Harley-Davidson from 1908 becomes priciest bike at auction

 I can't even pick it up when it's on its side 

At bike shows the Harley display they often have an exhibit where a young lady shows you how to pick up your tipped over Electraglide. They use a real bike and a lady lifts it back on its wheels. Technique, not strength, is the key.

The Strap Tank Harley-Davidson was recorded on vintagent.com as being sold for $935,000 after auction fees

Whew. A lot of money to spend on an old Milwaukee Vibrator!

I ended my 2 decades long affair with BMW bikes to buy a HD Pan America, have to admit it's a massive mistake, I can't even pick it up when it's on its side (despite it being the same weight on paper as my old R1200 GS adventure).

I've ridden both. I have older high mileage BMW K bikes and an original R80G/S. I work on my own bikes too, and one of my best friends built and tested the prototypes of the R80G/S and the early K-bikes when he worked for BMW Research. Man does he have stories! Now he has an independent shop. He has lots of oilheads on his lift and we talk bikes. He'll work on the newer BMWs but you should hear him criticize them. From what I have seen I won't buy one. BMW made some bad compromises to get that engine up to 1200 cc. Too much stroke, too short a conrod and the only way to replace the timing chain tensioners, a common thing that goes on higher mileage bikes, you have to tear the whole engine down. Stupid. On an early K-bike replacing the tensioner and guiderail is a 2 hour job max. Simple. Oilhead gearboxes are not so nice either. I rode them a few years ago thinking of buying a new bike and shook my head no. My old K100RS is nicer to ride in every possible way and I can work on everything at home where the BMW needs a very expensive computer to do even routine maintenance. Eff that!

I have two Street Rods, the sporty version of the V-Rod. If the Pan-America's engine is as well made as the V-Rod engine it will be a winner. The best part are hydraulic lifters. No valve adjustments. Checking valve clearances on a V-Rod is a six hour job but it's Romper Room compared to the tear down to check the valves on a late model K1200/1300. The Pan America I rode was awesome. Perfect neutral steering, huge power, great brakes, easy intuitive bike to ride. It's my next bike. Harley deliberately gave the engine some mechanical "character" but I wish they had kept it as refined and quiet as the V-Rod engine. I rode my first Street Rod after having ridden a bunch of BMWs and Aprilias. The V-Rod motor was the best of the bunch for refinement and this is from someone who has a 38 year old K100RS in the garage I bought new and put over 500,000km on. The Pan-America seemed every bit as good, and nicer than the newest BMWs I have ridden. Interesting aside but the Platform Manager for the Street Rod was a German guy named Peter Michael Keppler. Talking to him at a bike show is what got me thinking about buying a Street Rod and I'll never regret it, but the old airhead Harleys are emphatically not my cup of tea.

I ended my 2 decades long affair with BMW bikes to buy a HD Pan America, have to admit it's a massive mistake, I can't even pick it up when it's on its side (despite it being the same weight on paper as my old R1200 GS adventure).

I'd be interested in how much a Honda 2 stroke bike (NSR500?) HRC bike would fetch at auction. That's a special bike that you would still ride today.

Gee a picture might help….

Easy to say Mr. Chin, but just as easy to say that there are people with absurd amounts of money who would rather buy a useless old motorbike than use the money to help others.

There are such fools that exist in the world.