Jordan and motorcross fans four authentic, race-driven Michael Jordan Motorsports bikes for $39,999.99 each (via @darrenrovell).

Options include:

The inaugural Yamaha Superbike. Its Carolina blue color pays homage to Jordan's collegiate years at the University of North Carolina. 

The 2005 Suzuki Motorcycle. Its graphics were inspired by the Air Jordan XX.

The 2006 Suzuki Superstock. The gold color theme was inspired by Jordan's multiple gold-medal victories in the 1984 and 1992 Olympic Games.

The 2007 Suzuki Superstock. The bike's royal blue and white theme were inspired by the Air Jordan Retro 4.

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Harley-Davidson has always had a very specific demographic: older white guys.

And that's worked out just fine until the recession, when "hundreds of thousands of jobless bikers sold their motorcycles or lost them to repossession," reports the Wall Street Journal.

Harley still dominates the U.S. motorcycle market, and its sales are rising for the first time since 2006, but it's slow going. So it's looking outside that group: to women, minorities, young people, and consumers outside the U.S.

Basically, everyone else.

To reach women – which make up 10% of U.S. motorcycle riders — the company hosts "garage parties" and promotes models with lower seats. Harley also has a video on its site showing how "even small women can pick up a bike of 550 pounds if it topples over."

Its strategy must be working, because it got its first female customer in India a few months ago, and its second in the region this summer, reports The Economic Times.

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In the weeks leading up to Halloween, people continued to spend insane amounts of money on everything from antique cars to diamonds.

Two celebrity memorabilia purchases also made our list this month, because who wouldn't want to own outfits and accessories from John Wayne and Marylin Monroe?

We broke down the 10 most outrageous luxury purchases in the month of October.

A bottle of 1883 Glenlivet whiskey sold for $29,000

An extremely expensive (and old) bottle of whiskey

A bottle of 1883 Glenlivet whiskey sold for $29,000 at auction by Bonham's in Edinburgh.

The bottle was distilled May 19, 1883, and bottled in December 1931, the company said.

John Wayne's hat from the movies sold for $119,500

Really expensive celebrity memorabilia

The hat that John Wayne and his stunt double wore in several movies sold for $119,500 as part of a larger John Wayne memorabilia auction that fetched $5 million.

Wayne wore the cowboy hat in the movies Big Jake and The Cowboys.

All of the items had been kept by Wayne's family since he died in 1979 from cancer.

A unique portrait Of Vladimir Putin sold for $269,000

Super pricey political art

This portrait of Vladimir Putin, which is made up of hundreds of pictures of the Mona Lisa, sold for $269,000.

The artist is Georgian-American David Datuna. The piece was apparently bought by a Russian businessman at the Art Moscow Festival.

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Harley-Davidson has been in trouble over the past five years. Bike sales have plummeted 31% since 2006, its core customer base is aging rapidly and the market downturn has quashed people's demand for $20,000 motorcycles.

But lately, there have been glimmers of hope. Harley is about the have its first annual sales gain in nearly half-a-decade, and its stock has more than doubled since CEO Keith Wandell took the helm two years ago.

What has Wandell done to start dragging Harley out of the ditch?

By doing what Ford did, he says.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally provided Wandell with a "with a useful template for his own corporate turnaround," reports Mark Clothier at Bloomberg.

The pair had a relationship that went back to Mulally's first days at Ford, when Wandell was an executive at a big auto-supplier. Both came into the industry as outsiders, free of its taboos.

And to make things happen, they've both had to make moves that insiders may have shied away from. They both played hardball with dealers, nuked crappy brands, cut labor contracts, made major job cuts and closed plants. Wandell is also trimming fat and raising cash by selling some old investments, like Harley's secret test track in the Everglades (which, ironically, was previously used by Ford to test cars.)

Wandell has also challenged Harley's own traditional norms. It's altering its marketing strategy to attract non-traditional segments, like women. “We can’t survive on our core customers alone,” he proclaimed at a symposium at The Ohio State University last month, but he's walking a fine line. Harley's brand needs those customers as ambassadors, and has to make sure it doesn't alienate those hardcore fans.

Now read about how Harley-Davidson is targeting women to help revive sales >

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Lit Motors, whose office we visited last month, have now released video of how their C1 Electric Cycle will work.

The concept video shows scale prototypes of the enclosed electric cycle being hit from the side and amazingly not falling down.

Lit is using a flywheel based gyroscope system that will keep the bike on two wheels at all times. The C1 is intended as a commuter vehicle, so unlike other motorcycles it is fully enclosed to protect the rider.

The C1 will also feature a Formula One-inspired Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that will collect energy from braking and utilize it in powering various aspects of the vehicle, like the gyroscopes that keep it upright, even while parked.

Seeing it in motion reminds us of the Carver, a three-wheeled Dutch car/motorcycle hybrid (watch a video of it here via YouTube).

Plans call for a range of models to be offered, with prices starting around $24,000 when it goes on sale in late 2013.

Check out the prototypes in action below (YouTube via Gizmag):

Now take a look at the car of the week >

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Apparently celebrity offspring Scout Willis (daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore) is doing more than riding around in buttless chaps on the back of motorcycles and attending Brown University. She's recording music!

Scout has teamed up with Chilean-American musician Nicolas Jaar for a new single, called "With Just One Glance," with Scout on vocals. Fun fact: she's also going by "Scout Larue" now, which is her middle name. Tres artistic.

Anyway, the song is actually sort of cute. I could definitely imagine being really,really drunk in some gay club in Berlin and having a remix of it come on and not being mad. Nice work, Scout! Listen here.

This post originally appeared at StyleCaster. 

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We spent this morning at the New York International Motorcycle Show, checking out the latest and coolest bikes on the market.

There were some really amazing concepts, customs, and new production models that will be hitting the street in the near future.

The last press conference we attended belonged to legendary brand Ducati. They were touting a fashion show of new apparel as their big draw.

Frankly, we were skeptical about looking at clothes when there were bikes all around us.

As it turns out, the bikes became the last thought on our mind. With typical Ducati flair, a number of models were on stage showing off the newest lifestyle clothing and keeping our attention firmly on them and away from the bikes in the area.

Ducati was smart and did not forget the ladies in the audience either. There were also a number of male models on stage, one of whom was doing blackflips, handstands, and even balanced his entire body on one hand.

All of them overshadowed the Ducati that was on stage with them: the top of the range 1199 Panigale S.

The Ducati fashion for 2012 appears to be a dearth of clothing.

This model was showing off the versatility of Ducati's one piece leathers.

Good to see that bike jackets are still in style.

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With all the festivities of the Detroit Auto Show coming to an end, it can be easy to forget that the New York Motorcycle Show is right around the corner.

While we saw a bevy of beautiful women this morning, the real reason we were there was to see the latest bikes from brands like Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Triumph, and more.

In addition to the established makers, there were a number of innovative brands playing to niche segments of the market. Zero, Evolve, and BRP each had unique products that may not have been mainstream, but would serve particular customers very nicely.

And the show was not only featuring new bikes.

There were great exhibits from customizers all over the floor. Some of the most amazing customer bikes in existence were scattered throughout the Javits Center.

So what were the bikes that were making us want to hit the road?

Tucked in a back corner was this GasGas Trials bike. Very neat piece of design.

Zero had a bunch of electric bikes on hand that could go over 100 miles on a charge. They also had dirt bikes with interchangeable batteries; a great idea.

BRP had the Spyder RSS on hand, their 105 horsepower version of the popular trike.

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When we rounded up the coolest bikes that we saw at the New York International Motorcycle Show, we purposely left out one wild hot rod.

While BMW introduced updates and new bikes at the show, there was one that they did not devote any time to at all. Tucked in the back of their stand was a BMW HP2 Sport that has been modified by specialty builder Stellan Egeland of Sweden.

Egeland's shop, SE Service, specializes in custom motorcycles and has won a number of awards, among those being the "World Champion of Custom Bike Building."

While he has built a number of cool custom bikes, the one on hand was particularly striking.

Called the Slugger, this bike is producing 202 horsepower at the rear wheels from the turbocharged flat twin engine. It is not the most powerful motorcycle on the market, but anything weighing under 400 pounds with that much power is considered ludicrously fast.

In fact, the bike is described as having a top speed that is "hang-on-to-dear-life-quick." With that much power, we believe it.

What struck us immediately was the front end geometry. The lack of a traditional fork made for an interesting look.

Of course, the huge turbo grabbed our attention. We imagine it gets fairly toasty when the bike is at full power.

A quick look at the spec sheet verified what we thought upon first sight. The bike is seriously quick and took a long time to fabricate.

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The evening before the New York International Motorcycle Show, we had a chance to visit Ducati's flagship store in Manhattan to take a look at the recently revamped space.

We also had an opportunity to chat with Dominique Cheraki, the General Manager of Ducati North America, about the astounding growth the brand saw in 2011 and what the plans are for 2012.

Ducati's North American sales grew by 43% in 2011 over 2010, which also made North America their number one market for the first time ever. Cheraki, who took over as General Manager in February, said that they were on a conquest.

A number of bikes saw solid gains over the previous year. The Multistrada, which is capable of more than just riding on the road, and the Diavel cruiser were key parts of this growth.

It did not hurt that the Diavel also won multiple "Best Cruiser" awards from respected outlets like Motorcycle News, Cycle World, and Motorcycle USA.

One of the big intros of the weekend was the Diavel Cromo. This edition of the popular bike has the same mechanical features as the standard Diavel, but a unique livery. A chrome fuel tank and throwback Ducati logos add a classic touch to the decidedly modern cruiser.

Ducati also made a lot of news last year with their new partnership with noted Mercedes tuner AMG. What seems like a mismatched pairing is actually a perfect fit, according to Cheraki. AMG and Ducati share the same passion and values for premium performance products.

The AMG Edition Diavel, like the Cromo, features a unique design to set it apart from the rest of the line. And this is just the start of their partnership; look for more bikes down the line with input from AMG.

But where does Ducati stick out? Competitors in the market like Aprilia and MV Agusta offer high end superbikes that do compete with Ducati's offerings. But Cheraki believes that their models set them apart.

He says that the combination of unique bikes like their halo model, the 1199 Panigale, as well as the investment of dealers and customer commitments are key to their growth.

Finally, as MotoGP fans, we had to ask about the rough year that Ducati had in the sport. Stars Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden were non-factors in the championship. We asked Cheraki if he foresaw an impact on sales due to the lackluster performance in 2011.

He said that while Ducati had a rough year in MotoGP, they did win the 2011 World Superbike Championship. The old mantra of "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" has obviously not had an effect on the brand.

Cheraki said that the passion of the customers for their road bikes was not dampened by the rough year in MotoGP. As he noted, racing is ups and downs, so hopefully they will be back up to speed and fighting for the championship this year.

We'll have to check in next year to see if this great growth continues into 2012.

Now take a look at Ducati's presentation at the motorcycle show >

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Stephen Colbert, a hero to many in his own right, filmed a very different sort of hero while he was driving through the Lincoln Tunnel yesterday morning.

On his way to a filming of the Colbert Report, an intrepid motorcyclist decided to have way more fun than anyone normally has in the Lincoln Tunnel by popping a few wheelies.

Luckily, Colbert had his iPhone at the ready to film the entire thing. Thankfully, he also has a TV show to publicize the awesomeness.

Check it out below (via Colbert Nation):

Check out another "hero" >

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If you have free time and enough money, there is a fantasy camp that will cater to any hobby you can think of.

Love rock and roll? Then go to rock and roll camp. Love space? Go to space camp. Baseball fan? Pretend to be a Major Leaguer at baseball camp. Love to drive tanks? There's even a camp for that.

Since motorsports have been my hobby for as long as I can remember, I jumped at the chance to attend the Speed Dream Ride last week.

What is the Dream Ride? It's the grand prize in an annual contest put on by the TV channel Speed. Five lucky winners and their guests are flown to Monterey, CA and put up in first class accommodations. Then, for two days, they are whisked to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to drive with some motorsports legends.

And I mean legends. Topping the roster is Indy 500 Winner, IndyCar Champion, Formula One World Champion, and Daytona 500 Champion Mario Andretti, who takes winners for rides in a two-seat IndyCar.

Then, there are winning motorcycle racers Jason Pridmore and Steve Rapp, Kyle Petty, son of the legendary Richard "The King" Petty, drifting phenom and TV star Tanner Foust, and Pikes Peak Hillclimb winner Mike Ryan and his insane Freightliner tractor.

It is seriously overload for a racing fan.

Disclosure: I have to send a big thanks to Speed for flying me to the Dream Ride to participate with the lucky winners. I can't lie; These were three pretty awesome days. Speed paid for all travel and accommodations.

This is what we were promised: Time to hang out with Speed F1 announcer Bob Varsha and Maxim model April Rose, among other racing legends. That sold me on the Dream Ride immediately.

I got in late the night before the event. This is the view from the hotel room the morning after. Not too shabby.

After a quick breakfast, we drove to the track. You don't see Mario Andretti's name (5th down) on an insurance disclaimer everyday.

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Whenever you attend a trade show, be it for electronics, cars, anime, motorcycles, or even toys, you will typically find some models near the products to attract attention.

The same is particularly true at sporting events, especially those that involve wheels. From Formula One to bicycle racing, you find models everywhere.

But who are they?

For many of these events, the models are from a company called Umbrella Girls USA. Run by San Francisco-based lawyer and motorsport enthusiast Ann Asiano, Umbrella Girls started ten years ago after a trip to a motorcycle race in Italy.

She saw professional models on the starting grid holding signs for the riders, but there was no agency representing similar models in America.

Umbrella Girls was born and is one of the only branded motorsport and automotive modeling agencies working in North America today.

We recently spoke to Ann about the agency, the girls, and some dos and don'ts for meeting the models at these events.

Umbrella Girls' models are at motorcycle shows, bicycle races, private events, IndyCar, NASCAR, Off Road, NHRA, Grand Am, ALMS, AMA, MotoGP and other forms of racing.

Ann has a database of 600 girls nationwide, but she told us she tends to work with a core group of 40 models.

For the most part, the girls are in the 18-30 range. Many are students looking to make some supplemental income on the side.

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A ride on a motorcycle can be an incredibly exciting and invigorating experience. However, it seems that a man from California may have had a far more exciting ride than most other people.

According to Torque News, Henry Wolf believes his BMW Motorcycle and Corbin Seat has caused him to have a permanent erection.

How long has he had it? His erection has lasted for 20 months and counting. To put that in perspective, the makers of Cialis and Viagra recommend medical attention for anyone with an erection lasting longer than four hours.

Torque News reports that Wolf can no longer participate in sexual activity due to his condition. He filed suit in San Francisco court last week against BMW and Corbin for "lost wages, medical expenses, product liability and negligent infliction of emotional distress and 'general damage,'" according to Torque News.

Check out the best bikes of the NY Motorcycle Show >

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It seems that a vast number of drivers see the speed limit as more of a recommendation than a law. While 10 or 15 MPH over the limit is common, it is rare to see people exceed 85 or 90 MPH on public roads.

However, it seems that one motorcyclist in upstate New York either forgot this country has speed limits or had some sort of death wish.

According to the Daily Freeman, Anthony Anderson of Poughkeepsie, NY was caught by police radar going 193 MPH on the New York State Thruway on his 2005 Suzuki motorcycle Wednesday evening.

Yes, 193 MPH. We're not lying.

Anderson was issued 14 citations for his driving by three different police officers.

Unsurprisingly, the officers were not able to keep up with Anderson while he was riding. We're surprised they ever got him at all. Just in case you have no concept of speed, 193 is very fast.

What's even more amazing is that Anderson didn't crash. He's a lucky dog.

But he wasn't lucky with the police. Anderson is currently in jail and his bail has been set at $1,500, according to the Daily Freeman.

Check out a safer way to go fast >

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What started as a small hardware store in the Bowery back in 1848 is now one of the most successful innovation retailers. Hammacher Schlemmer was responsible for offering the first pop-up toaster, electric razor, steam iron, electric pencil sharpener, microwave oven, answering machine and on and on. 

No longer is the brand synonymous with just appliances and home goods. Today Hammacher Schlemmer offers some of the most expensive and ingenious luxury goods on the market. 

From a personal submarine to an animatronic triceratops, the catalog's offerings are a veritable playland for both kids and adults. All of their products come with a lifetime guarantee.

Do you own anything on this list? We'd love to hear from you. Please email lbrown@businessinsider.com.

The 85 Foot Inflatable Military Course offers a boot-camp style obstacle complete with two rope swings and a 12-foot-deep pit for $12,500.

85 Foot Inflatable Military Course

If the traditional bike is not for you, the Dutch-made Motorized Monocycle, $13,000, can go up to 25 mph and run for up to two hours on half a gallon of gas.

Motorized Monocycle

The Barbecue Dining Boat with built-in charcoal grill seats up to 10 adults has a retractable umbrella and 30-watt electric trolling motor for $50,000.

Barbecue Dining Boat

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Motorcycle enthusiasm stretches across the globe,with the thrill of the wind whipping past you as you zoom on the highways and byways the world has to offer.

In recognizing the millions of people who ride their hogs, Harleys and Hondas, British company MCE Insurance released its list of the World's Best Motorcycle routes.

From the U.S. and England to Greece and Vietnam, it's a diverse list that every hardcore chopper rider would appreciate.

Infographic by MCE Insurance

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Most Americans don't know who JPMorgan's CEO Jamie Dimon is despite the multi-billion trading loss the bank revealed back in May, a monthly 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll shows.  

Here's what the people who participated in the poll think Dimon does.  

• 66% say they don't know who he is
• 9% think he's a Texas congressman
• 7% think he's an X Games skateboarder
• 4% believe he's a daredevil motorcyclist. 

Only 14% correctly identified Dimon as the CEO of JPMorgan, according to the poll.  

A random sample of 990 adults were surveyed nationwide in a telephone interview from June 22 to June 25th.  

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