Update: Single Cylinder Time Machine: 1912 Harley-Davidson Model 8

UPDATE: This 1912 Harley-Davidson Model 8 motorcycle, so adroitly profiled by Jeff Bennett in April 2024, has cropped up for sale here on craigslist, with a $75,000 price tag. Thanks to Nevadahalftrack for spotting the ad for us! The seller has still not attempted to start it. Meanwhile, we found this sale of a similar machine – though restored – at Mecum last year. It achieved a price of $77k. Do you think an original example, albeit a non-runner, should be valued the same as its restored sibling?

From April 13, 2024: Sometimes a vintage vehicle is more than an older form of transportation.  Examining how the vehicle was built and operating it can provide a window into its time.  This 1912 Harley-Davidson Model 8 for sale on eBay is an amazingly original motorcycle built in that fateful year that the Titanic sank.  Wouldn’t you like to have a glimpse into what it was like to be a motorcyclist 112 years ago?  If so, you had better talk to your bank.  Bidding on this single-cylinder time machine is currently sitting at $52,100 with five days left to go in the auction.  As intriguing as this motorcycle is, is the price out of line with the potential experience?

While everyone remembers the year 1912 as when the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage, there were other noteworthy happenings.  This was the year that Woodrow Wilson was elected President of the United States.  His policies would have far-reaching effects on both domestic and international history for decades to come.  It was also the year that the Ottoman War broke out as a warm-up for World War I.  Paramount Pictures was founded that year and Massachusetts became the first state to enact a minimum wage.  Perhaps most remarkable was the eruption of  Novarupta that happened in Alaska that year.  It was labeled as the second-largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.  Have you ever even heard of Novarupta?  Doesn’t it sound kind of important?

1912 was also right in the middle of the time when automobiles and motorcycles were just starting to be plentiful and reliable enough to start replacing horses as basic transportation.  The proliferation of machining technology made it possible for manufacturers to spring up all over the place.  There were numerous enterprises making automobiles and motorcycles, and it was sort of a “Wild West” economic atmosphere.  The manufacturer may be there tomorrow if you need parts, or they may not be.  It took consolidation through financial and market forces to thin the herd and set America up transportation-wise for the next century.

While Ford and General Motors get credit on the automobile side for driving out the weaker competitors and producing the cars America needed, the same could be said for Harley-Davidson and Indian on the motorcycle side of the equation.  Harley-Davidson, founded in 1903, was gaining popularity and market share with their single-cylinder and V-twin motorcycles.  As you can see from the photographs, Harleys were still very much designed and engineered more as powered bicycles than the true motorcycles they would become.  This is evidenced by the pedal and chain arrangement used to get the motorcycle going until the leather belt can be engaged to enjoy the gentle propulsion made possible by the 30 cubic inch single-cylinder engine.  Looking closely at the picture above also reveals the simple design of the engine and the relative precision of the casting and machine work done back then to make these reliable machines.

The seller tells us that this particular Model 8 is equipped with a rare battery ignition and belts out four horsepower.  Before laughing, that is probably close to the power put out by the electric bicycles that seem to be proliferating everywhere today.  Back in 1912 road conditions were a lot more rustic.  Four horsepower provided sufficient thrills, and that small engine was frugal on the low-octane gasoline that was available at the time.  Another argument for low horsepower would be the lack of efficient braking on motorcycles of this era.  Motorcycle racing was very popular at this time, and those brave souls managed to race at breakneck speeds with no braking whatsoever in many cases.

Unfortunately, the engine does not currently run.  We are told that the engine does turn over, but the owner hasn’t made any effort to return this motorcycle to operation.  It still wears its original paint and striping.  The patina on all of the metal parts indicates that this motorcycle is not a cobbled-up parts bike but one that is close to how it left the factory.  Perhaps this goes a long way towards explaining why the price is so high.

In all, this is a highly desirable early Harley-Davidson that could surely be put back on the road with little time and effort.  Riding it in an isolated area that isn’t overloaded with modern reminders is probably the closest you can get to going back in time to 1912.  The sounds, sights, and feelings you would experience motoring down the road are irreplaceable and about as far as you can get from riding a modern Harley.  Progress is nice, but living in the past, even for a brief time, has its merits as well.