Sylvain Guintoli to sell beloved bike in aid of late son Luca's charity foundation

Sylvain Guintoli is set to auction off a Sega Sonic the Hedgehog-inspired custom motorcycle in support of his late son

12 Aug 2026

Sylvain Guintoli will sell the motorcycle in aid of his son's foundation. Credit: Bonhams.

Sylvain Guintoli has decided to put his 2000 Bourget custom ‘Dark Rider’ motorcycle up for auction, with all proceeds going to the Luca Guintoli charity foundation.

The former WorldSBK and Endurance world champion, and current TNT Sports MotoGP co-presenter, founded the charity after his late son, Luca, tragically passed away at the age of six last summer, after battling cancer for nearly an entire year.

The motorcycle is a Bourget's Bike Works custom build which was created as a one-off model designed by Sega.

Sega Sonic the Hedgehog-inspired motorcycle. Credit: Bonhams.

The bike was also created in conjunction with Oil Sweat & Gears and Atmospherics SFX.

According to the auction listing from Bonhams, the ‘Dark Rider’ motorcycle was inspired by Shadow the Hedgehog from Sega's iconic Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.

Sonic the Hedgehog was known to be a favourite character of Guintoli’s son, which ultimately served as inspiration for Guintoli to run the 2026 London Marathon in a full one-piece leather suit featuring a Sonic the Hedgehog design.

Guintoli raised over £150,000 for the PASIC (Parents' Association for Seriously Ill Children) charity, which provides help and support to families whose children are fighting cancer. Guintoli ran the marathon alongside his daughters Alicia and Layla.

This motorcycle is special for various reasons, and it also represents “the first time a piece of Sega memorabilia, coming directly from the company, has been offered for sale at auction”, according to the listing.

The black and red 'Dark Rider' motorcycle heading for auction. Credit: Bonhams.

The Bourget motorcycle uses a 1,750cc S&S Super Stock engine equipped with Edelbrock cylinder heads, and a six-speed gearbox.

The bike is currently being offered as a display model only, therefore it will need to be re-commissioned by its new owner should they wish to ride it on the road.

The motorcycle is expected to sell for a total of around £10,000 to £15,000, and it will officially go up for sale during the Autumn Stafford Sale - The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, on October 11.