Between July 23 and July 30, 2025, Sotheby’s will auction a true collector’s item: the Honda CBR 1000 RR SC59 motorcycle used by legendary Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher during his post-F1 racing career. This particular bike, developed by the Holzhauer Racing Promotion (HRP) team, stands out as a unique piece with fewer than 4,000 kilometers on the odometer and represents the most iconic machine from Schumacher’s two-wheeled chapter in motorsport.
Michael Schumacher left an indelible mark on Formula 1 history, winning a record seven World Championships—two titles with Benetton (1994 and 1995) and five consecutive titles with Scuderia Ferrari (from 2000 to 2004). He made a sensational return to Formula 1 in 2010 behind the wheel of a Mercedes. However, during his first retirement from F1, which began at the end of 2006, Schumacher explored motorcycle racing and became a notable figure in the German Superbike Championship for two seasons.
Despite the lower profile of his results on two wheels, Schumacher’s motorcycle racing venture included several high-profile test sessions. He tested a Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP bike at Mugello—usually reserved for Casey Stoner—and an Aprilia RSV4 Superbike at Valencia, which belonged to fellow world champion Max Biaggi. Nonetheless, the most representative motorcycle of this chapter in his sporting life was undoubtedly the Honda CBR 1000 RR SC59 fitted with Pirelli tires and developed by the Holzhauer Racing Promotion team. It is this very bike that will be auctioned by Sotheby’s as part of the “The Champions – Schumacher and F1 Legends” event.
The motorcycle, primarily used by Michael Schumacher for track testing, was ridden by him during the years between his first Formula 1 retirement in 2006 (at the time driving for Ferrari) and his F1 comeback in 2010 with Mercedes. The base model of this racing version was a standard Honda CBR, which the Holzhauer Racing Promotion team transformed into a high-performance machine. On its front fairing, the bike bears the number 77, the number Schumacher used during his motorcycle racing stint. The technical sheet for this unique model is available in the HRP archives, as the German team still owns the bike.
Notably, in 2008, Michael Schumacher took part in the prestigious 8 Hours of Oschersleben endurance race—part of the World Endurance Championship—riding a similar motorcycle, although he was forced to retire from the race.
Holzhauer Racing Promotion, founded in 1990, is a German company specializing in tuning and optimizing road-going Honda motorcycles. Their expertise includes modifying chassis setups and enhancing the performance of several models from the Japanese manufacturer. Since 2005, the company has also actively participated in motorsport, achieving remarkable results in the German Superbike Championship, including championship titles in 2007, 2008, 2010, and most recently in 2023. When the Honda CBR 1000 RR SC59 was catalogued for the upcoming auction, the odometer showed a total of 3,752 kilometers traveled.
This particular Honda CBR 1000 was also the motorcycle Michael Schumacher was riding during a private training session on February 11, 2009, at the Cartagena Circuit in Spain. Unfortunately, during that session, he lost control of the bike and suffered a heavy crash. The injuries sustained in this accident negatively affected his physical condition and ultimately influenced his highly anticipated return to Formula 1. On July 29, 2009, Schumacher officially confirmed he would replace Felipe Massa at Ferrari for the European Grand Prix in Valencia—scheduled for August 23—after Massa was severely injured in a crash during qualifying at the Hungaroring circuit.
However, on August 11, 2009, Schumacher was forced to withdraw from the planned return, releasing a statement explaining, “We were unable to resolve the neck problems, which re-emerged after the private test at Mugello. From both a medical and therapeutic standpoint, we tried everything. Unfortunately, I am not fit to replace Felipe. I did everything I could to make this temporary comeback possible, but it simply did not work out.” Consequently, Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer was called in to replace Felipe Massa. Later that year, on December 23, Mercedes officially announced the signing of Schumacher for the 2010 Formula 1 season.
The auction lot offered by Sotheby’s for “The Champions – Schumacher and F1 Legends” includes not only the rare Honda CBR 1000 RR SC59, but also two additional collector’s items: a motorcycle helmet manufactured by Schuberth and a pair of racing gloves—both personally autographed by Michael Schumacher. The estimated total value of this package is expected to be between €25,000 and €35,000.
Is this rare piece of racing history better suited for display in a private collection or as a track bike for spirited testing sessions? According to Holzhauer Racing Promotion, the motorcycle has remained stationary in storage for a prolonged period. As such, a thorough mechanical inspection and detailed maintenance check are recommended before considering a return to the racetrack. Nonetheless, in terms of performance, this Honda CBR 1000 RR SC59 is still capable of delivering exhilarating experiences to its next owner—just as it once did to the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion himself. Among its most striking features are a titanium Akrapovič exhaust system positioned at the rear and high-performance brake calipers manufactured by Tokico.
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