Lil' John Buttera, 1995 Buttera Speedster
Frame no. 1L9SSA2A3SA158001

Collectors' Motorcycles Online|8 July 2021, 13:00 PDT|Los Angeles

Lil' John Buttera
1995 Buttera Speedster
Frame no. 1L9SSA2A3SA158001

Powered by an American made V-twin engine, this motorcycle was constructed by noted Race car and Hot Rod builder John Buttera and his son Chris in their Huntington Beach facility. Only the engine, gearbox, drive belts, and tires are manufactured items. Virtually all other components, such as the frame, forks, wheels, brakes, handle bars, hand and foot controls, fuel tank, fenders and seat were designed, engineered and fabricated by Buttera. While it employs a carbon fiber fuel tank, most other parts were machined from steel and light alloy.
Although being a great illustration of the 1990s motorcycle custom trend, the bike stands out from any of its contemporaries by its simplicty. Indeed, despite being a builder himself, Buttera has always explained his non-adherence to the trend of his time that meant sacrificing the ride itself for what he considered non-sense designs and paintjobs. Following that idea, Buttera produced a series of simple custom motorcycles with sleek paintjobs and more importantly, usable designs.

Coming from museum display, the bike will need recommissioning to get the engine growling again and before any safe ride can be done.

Additional information

This auction is now finished. If you are interested in consigning in future auctions, please contact the specialist department. If you have queries about lots purchased in this auction, please contact customer services.
Buyers Premium and Charges
Please Note the Buyer's Premium for this auction is as follows:
The final bid (hammer) price of each lot will be subject to a buyer's premium. For MOTORCYCLE property the premium is 15% on the first $100,000 of the bid price and 10% on any amount of the bid price exceeding $100,000.
Buyers' Obligations
ALL BIDDERS MUST AGREE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BONHAMS' CONDITIONS OF SALE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM, AND AGREE TO PAY THE BUYER'S PREMIUM AND ANY OTHER CHARGES MENTIONED IN THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS. THIS AFFECTS THE BIDDERS LEGAL RIGHTS.
If you have any questions about the Conditions of Sale, please contact your nearest client services team.
From 28 June 2025, the import into the EU of non-EU property of a certain age (and in some categories above a certain value) is subject to additional requirements. Under the relevant EU Regulation, it is the Buyer's sole responsibility to assess whether any Lot meets the criteria for import into the EU. The refusal of any required Import License or Importer Statement, or any delay in obtaining such License or Statement shall not give rise to the rescission or cancelation of any Sale, nor allow any delay in making full payment for the Lot.
Payment Notices
The Purchase Price must be paid in full to Bonhams by cashier's check, money order, or wire transfer in United States currency, no later than July 12th at 5pm EST. Upon prior arrangement with Bonhams, the Buyer also may pay for a Lot by personal or business check with approved credit, but the Purchase Price shall not be deemed received and the Lot will not be released until the check has cleared for payment. A processing fee will be assessed on any returned checks. Please note that the amount of cash notes and cash equivalents that can be accepted from a given Buyer may be limited.
Shipping Notices
For information and estimates on domestic and international transport as well as export licences please contact the Motorcycle Department at [email protected].
- Cars
- Motorcycles