Joey Dunlop’s £92,000 Honda RC45 comes home to Northern Ireland: do you remember that 1999 UGP duel?

The Honda RVF750 RC45 campaigned by Joey Dunlop during his late-1990s purple patch is back on Northern Irish soil after changing hands at a Bonhams sale, reigniting the community’s bond with one of road racing’s most cherished artefacts.

A legend’s bike returns to familiar roads

The 1999 Honda RC45 ridden by Joey Dunlop has arrived back in Northern Ireland after selling for £80,000 under the hammer, or £92,000 with buyer’s premium. The delivery was handled by veteran team owner and transporter Billy McKinstry, whose name is well known in paddocks from road circuits to short-circuit meetings.

Social posts charted the journey, from the machine’s departure to its arrival “where it belongs”. Fans reacted with relief and pride. Former TT winner Johnny Rea, father of six-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea, added his voice to the chorus welcoming the RC45’s return.

Joey Dunlop’s 1999 RC45: £80,000 hammer price, £92,000 with premium — now back in Northern Ireland.

The RC45 is intimately linked with Dundrod and the Ulster Grand Prix. Supporters recognise it as the machine on which Joey carved one of his most celebrated victories, fending off David Jefferies and Iain Duffus in 1999. For years, the bike stood within touching distance of regulars at Joey’s bar in Ballymoney, a focal point for visitors tracing the Dunlop story.

What the RC45 represents

Honda’s RC45 was a homologation special built to win, powered by a 749cc V4 with fuel injection, a single-sided swingarm and HRC hardware. In Joey’s hands, it became more than engineering; it became a memory machine. He used it deep into the 2000 season, taking it to events far beyond the North Coast, including an appearance in Estonia weeks before his fatal accident.

One of the last big bikes Joey raced — and one he continued to win on — is back among his people.

The sister RC30 also commanded serious bids

Another piece of Dunlop history crossed the block at the same auction: his 1988 Honda RC30 that carried him to victory in the Formula One and Senior TT that year. It exceeded the shared pre-sale estimate of £80,000–£100,000, fetching £115,000, or £132,250 with premium. Both machines had been familiar sights to fans who visited Ballymoney.

1999 at Dundrod: the day the crowd roared

Dundrod’s fast, flowing sweepers set the stage for a duel that still gets retold. Joey, on the RC45, faced down David Jefferies and team-mate Iain Duffus on factory-supported V&M Yamaha R1s. The race became a test of nerve and craft. Dunlop, then already a national treasure, found time and traction where others saw only hedges and horizon. The win delivered his 24th Ulster Grand Prix victory and reaffirmed his aura at a moment when a new generation had arrived with powerful kit and fresh confidence.

Those who stood at Deer’s Leap or watched from the top of Cochranstown remember the feel of it: the V4’s note, the surge off the turns, the yellow helmet flickering through the spray of country light. That feeling is why the RC45’s return resonates. It speaks to a road, a rider and a time when duels were decided on public lanes by men who looked like your neighbour but rode like nobody else.

From Tallinn to today: a bittersweet thread

Joey continued to race the RC45 into 2000 and kept winning with it. During an event in Tallinn that July, he took victories in the 600cc and 750cc races. Later that day, tragedy struck during the 125cc race. He was 48. Many fans connect the RC45 with those final weeks — proof of a racer who never packed away his hunger for a throttle and a challenge.

Twenty-six TT wins, five Formula One world titles, MBE and OBE — Dunlop’s record lives wherever his bikes gather.

Earlier this year, Ballymoney marked 25 years since his passing with a parade of 25 machines associated with him. Former rivals and champions joined the procession, including Carl Fogarty and Jonathan Rea, underlining the ties that bind generations in road racing.

Why this homecoming matters

• Identity: the RC45’s return reinforces Northern Ireland’s deep link with road racing heritage.
• Access: fans can once again see a race-winning machine they previously visited at Joey’s bar.
• Memory: the bike connects today’s riders and supporters with a defining Ulster GP moment.
• Continuity: the delivery by a long-time team boss adds another chapter to a community story.

Collectable superbikes: what drives values

Prices for genuine racing machinery depend on more than manufacture and model. Some factors carry particular weight with road racing icons. Provenance leads the list. Named riders, major wins and photographic documentation all push demand. Originality matters, too: period-correct bodywork, factory parts and verifiable engine specification help a bike retain credibility. Public visibility adds another layer; machines displayed for years in a known location, as these were in Ballymoney, become landmarks.

Condition and conservation are critical. Buyers pay for correctness, not fresh paint. Certificates, period entry lists, paddock notes and period photographs all support authenticity. Transport and storage play a part as well. Stable temperatures, clean fuel systems and careful tyre support reduce deterioration in long-term display.

Thinking of buying or insuring a homologation legend

• Set provenance first: gather bills of sale, race numbers, period images and team references.
• Prioritise reversibility: choose any preservation work that can be undone without harming originality.
• Insure for agreed value: use recent, comparable sales like these Bonhams results as benchmarks.
• Plan for transport: use enclosed, soft-tied carriage and document condition before and after each move.
• Display smartly: limit UV exposure, avoid overinflating old tyres and rotate resting points to prevent flat spots.

A community keeps the flame

Motorcycles become totems when they belong somewhere. This RC45 has always felt native to the Causeway Coast, and its journey back taps into a shared sense of place. For locals and visiting fans, it offers a chance to stand near the fairing, trace the scuffs and recall the day a yellow helmet edged clear at Dundrod.

The RC30’s strong price suggests sustained demand for machines tied to major road races and marquee names. As more collections quietly change hands, expect the most storied bikes — with race-winning history and clear documentation — to draw the fiercest bidding. For now, one of the most evocative Hondas of the era is back among the people who cheered it loudest.