Normally you wouldn't know what the reserve was until a bid exceeded it, but the seller has obviosly got tired of people asking what it is and made it public.
With such a high reserve I don't really see the point of starting it at 99p.
Theoretically an insurance company might want more to insure a 'grey import'. They do sometimes with cars, particularly if a certain model was never officially imported. Looking at the 'How Many Left' (DVLA records) web site it seems several Saturnos must have been imported unofficially over the years since a batch was brought in by Heron in about 1990 I guess.
In practice, for a bike of this age it doesn't really make any difference. You would be best getting a classic policy from someone like Footman James anyway.
It certainly looks very original, so I suspect it may end up in a collection rather than being ridden. I do wonder if the guy whose garage it was spotted in realised how much it might be worth.
"Do not adjust your mind, there is a fault in the reality"
1957 175 Sport