Every now and again, a find comes along that makes you appreciate an entirely new class of vehicles. In this case, I’m talking about a one-of-ten three-wheeler known as a Kelvin Franks KTM 250. I literally have never heard of such a thing before just now, and I can say quite confidently this: I want it. This three-wheeler was built by one of the household names in aftermarket parts for three-wheelers and for building some of the best competition-grade bikes out there. The seller claims these hardly ever come up for sale, so check it out here on eBay where bidding is over $22,000.

Bidding has spiked pretty dramatically just this evening, going from the high teens to low 20s in the last few hours. The reserve remains unmet and the seller emphasizes that buying this three-wheeler won’t come cheaply. The original builder, Kelvin Franks, was a legend in the sport, hailing from Australia and a pioneer in the sport of motocross. He started a club in Southern California called CMC, and would later organize the first-ever motocross race in the United States. The pedigree speaks for itself.

The seller runs through some of the history behind the name, noting that Franks built loads of trick parts for racers in the 80s, including swing arms and triple clamps. He would eventually go on to build ten individual bikes for customers, with no two bikes built the same way. This means that every three-wheeler can be considered a one-off, with the seller noting that this example is the only one that came with inverted forks. The bike appears to be in beautiful condition, as it has been sympathetically restored by a well-known collector and curator.

Franks originally built the three-wheeler for a family looking for a bike to use for racing in the 80s. It eventually became a ratty, used racer that sold on craigslist in Northern California. That’s when a gentleman named Bill Kowal, the collector who built a stash of some of the rarest three-wheelers ever made known as the Lost Boys Collection, restored the KTM back to its original glory. I never knew such history could follow a three-wheeler, or that they could drive so much interest among bidders. Have any of you ever ridden one?