A 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank, Mecum Auctions
WE LOVE CAFÉ racers, we love bobbers, and we love a killer scrambler. But we additionally love nice classics, and typically they arrive from an unlikely producer. This 12 months at Mecum’s Las Vegas public sale, a uncommon bike practically offered for $1 million, and it wasn’t a Henderson, or an MV Agusta, not even a Vincent or a uncommon Indian. Nope. It was a Harley-Davidson.
The most costly bike offered this 12 months on the 2023 Mecum public sale was a 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank. This uncommon bike has an fascinating pedigree that makes it a one in every of a sort. Less than a dozen of those bikes exist, nonetheless this one could possibly be probably the most unique. This Strap Tank, so known as as a result of the fuel tank and oil tank are held to the bicycle-like body with nickel strap, is without doubt one of the oldest surviving HDs and predates panhead Harleys by many years.
When the public sale gavel fell, the bike went for $850,000. That works out to $935,000 after public sale charges. Watch the gavel fall in Mecum’s video.
This explicit Strap Tank was discovered by bike collector David Uihlein in 1941, and he saved it for 66 years. Yes, it was restored, however it’s some of the appropriate and unique bikes from that period. It has the unique tank, wheels, engine belt pulley, seat cowl and muffler sleeve.
Yes, that’s loads of scratch for an outdated Harley. It’s not the costliest bike ever offered, however it’s the costliest bike ever offered by Mecum in Vegas. It wasn’t the primary Strap Tank that Mecum ever offered, in 2021 the corporate offered a 1907 Strap Tank for $297,000. But this bike has a well-documented historical past, in addition to well-documented unique 115-year-old elements.
Source: www.bikeexif.com