1/22 Update: And just like that, it’s already been sold! This Harley-Davidson VLD went for the BIN price of $15,999.
When the stock market crashed in ’29, most American motorcycle manufacturing firms went out of business. H-D, of course, was one of the few that survived. With only a little bit of money to play with (thanks to Harley’s bottoming out of sales in 1933), the company was limited to incremental changes. The 1934 Harley Davidson VLD got the company back on the right foot. This was their top of the line bike, and I’m excited to show you a numbers-matching, nearly original example for sale today.
This flathead had aluminum alloy pistons and a 5:1 compression ratio that yielded 36 horsepower at 4,500 rpm. There was no rear suspension, though the seat had a ‘full floater’ spring. A 3-speed hand shift took care of gearing duties, but the foot-operated clutch was interesting in that you could lock it in place. You could come up to a stop, lock the clutch and leave your bike in 1st while you waited for the light to turn green. When you weren’t sitting around at lights, this bike could hit about 90 miles per hour.
Check out a video of the seller starting this wonderful bike and running it up and down the block:
This specific Harley-Davidson VLD (VIN: 34VLD5575) is a numbers-matching example which is almost entirely original. The only reproduction parts are the front headlight, horn cover, tail light lenses, and oiler cover. Not bad for a bike from 1934! I’ve got to say, I absolutely adore the visual condition of this bike. The M51 Linkert carb has been rebuilt with a new needle and seat, and the front end is partially from a ’36. The transmission has been rebuilt, along with the clutch. Wheels are original barn finds, and you’ll get an extra set. You’ll also get a new 6 volt battery, and the original Buddy seat. In general, the seller claims that this is a rider that could use a rebuild of the engine and wheels if you truly wanted to cover some miles on it. Meanwhile, I claim that I need to win the lottery to snap this up.
Find this Harley-Davidson VLD for sale in Seattle, Washington with a BIN price of $15,999
