Ultra-Rare 1908 Harley-Davidson Is Most Expensive Motorcycle Ever Sold At Auction

An ultra-rare 1908 Harley is officially the most expensive motorcycle ever to be sold at any auction at $935,000, according to Vintagent, which keeps tabs on vintage motorcycle sales. The sale took place at the Mecum Auction in Las Vegas January 28.

It’s one of only 450 motorcycles produced by Harley-Davidson in 1908, and survivors from this early time in Harley-Davidson history are extremely rare. Couple that with the fact that very few of those are as correct and original as this one, which includes the original tank, wheels, engine belt pulley, seat cover and muffler sleeve with its sale, and it becomes apparent that this Strap Tank is a truly exceptional machine and I want to ride it, even though I never will and neither will you.

In terms of Harley-Davidson history, there is no more important model than the legendary Strap Tank—it’s the first of the breed, and the earliest Harley-Davidson model one will ever find, as the prototypes that preceded went to Harley heaven decades ago.

In 1905, production of Harley-Davidson motorcycles began in a small wooden shed, and the small company built only five machines that year. These first production engines were enlarged to 440cc (26.84 CI) and produced about 4 HP which, at the time, was plenty of power.

By 1906, a new factory was built on Chestnut Street—which was later renamed Juneau Avenue and is still home to Harley-Davidson’s headquarters today—and about 50 bikes were built that year from the single-story building.

These first models are known as the Strap Tank because of the nickel-plated steel bands suspending the fuel and oil tanks from the frame. In 1907, the factory built around 150 machines, and by 1908, production leaped to 450 machines; Harley-Davidson wasn’t the biggest factory, but the Strap Tank had gained a reputation for robustness, which was very much needed in those pre-pavement-and-highways times.

These earliest Harley-Davidson Strap Tanks are the most coveted of all Milwaukee machinery. They established the pattern for all future production, combining a clean yet conservative styling, a somber color scheme, heavy-duty cycle parts and an engine a little bigger and stronger than the rest.

This 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank was discovered as a complete motorcycle in a Wisconsin barn by David Uihlein in 1941, and he kept it in his home state for the next 66 years. The Strap Tank was expertly restored with the help of Paul Freehill of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

This is one of only 450 motorcycles produced by Harley-Davidson in 1908, and survivors from this early time in Harley-Davidson history are extremely rare. Couple that with the fact that very few of those are as correct and original as this one, which includes the original tank, wheels, engine belt pulley, seat cover and muffler sleeve with its sale, and it becomes apparent that this Strap Tank is a truly exceptional find.