In a recent Las Vegas auction, a 1908 Strap Tank model Harley-Davidson motorcycle fetched an impressive $935,000, making it the most expensive motorcycle ever sold. The bike’s name comes from the use of nickel-plated steel bands to secure the fuel and oil tanks to the frame.
A 1908 Harley-Davidson Was Sold
Harley-Davidson manufactured only 450 motorcycles in 1908, and few of these have survived to the present day. The recently sold Strap Tank model, which fetched $935,000 at the Las Vegas auction, still retains many of its original parts, including the wheels, tank, seat cover, muffler sleeve, and engine belt pulley. The bike was discovered by businessman David Uihlein in a barn approximately 70 miles from Milwaukee in 1941. He kept the bike for 66 years before teaming up with Indiana-based collector Paul Freehill to restore it to its original condition. The bike’s color scheme is mostly gray with red accent striping and a prominent orange Harley-Davidson logo.
The restoration work carried out on the bike was one of the factors that contributed to its high sale price. However, even the experts at the auction house were taken aback by the final sale value. They acknowledged that while they had marketed the bike well, they were still surprised by the record-breaking sale.
The Harley-Davidson Was Fully Restored
Collectors consider the Strap Tank to be the oldest available Harley-Davidson motorcycle because the earlier models have been lost over time. The Strap Tank model was produced in the company’s factory on Chestnut Street, which is now Juneau Avenue, in Milwaukee. The motorcycles built during the company’s early days are highly prized among collectors, as they set the standard for all subsequent production.
The Harley-Davidson company has its origins in Milwaukee, where William Harley and Arthur Davidson, along with the latter’s brothers, founded it in 1903. They initially built prototypes in a small shed but went on to make their brand one of the most well-known around the world. In 2003, on the occasion of the company’s centennial, Robert F. Howe wrote that the Harley-Davidson motorcycle had evolved into a symbol of American culture.