Sega Donates Dark Rider: Guintoli Auctions Sonic Bike for Foundation

• Auction on 11 October 2026 at the Autumn Stafford Sale, estimate 10,000 to 15,000 pounds (around 11,700 to 17,550 euros / 13,500 to 20,250 US dollars), offered without reserve
• Powertrain: 1,750 cc S&S Super Stock V-twin with Edelbrock cylinder heads and an Ultimate six-speed gearbox, weight 280 kg (617 lbs)
• The entire proceeds go to the Luca Guintoli Foundation, Bonhams is waiving its fees

A black-and-red custom bike with lighting elements in the wheels and tank, built for a video game campaign, goes under the hammer in England in October. The motorcycle is called “Dark Rider – Year of Shadow”. Behind the unusual auction lot lies a story that reaches far beyond collector’s items and pop culture. Sylvain Guintoli, Superbike world champion in 2014 and endurance world champion in 2021, is selling the one-off in aid of the foundation he and his wife set up after the death of their six-year-old son Luca.

What is behind the Dark Rider auction lot?

The Dark Rider is a one-off that Sega had built in 2024 for the marketing campaign “Fearless: Year of Shadow”. The motorcycle is styled after the game character Shadow the Hedgehog, so black and red dominate.

According to Bonhams, the machine was built by Bourget’s Bike Works and designed by Sega together with the specialists from Oil Sweat & Gears and Atmospherics SFX. In 2024 the campaign promoted two products at once: the video game “Sonic X Shadow Generations” and the cinema film “Sonic the Hedgehog 3”. A year earlier, Sega had already put the characters Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose centre stage with its “Fast Friends Forever” programme.

The motorcycle travelled a great deal afterwards. According to the lot description, its stops included the British MotoGP round at Silverstone, the Sega stand at Gamescom in Germany, EGX and MCM Comic Con in London, a charity event at Goodwood as well as cinema foyers in the UK where Paramount promoted the third Sonic film.

What technology is in the custom bike?

The frame houses a 1,750 cc S&S Super Stock V-twin with cylinder heads from Edelbrock, paired with a six-speed gearbox from Ultimate. The machine is registered as a Bourget, and the frame is listed with a build year of 2000.

The dimensions are generous. Bonhams quotes a weight of 280 kg (617 lbs), a length of around 2.6 m, a height of about 1.1 m and a handlebar width of 900 mm. Added to that are extensive custom parts on the bodywork as well as lighting elements worked into the wheels and tank. The auction house gives no power figures for the engine.

Why can the Dark Rider not be ridden?

The motorcycle is currently set up purely for static display and is not road legal in its present condition. The tank is a foam dummy.

Anyone wanting to put the machine on the road must therefore first fit a working tank and carry out further work that Bonhams describes as an extensive recommissioning. Papers are nevertheless in place: the vehicle comes with a British V5C registration document, a copy of the US title, a customs declaration from the British tax authority HMRC as well as a copy of the contract with which Sega handed the motorcycle over to the foundation. The auction house also points out that an incorrect engine number is entered in the V5C.

When and where does the Sonic motorcycle go under the hammer?

The auction takes place on 11 October 2026 from 11 a.m. British time. The venue is the Bonhams Autumn Stafford Sale at the Staffordshire County Showground, which runs over two days as part of the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show.

The estimate is 10,000 to 15,000 pounds (around 11,700 to 17,550 euros / 13,500 to 20,250 US dollars). The lot is offered without reserve, so the motorcycle will change hands in any case. Registration for bids is also open to international buyers. Bonhams believes this is likely to be the first time a collector’s item straight from Sega has been offered at auction.

How did the motorcycle come to the Luca Guintoli Foundation?

It started with a set of leathers. For the London Marathon in April 2026, Guintoli had RST make a suit with Sonic motifs, because the game character was his son’s favourite.

He asked Sega for permission to use the character. “I wanted Sonic on the leathers because it was Luca’s favourite character”, he said in an interview. He added that his son constantly dressed up as Sonic. Sega had been very helpful and then offered to do even more.

That offer turned into the donation of the motorcycle. Sega manager Aaron Kirby described the trigger like this: “We were aware that we had this bike in storage, so it was just really a bit of a mad idea”. Being able to raise money for a good cause with it was fantastic for the company, he said.

Guintoli then approached Bonhams. According to him, the auction house agreed immediately; motorcycle specialist Andrew Thornton and colleagues are providing their work free of charge. “They said they’d handle everything with the bike and waive any fees on the auction side just to maximise it for the charity”, Guintoli said.

The motorcycle stays on tour before the sale date. Most recently it stood in the MotoGP paddock at Silverstone, supported by the MotoGP organisers and the team association IRTA. That makes the Dark Rider a recurring sight of the ongoing 2026 MotoGP season, appearing at several race weekends. More appearances are to follow before the machine heads to Stafford in October.

What are the goals of the Luca Guintoli Foundation?

The foundation supports children with cancer or autism and their families in England and Wales. That includes financial help, advice, educational programmes and practical support in everyday life.

Sylvain Guintoli and his wife set up the organisation after the death of their son. Luca was diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and died at the end of July 2025 at the age of six. Guintoli describes the foundation’s work as part of his own coming to terms with the loss. “If you’re not trying to do something good, you can lose the plot”, he said. It is also a way of dealing with it.

By his account, the impetus came from his two older daughters last winter. The family had been looking for a shared task to focus on. The foundation is currently examining whether it can support research projects into childhood cancer in the UK in future.

From a marathon in leathers to a helmet raffle

The Dark Rider is not the first campaign of this kind. Back in December 2024, Guintoli auctioned equipment from his racing season, including an RST suit, gloves, a carbon helmet and race boots. According to media reports, that raised more than 4,000 pounds (around 4,680 euros / 5,400 US dollars) for the organisation Young Lives vs Cancer, plus another 9,270 pounds (around 10,845 euros / 12,515 US dollars) via a donation page.

April 2026 brought the London Marathon, which Guintoli ran together with his two eldest daughters in a one-piece leather suit. His time of 3:47:46 hours undercuts the Guinness world record for the fastest marathon in motorcycle clothing, which stands at 4:00:11 hours and was set in April 2018 by David Smith. The mark has not been officially confirmed so far. Immediately after the run, more than 141,500 pounds (around 165,500 euros / 191,000 US dollars) had been raised for the cancer charity PASIC, and the total has since grown to over 150,000 pounds (around 175,500 euros / 202,500 US dollars). Guintoli was accompanied by colleagues from racing: among others, the entire MotoGP grid ran along at the season opener in Thailand, and before the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance riders completed a lap of the Bugatti Circuit in their leathers.

Running alongside the auction is a raffle for which MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo has donated and hand-signed a genuine race helmet from the start of the 2026 season. Only two examples of this helmet exist, and the Yamaha rider is keeping one himself. Tickets start at 5 pounds (around 5.85 euros / 6.75 US dollars), with bundles going up to 60 tickets for 100 pounds (around 117 euros / 135 US dollars). Sales end on 16 August 2026 at 11:59 p.m. British time. Most recently the proceeds stood at over 55,000 pounds (around 64,300 euros / 74,250 US dollars).

Guintoli himself sums up the development soberly. “It’s all people coming together to try and do something positive”, he said.

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