Top 10 Most Awesome Harleys Headed for Auction in Vegas
Mecum’s Sin City Motorcycle auction is chock-full of amazing Harleys every single year. Here are our 10 favorites for 2019.
These days, auctions are a dime a dozen. Some are chock-full of amazing, rare, and unique rides. Others, well, not so much. One of the very best events for motorcycle fans, however, is Mecum’s 28th Annual Vintage & Antique Motorcycle Auction in Las Vegas. This sale never fails to disappoint, with a massive inventory of incredible lots. This year’s extravaganza, which takes place January 22-27, features 1,750 Harleys and other two-wheeled masterpieces.
That’s a heck of a lot of bikes to sift through, of course. So we decided to do you a solid and pick out our ten favorite rides among the dozens of Harleys up for grabs. It wasn’t an easy task, by any means. This list could have easily expanded to a hundred or more, after all. So if you want to view all 93 Harleys for sale, head over here. And be sure and tell us what your favorite rides are in the comments below!
1977 Harley-Davidson XLCR
The XLCR is equal parts unique and an important slice of Harley history. Designed by a young Willie G. Davidson, the factory custom was an attempt to capture a piece of the incredibly popular cafe racer movement of the era. Of course, Davidson put a unique, more aggressive spin on design than the XLCR’s Italian competition.
And it backed that up those killer looks with performance. The XLCR was Harley’s fastest motorcycle at the time, touting a 115 mph top speed. Regardless, only 3,133 were built in total. And this one, which was imported into the states back in the ’90s, is a shining example of the breed.
1968 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Racer
Speaking of Italian design, H-D’s relationship (and part ownership) of Aermacchi produced some seriously stunning rides, too. And the 250cc version of their co-developed racing motorcycle is arguably the pinnacle of that relationship.
The twin-cylinder two-stroke engine produced a healthy 46 hp and revved to 11,000 rpm. With only 250 pounds to move around, it’s no surprise that this now rare and historic ride went on to achieve some impressive racing success. And it looked darn good doing it, too.
1911 Harley-Davidson 7D V-Twin
When you’re talking about rare Harleys, you can’t leave out what might be the rarest of all. And it’s this – a one-of-four 1911 7D. This particular bike is thought to be the best of that tiny group, too. And now it’s headed to auction, where we believe it’ll smash some sales records.
The 1911 7D isn’t just rare, of course. It’s also a very significant bike from Harley’s past. It sported the first viable V-Twin engine in the company’s history. Thus, it’s no surprise that this masterfully restored example has spent most of the last few decades on display in various museums.
1936 Harley-Davidson VLH
We can argue all day about what, exactly, constitutes the quintessential Harley. But in our book, it’s this classic VLH. And yet, this one-year-only ride is also what most people consider the ultimate Flathead. It was capable of topping that magical 100 mph mark, yet only a little over 2,000 were built.
This gorgeous blue and white example might just be the best of them all. The fully restored bike shows only 700 miles on the odometer and zero imperfections. But perhaps most importantly, it was owned by none other than the legendary Steve McQueen. Which is about the only thing that could make this Harley any cooler than it already is.
Top 10 Most Awesome Harleys Headed for Auction in Vegas continued…
