These 5 Classic Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Worth A Small Fortune Today

Countless important moments in the history of Harley-Davidson helped shape the brand into what it is today. Many of those moments were successes: the launch of innovative new models, or the announcement of major contracts that helped keep the company afloat during difficult periods. Likewise, the brand has had its fair share of failures, from slumping sales to a failed venture into the superbike world.

Throughout its rollercoaster history, enthusiasts and collectors have continued to snap up examples of the brand's most successful models and its most obscure. Collectors have driven the values of these models far beyond that of the average Harley. A few of those models command a small fortune at auction today, although many are rare enough that actually finding them at auction at all might be tricky. Very few enthusiasts have had the good fortune to ride one of these classic models, and even fewer are lucky enough to own one.

With only 50 examples manufactured for the public, the Harley-Davidson VR1000 isn't just one of the brand's most valuable models, it's also one of the rarest. Those 50 models weren't registered in the U.S. either, since meeting emissions regulations would have driven up the cost of homologation. Instead, Harley registered all 50 examples in Poland, because the European country had much more relaxed rules, and technically registering them somewhere in the world was all that was needed to qualify the VR1000 for competition use.

Given that this was Harley's one and only superbike, you might be wondering why the brand has let it fade into obscurity. After all, the superbike program was given extensive factory backing, with a "no-expense-spared" mentality during its development. The reason that it's mostly forgotten about today is simply that, despite all of the money and resources, the VR1000 wasn't very good on the race track.

Harley employed multiple high-profile riders to race the VR1000 throughout the mid-'90s, but they only ever managed to deliver a handful of podium finishes. Even with superior backing, the Harley race team was getting comfortably beaten by smaller, less well-funded race teams from overseas, and the whole debacle started getting a bit embarrassing for the brand. Eventually, Harley quietly shelved its racing program in 2000. However, the few homologation specials that it spawned sell for around $100,000 today according to Classic.

It shouldn't be any surprise that many of Harley-Davidson's most valuable motorcycles are also among its oldest. Very few survive, and those that do provide a fascinating glimpse into the earliest days of the storied brand, making them irresistible to collectors. For example, finding a Model 6-A for sale might be a challenge, but Classic data shows that anyone looking for one can expect to pay around $90,000 for it.

One example appeared at a Bonhams auction in 2020 with a guide price of $85-95,000. It was one of just 334 examples of the bike built in 1910. The 6A was differentiated from its predecessor by the inclusion of 28-inch wheels and a magneto ignition, and was just one of a line of early models that rapidly evolved as motorcycle technology and refinement grew. Another fresh innovation for 1910 were the control cables, which were hidden inside the handlebars for the first time, giving the bike a sleeker look than before.

Despite all the advancements, the 6-A was still a very basic motorcycle. In order to stop the bike, riders had to turn off the engine entirely, and to get it going again, they had to either push start it or pedal fast enough to get the engine to turn. It's a world away from the bulky, brash motorcycles that the brand is famous for today, but that uniqueness makes it very valuable.

The "Knucklehead" is one of Harley-Davidson's best-known motorcycles, and surviving examples are worth a lot today. According to Hagerty, a 1936 EL Knucklehead is worth roughly $80,000. The "Knucklehead" nickname arose thanks to the appearance of the bike's rocker boxes, with multiple variants of the EL motorcycle all falling under the Knucklehead umbrella. Multiple engine options were available, including a 74 cubic inch OHV twin engine, which was first offered in 1936 and remained available until 1947.

The bike was subject to a long line of both visual and mechanical tweaks throughout its production run, with earlier bikes being generally more valuable to collectors. A 1946 EL in good condition is valued at just under $40,000 according to Hagerty, roughly half that of a 1936 model. Another factor keeping values of the early models high is their relative rarity. While they aren't quite on the same level as bikes like the VR1000, examples of the 1936 EL are still tricky to find, since around 1,500 examples were manufactured that year. Far fewer survive today.

The Harley-Davidson Model J holds the title of being the first motorcycle used by the U.S. military, but that isn't the only reason it's so sought after by collectors. It also played a key role in keeping the brand afloat during the years after World War I, when military surplus examples of the Model J were converted for civilian use. Harley also continued to make new examples of the model, with production numbers varying significantly each year based on how many ex-military examples were released onto the market.

The Model J first launched in 1915 for military use, but would remain in production in various forms until the end of the 1920s. Over that time, various improvements were made to the bike's design, but the early models still continue to be very valuable among collectors. According to Hagerty, buyers looking for a 1918 Model J can expect to pay more than $50,000 for an example in good condition.

Another early Harley-Davidson model that's highly valuable today is the 1912 X8E Twin, which is valued at just over $50,000 according to Hagerty. It's another very rare bike, with most examples finished in the same shade of Renault Gray. This wasn't a co-incidence — it was instead a result of Harley's early marketed slogan, which labelled its motorcycles the "silent gray fellow." A typical gray example of the X8E Twin appeared at a Bonhams auction in 2017, where it was valued significantly higher than Hagerty's current estimated value. Back then, it was given an auction estimate of $80-100,000.

After several years of growth, 1912 would be a breakthrough year for Harley-Davidson, which took on significantly more staff and expanded its manufacturing capacity to cater to the high demand for its bikes. It was also the first year that a clutch was available, enabling riders to keep the engine running while the bike was stationary. They also no longer needed to pedal or push the bike in order to take off, although pedals nonetheless still fitted as standard. The X8E Twin was the highest grade model that year, and today it remains among the most valuable Harley models on the market.