One of the motorbikes the late Neil Peart famously rode between shows on Rush's R30 Tour is going to auction. The 1170cc BMW R1200GS is being sold by Mecum Auctions at this year's Vintage and Antique Motorcycle show, held at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, on February 1.
Peart, whose 2002 memoir Ghost Rider: Travels On The Healing Road documented the 55,000-mile journey he undertook to try and find solace following the double tragedy of losing his daughter Selena and his wife Jackie within 10 months of each other, took up motorcycling in his forties. On the road with Rush, he'd retire to his own bus post-show, then spend the following day touring before the next night’s performance.
"I’ve had an 1150 GS, and three 1200s, because there’s no better bike for all the things that I like," Peart told American Motorcyclist in 2009. "It has the most flexibility, it’s the ultimate expression of versatility. It’s fast and agile enough for me on twisty paved roads, capable on gravel roads, and it’s great for long distance.
"I like to ride a lot of dirt roads – the places they can take you to are interesting, and just surviving them can be a challenge, and thus a satisfaction. I look for a little bit of unpaved road somewhere just about every day, because that’s part of the dual-sport mentality.
"I’ve ridden across the country a few times, and done the 'Iron Butt' 1,000-mile day – as comfortably as that can ever be! Last summer I rode over 20,000 miles, and 25,000 the year before."
Published in September 2006, Roadshow: Landscape with Drums – A Concert Tour by Motorcycle documented Rush's R30 tour from Peart's point of view, both from behind the drum kit and from the seat of his R1200GS.
The sale of the bike includes an original purchase receipt signed by Peart, a set of Jesse aluminium panniers, a worn canvas tank bag, and a pair of used drumsticks. The bike is expected to fetch $40,000 - $50,000, and fans wishing to bid on the motorcycle can register online.
In the new issue of Classic Rock, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson speak about Rush's 50-year journey and their final shows with Peart.
