Is this fun or heresy? Or maybe…both?
1930 Indian 101 Scout
The Indian Scout was introduced in 1920 – eight years later the 101 Scout was released and some motorcycles consider it to be the most iconic Indian motorcycle ever built thanks to a bevy of racing-inspired upgrades. Said upgrades included a stronger frame, improved suspension, a longer wheelbase, and a front brake. However as the Great Depression took hold, Indian …
1913 Indian Big Twin
The last Indian to feature the F-head engine in a cradle-spring frame, the Big Twin is one of the milestone bikes of Indian’s long history. 1913 was the first year of the cradle and 1915 was the last year of production before Indian stopped racing efforts to help with the war, replacing Oscar Hedstrom’s design with their first flat head …
1971 Rupp Black Widow
Rupp Industries was based in Mansfield, Ohio, and for nearly 20 years they were able to compete with Honda and other Japanese manufacturers for a share of the lucrative mini bike market. Their top-of-the-line competition bike was the Black Widow, which was based on the Roadster/2. The Black Widow is probably the best-known of Rupp’s creations. It paired a 4 …
Harley/Aermacchi Sprint Land Speed Racer
Per the seller, this “is the current record holder at El Mirage” though I’m unable to determine exactly which class he’s referring to.
10 Miles – 1999 Harley-Davidson MT500
One of the rarest bikes ever built by Harley-Davidson, the MT500 was originally built by the British in the 80s. Rights to the design were sold by Armstrong-CCM to HD, who sold just 355 copies of the MT500 in 1999, and a few more the following year. Only select HD dealerships were allowed to sell these bikes.
In Crate – 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 100th Anniversary
In 2003, Harley-Davidson had 28 different models in their lineup. That year was H-D’s 100th Anniversary, and they celebrated with special variants of their most popular models, adorning them in Sterling Silver and Vivid Black as well as “100” branding all over the bike. Here’s an example of the 883 Sportster which has never left the factory crate.
6 Miles – 1977 Harley-Davidson XLCR
When it was released, the Harley-Davidson XLCR (CR stood for Cafe Racer) was supposed to be an instant success powered by Harley’s most powerful production engine to date. It was a jet black departure from HD’s usual chrome fare. It didn’t sell well at all – now it’s a cult classic.
1973 Yankee Z500
Post Sale Update: This Yankee Z500 sold for $5,000 after 26 bids on eBay. In the early 70s, John Taylor of Schenectady, New York started building the Yankee Z500, an American dual-sport designed to compete with the best bikes coming out of Europe. Yankee Motor Company started by importing machines from OSSA, the Spanish off-road powerhouse, and then moved to …
Street Legal – 2017 Christini 300 AWD
You’ve seen two wheel drive bikes before thanks to companies like Rokon. But thanks to a fancy mechanical system enclosed within the head tub and frame, Christini has been the most successful manufacturer of two wheel drive bikes that can go anywhere and do it quickly. Nowadays they offer bikes in 300 and 450 displacements – the smaller option utilizes …
516 Miles – 2022 Harley-Davidson/LiveWire ONE
I’ll be frank – I’m not particularly interested in the LiveWire myself. But sharing this gives me an excuse to ask/answer an interesting question: in Q2 of this year, how many bikes do you think LiveWire (which H-D spun off as its own entity) sold?
Evel Knievel’s Stratocycle – Harley-Davidson XLCH
8-28-23 Update: Two years later and it’s still up for sale, but now it’s back up to $200k. We’ll see how that goes…find the Stratocycle in Los Angeles here on eBay. 7-21-21 Update:Another 3 years later, Tim Huber notes that this famous Harley is now for sale by Heritage Auctions. They’re accepting offers for another couple of weeks, and the …
3 Miles – 1974 Can-Am TNT 125
Canada’s attempt at the MX world, the Can-Am TNT 125 was one of many dirt-oriented bikes produced during the short but very sweet lifespan of Can-Am. An acronym for Track ‘n’ Trail, the TNT bikes shared the same chassis and engine as the MX bikes, but utilized lower compression for easier riding traits on trails. Here’s one that stands out …
1984 Tritan A2 Aero Car
No, it’s not really a motorcycle. But that’s how it was classified because of its three-wheeled nature, and we’re going to run with it. The Tritan A2 was notable for having an incredible drag coefficient – just 0.15. Compare that to a period Toyota MR2, which had a Cd of 0.35. Amusingly, the only commercial “success” the A2 had was …
238 Miles – 2000 Harley-Davidson MT500
One of the rarest bikes ever built by Harley-Davidson, the MT500 was originally built by the British in the 80s. Rights to the design were sold by Armstrong-CCM to HD, who sold just 355 copies of the MT500 in 1999, and a few more the following year. Only select HD dealerships were allowed to sell these bikes.