Steve McQueen's Bike Goes Up For Auction

[caption id="attachment_18201" align="alignright" width="300"] An off-road motorcycle once owned by the late acting icon Steve McQueen will go on the auction block on January 10 at the Bonhams sale in Las Vegas.[/caption]

An off-road motorcycle once owned by the late acting icon Steve McQueen will go on the auction block on January 10 at the Bonhams sale in Las Vegas. The 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross was owned and ridden by McQueen, and will soon fall into the hands of a new owner.

The actor was a known motorcycle enthusiast up until his death 32 years ago, with Husqvarna being one of his preferred brands, Motorcycle.com reports. The company was considered exotic around the time McQueen began riding its motorcycles, as there were not many specialized off-road bikes available in the U.S. in the 1970s, The Wall Street Journal reports. The motorcycles and gear designed by Husky were known for their power and agility.

The bike comes with documents that support its origins as one of McQueen's personal motorcycles, but this is not the first time on of the actor's rides has gone up for sale. In May 2011 a 1971 Husqvarna 400 off-road bike sold for more than $144,000 at a Bonhams auction, according to the news source. Similar bikes - without the Hollywood connection - normally sell for less than $10,000.