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We don’t normally feature boats around here (with the exception of the occasional Amphicar!), but when Jim S. sent this one in, I knew we needed to give it a mention. It’s a 1962 Tomahawk and it appears to be in great condition. The thing that makes this boat special though is the fact it was marketed and sold by Harley-Davidson. Bet you didn’t know that the famous motorcycle manufacturer was in the boat business! Well, they only did it for a year, but the novelty factor does make this find interesting. You can read more about the history of Tomahawk here on fiberclassics or view the auction for the boat here on eBay. Thanks Jim for sending in this unique discovery!
Strange, yes, but not as dismal as later days when HD was owned by AMF. -_-;
If AMF had never bought HD, they would have been bankrupt within one year. In fact, the cash infusion that AMF provided was used to modernize tooling and design. While AMF took the brunt of that “Bowling Ball Bike” horse hockey, what they did was take an oil spewing rattle trap and bring it into the future by 40 years. You guys with that “Bowling Ball” mentality should try doing some research on HD, before and after the short stay with AMF. Read Something, don’t rely on the barroom chatter from the local HD historical experts.
Oh, and by the way, I am the owner of a ’92 FLHTP EVO. A retired NYC Police bike.
i happen to own a 1962 Harley Davidson tomahawk boat myself now can anyone tell me what its worth
This is an very generic design built by at least 2 dozen small and medium manufactures both in Canada and the US.. The one I had when the kids were growing up was built by Vanguard and is almost identical in colour, style, top, everything except the fore deck was a bit longer. Paying for a carbon copy with a Harley Davidson decal is not worth the price. The only thing rare about this boat is the HD Decal. everything else is extremely generic and i can see why they stopped after 1 year.
Trailer with what appears to be standard non water proof lights and old style non galvanized pipe frame trailer (had one with serious interior corrosion) also the main centre frame appears to have corrosion and be either bent or is sagging from interior corrosion – $125.00,
Outboard engine (has been rebuilt? with bills I hope) with surface corrosion on the lower leg – $250.00
Not sure if the glove box door is factory. Doesn’t seem to fit in to the dash design The compass is a not needed tacky add on.(who needs a compass on a ski boat?)
Boat $300 to $500 depending on the condition of the transom. (this is a huge week spot in older outboard powered boats as the internal plywood rotted out leaving the fbirerglass outer to hold the weight.
Total $ value between $650 and $1200 not including the “custom made” Tomahawk flag.
Sorry but this is someone who believes that because there is not many around it is worth a lot because it is “rare”
There is a big difference between rare and collectible. Check Hemmings for their excellent articles on the difference.
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Went to the link on fiberclassics for this boat and from what I see there isn’t one boat style/configuration shown with the sellers current seat configuration. So I believe they are add on’s, modifications like the dash compass.
Sorry it just is not “rare / collectible” as the ad states.
I think this boat is a classic “crossover” collectible. Its appeal is not only to boat enthusiasts, but to Harley enthusiasts. Like, let’s say, a high-end Swiss watch which belonged to Babe Ruth, which would interest both watch collectors and sports memorabilia collectors. In this case, based on the previous comments of people who clearly have much more boat knowledge than I, my guess would be this boat is much more likely to sell to a Harley-Davidson motorcycle enthusiast than a vintage boat collector. It probably has more value as a H-D historical oddity than as a functional boat!
I can totally see this occupying a “curiosity corner” in a well-heeled motorcycle collector’s warehouse/man cave.
As much as I like crusty old cars boats are my thing. Very nearly done with a restoration/rebuild on a 40 year old Sea Ray. This little fishing boat is cute, but the HD connection doesn’t mean much. If the outboard is a decent runner and the transom, floor and stringers are solid its worth maybe 1200-1500. If its rotted its a goner. Theres not enough value to justify redoing it financially, though the same could be said for most boats. It would be a fun father/kid project to learn some skills on though.
http://www.bike-urious.com/1973-amf-harley-davidson-snowmobile/hey even built snowmobile!
Someone gave me this one today . Don’t see any rot. Motor dated 6/10/64.
I need some info. My uncle is 90 yrs old, and has a 1960 Tomahawk in poor condition. I need to get a value on it. Can anyone help on where I can find this information? Thank you