KEY POINTS:
A surprise find at the back of a bike shed in Wellington has led to keen international interest.
An old motorbike, thought to be a 1915 model Ariel 670CC V Twin, was last year found among the belongings of its late owner.
The bike, said to be one of the "very few" models of its kind left in the world, could fetch up to $20,000 at the country's first historical motorbike auction tonight.
Neil Campbell, managing director of the auction firm Webb's, says the bike is believed to have been bought from a car-dealer in Australia, before being brought to New Zealand in the 1930s.
"It's one of the oldest Ariels known. It's extremely original," he said.
"It's made out of a bicycle frame and has gas head lamps.
"At top speed it would go at 30 miles an hour and when it was new, it cost £100.
"Back then you could buy a house with that. It's extremely eccentric."
Complete with authentic parts, the bike is powered by a V Twin 670CC motor and has a belt drive, a foot clutch pedal, hand-change and a three-speed gearbox.
Said to be one of the world's oldest Ariel V Twin vehicles, the bike has also attracted strong interest from overseas, including museums and other international institutions.
Mr Campbell says there are two or three motorbikes in New Zealand that are of a historic age, but he acknowledged that this was the first time one had been put up for sale.
In total, there are 24 collectors' motorcycles in tonight's auction, including a 1914 Clyno, a 1926 Harley-Davidson with a royal tourist sidecar and a 1958 Manx Norton.
Once owned by New Zealand's four-time motorcycling world champion Hugh Anderson, the Manx Norton is expected to reel in up to $70,000.
