Chances are excellent that if you know the name "Paul Hollywood," then it's because you (or someone you love) are into The Great British Baking Show. You don't even have to be British or live in the UK. In a world of cutthroat reality competitions (and real-world news cycles), the show has made a name for itself because of both its bakes and its kindness/camaraderie, essential qualities that set it far apart from the competition.
Hollywood (yes, that's his actual name), a master baker and UK celebrity chef, has been a judge on the show since the beginning. He's also been a motorcycle lover and rider for a long time; you might recall that not long ago, two of his rare Ducati Superleggeras went up for auction. Now, it's time for something a little different, and chances are good it also cost a good quantity of bread to buy when new.
This time around, it's the custom 2004 Big Dog Ridgeback chopper that Hollywood rode in a different limited series, called Paul Goes To Hollywood. Broadcast in four hour-long blocks, it chronicled Hollywood's road trip from New York to Los Angeles. There's food, very special guests including Brian Cox and Lisa Kudrow, and Hollywood (the person) geeking out about movies along the way.
That's it; that's the show.
Along the way, Hollywood rode this custom Ridgeback chopper, powered by an 1,800cc S&S V-twin. While the chef rode it across the US, it was apparently shipped to the UK after the show was filmed, where it was then registered. It hasn't been ridden much since it landed in the UK, but it has been ridden a little.
For the past few years, says auction house Iconic Auctioneers, it's been sitting unridden in a collection. So, if you want to bid on it and plan to actually go out and ride it, you'll need to recondition it (or have the work done by a trusted shop) first. It has a current UK registration, though, so that part is already done for you.
It's set to cross the auction block on Sunday, February 16, 2025 during the Iconic Motorcycle Sale at the MCN London Motorcycle Show 2025. The auction will take place live at the event, and it's expected to fetch anywhere from £12,000 (about US $15,335) to £14,000 (about US $17,891). These estimates do not include the 15 percent buyer's premium, nor VAT.
Gallery: Paul Goes To Hollywood Chopper Auction
It seems almost redundant to say that no one will show up at your next bike meet with one of these, but it seems like that's especially true in the UK. Would you want to, though? And if you did want to own this bike, would you want to ride it, or would you rather keep it on display? Let us know in the comments.
Me, I'm generally of the opinion that bikes should be ridden. At the same time, if it's not my bike, I'm also not going to tell you what I think you should do with it. But mine is just one opinion among many, so be sure to let us know yours!
