SEGA is auctioning a Shadow the Hedgehog motorcycle for a children's charity
SEGA is auctioning the “Dark Rider,” a custom Shadow the Hedgehog motorcycle built for its 2024 Year of Shadow campaign. It goes under the hammer at Bonhams on October 10-11, estimated at £10,000-15,000, with proceeds going to a children’s cancer and autism charity.
SEGA is putting a one-of-a-kind Shadow the Hedgehog motorcycle up for auction, and every penny is going to a children’s charity founded in memory of a six-year-old.
The custom bike, called the “Dark Rider,” was built for SEGA’s 2024 Fearless: Year of Shadow campaign. It heads to Bonhams’ Autumn Stafford Sale on October 10-11, carrying an estimate of £10,000-15,000 and selling with no reserve. Bonhams believes it’s the first time memorabilia straight from SEGA has been offered at auction.
The cause behind the sale is what gives it weight.
Where the money goes
The proceeds support a foundation born from a family’s loss.
All money raised goes to the Luca Guintoli Foundation, set up by 2014 World Superbike champion Sylvain Guintoli after his six-year-old son, Luca, died of cancer last year. The foundation supports the physical and mental health of children with autism or cancer, and their families, across England and Wales.
Guintoli, now a MotoGP pundit for TNT Sports, has thrown himself into fundraising in his son’s name. In April, he ran the London Marathon in Sonic-themed leathers bearing Luca’s name, setting a world record for running in motorcycle leathers and raising over £150,000 for another children’s charity. The Dark Rider, which was gifted to his foundation after the campaign ended, is the latest effort.
What the Dark Rider actually is
The bike itself is a genuine custom build, not a prop knocked together for a photo.
It’s a 1,750cc machine built on a Bourget’s Bike Works frame, created by SEGA in collaboration with custom shops Oil Sweat & Gears and Atmospherics SFX. Designed around Shadow’s black-and-red aesthetic and the campaign’s themes of fearlessness and determination, it toured events across the US, UK, and Europe throughout 2024, MotoGP at Silverstone, Gamescom, MCM Comic Con, and Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 cinema promotions.
One honest caveat for anyone dreaming of riding it: you can’t. The fuel tank is a foam dummy and the bike is configured for static display. Making it road-worthy would mean replacing the tank and doing significant recommissioning work. It’s a showpiece, not a commuter.
Why this one’s worth noting
The Year of Shadow campaign was a big deal for SEGA, which makes the bike a real piece of Sonic history.
2024 was Shadow’s year across the board, the character headlined Sonic X Shadow Generations and made his big-screen debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, where he was a breakout. The Dark Rider was the physical centerpiece of that push, and now it’s a one-off collectible with a charitable purpose attached.
For a Sonic fan with the budget, it’s a rare chance to own a genuine piece of SEGA marketing history and put the money toward a foundation helping kids and families through cancer and autism. The bike’s on display at the British MotoGP at Silverstone ahead of the sale, and bidding is open to international buyers. It won’t get you a ride. It will get you something better.
Article compiled and edited by Derek Gibbs (entertainment editor) and the Clownfish TV newsroom.
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Hat Tips:
Bonhams (August 2026), verified for the lot listing, the 2000 Bourget 1,750cc custom frame, the Year of Shadow origin, the collaboration with Oil Sweat & Gears and Atmospherics SFX, the event tour, the gifting to the Luca Guintoli Foundation, and the October 10-11 Autumn Stafford Sale
The Sonic Stadium (August 2026), verified for the Dark Rider’s Fearless: Year of Shadow campaign origin, the £10,000-15,000 estimate, the Sonic X Shadow Generations and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 tie-ins, Sylvain Guintoli’s racing accolades, and the London Marathon fundraiser detail
tbreak (August 2026), verified for the no-reserve sale, the foam-dummy fuel tank and static-display configuration, the foundation supporting children with autism or cancer in England and Wales, Luca’s passing last year, the £150,000 marathon total, and the Silverstone display
IGN (as first reporter, via tbreak) (August 2026), credited as the originating outlet for the auction story