This custom, a unique preparation commissioned by SEGA for his campaignFearless: Year of Shadow”, will be auctioned by Bonhams at your auction Autumn Staffordwhich will be held in October in Stafford, United Kingdom. The initial estimate is between 10,000 and 15,000 pounds, approximately between 11,700 and 17,500 eurosalthough as it is a unique piece and with a charitable purpose, the final figure could far exceed this valuation.
And this is where history stops being simply a curiosity related to Sonic.
A foundation born from the memory of Luca Guintoli
Sylvain Guintoli and his family created the Luca Guintoli Foundation after the death of his son Lucaswho died in 2025 at age 6 after battling cancer. And, not surprisingly, the organisation’s aim is to help children affected by cancer or autism and support their families in England and Wales. Since then, the former Superbike world champion has found in solidarity initiatives a way to keep his son’s memory alive and, at the same time, try to help other families. A wonderful gesture.
One of the most striking actions, which we told you about at the time, came last April, when Guintoli completed the London Marathon with her daughters Alice and Layla dressed in a custom leather racing suit. The suit carried references to Sonicthe favorite character of Lucasand the initiative managed to raise more than 15,000 pounds, about 17,500 euros, for the PASICa British organization dedicated to helping children with cancer and their families.
Guintoli He finished the 42.195 km in 3 hours, 47 minutes and 46 seconds, in what he himself described as an unofficial record for a marathon run with equipment “almost” complete motorcycling.
It all started with Sonic
The connection between Guintoli and this motorcycle began precisely with that tribute. As we mentioned before, Lucas was a big fan of Sonic the hedgehog and when the pilot decided to participate in the London Marathon with a racing suit, he asked RST to prepare a special design inspired by the famous character of SEGA. But, in order to officially use the image of Sonic, Guintoli contacted SEGA. And the company not only accepted the proposal, but decided to go one step further.
SEGA “He had in his possession a motorcycle created for his campaign.”Fearless: Year of Shadow“, dedicated to Shadow the reizo, and found a new use for it: turning it into a “solidarity piece.” The Dark Rider had been built as a real recreation of the motorcycle associated with the universe of Shadow and had attended different promotional events during the 2024 campaign, including the MotoGP British Grand Prix in Silverstone, Gamescom, EGX and various actions related to the premiere of Sonic 3.
Once the campaign was over, the bike could have simply ended up in storage. But as we are telling you, kindly SEGA decided to hand it over to the Luca Guintoli Foundation to be used to raise funds.
A very unconventional 1,750 cc custom
Although its appearance seems straight out of a video game, under the body is a real and quite spectacular motorcycle. The Dark Rider It is built on a chassis of the type Bourget from 2000 and uses a V-twin engine S&S Super Stock 1,750 cc with cylinder heads Edelbrock. The propeller is associated with a gearbox ultimate 6 speed.
The set weighs about 280 kg and measures approximately 2.6 meters in length, with 1.1 meters in height and 900 mm in width between the ends of the handlebars. Visually everything revolves around Shadow the Hedgehog. Black dominates a completely customized body, while the red details and lighting integrated into different parts of the bike reinforce its inspiration in the character of SEGA.
It is not, therefore, a simple motorcycle painted in the colors of Shadow. This is a piece created specifically as a promotional and collectible element for the campaign “Year of Shadow”.
The most curious thing: you can’t take it for a walk
Here comes one of the most important details for any potential buyer. Although the Dark Rider It has British documentation in order, and is registered, it is currently not prepared for road use. The motorcycle is configured as a display piece and its fuel tank is, in reality, a “foam piece.” To put it back in working condition, the tank would have to be replaced and various reconditioning jobs would have to be carried out.
Bonhams It also considers that it could be the first time in which a collectible piece coming directly from SEGA comes up for auction, adding another element of interest for collectors.
Bonhams gives up part of its income for the Guintoli Funcation
The initiative has also managed to involve Bonhams. The auction house has been in charge of managing the sale and, according to the information provided by Guintoliits specialists have collaborated with the project to try to ensure that the greatest possible amount of the money obtained ends up in the foundation. The auction will be held within the Autumn Stafford Saleassociated with Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Showand the Dark Rider It will be offered without a reserve price. The official estimate of Bonhams is 10,000 to 15,000 pounds, around 11,700 to 17,500 euros.
Without a doubt, the Dark Rider will probably attract all eyes when it arrives on stage Bonhams. Its enormous size, the design inspired by Shadow and the fact that there is only one unit are sufficient arguments to awaken the interest of collectors. Furthermore, behind her is a family that has decided to transform a devastating loss into a way to help other people.
