Super-Rare MT500 Military Harley Goes Super Cheap
One of 500 Made, 1999 Harley Military Bike Has Rifle Case & Jerrycans
There aren’t too many “bargains” in the world of collectible motorcycles these days. But this 1999 Harley-Davidson MT500 certainly classifies as one. One of less than 500 produced from 1993-2000, it sold at Bonhams Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction for a mere $18,400. And this is no restored beater, either — it has a total of 0 miles on the odometer.
Designed solely for military use, the MT500 never took hold in the market since most military crews (including in the U.S.) wanted diesel powered bikes. Instead, the MT500 received a Rotax single cylinder, air cooled 500cc engine. An exercise in simplicity, the bike is kick start only. The biggest “features” on Harley’s military two wheeler are a waterproof rifle case and twin Jerrycans.
The basic design of the MT500 began in Italy in the 1980’s, when SVM produced the Rotax powered military bike. UK based Armstrong-CCM swooped in and purchased SVM when they failed financially. The MT was put into production in 1984, seeing use in Britain as well as Canada and Jordan.
Harley came into the picture in the late 80’s with a desire to get into the lucrative military market. That, unfortunately, never came to fruition as the U.S. military adopted diesel-only guidelines. Aside from that, Harley had interest in owning the rights to the Rotax engine, long a popular piece among dirt bike enthusiasts.
All of which makes this MT a great investment. An untouched ride with an awesome back story, you won’t find a better example. It’s surprising that the MT didn’t sell for more, and perhaps even more surprising that it didn’t even meet it’s estimate of $20,000-$24,000. But kudos to the new owner for scooping up an interesting piece of H-D history on the cheap.
