The vintage bike was discovered in 1941 in a Wisconsin barn and then kept in the state for the next 66 years, according to the news release. Indiana collector Paul Freehill “expertly restored” the bike. The model includes the motorcycle’s original tank, wheels, engine belt pulley, seat cover, and muffler sleeve.
The bike was one of the legendary manufacturer’s first models, known as the “Strap Tank.” Credit: courtesy Mecum Auctions
The early models earned the name “Strap Tank” because “of the nickel-plated steel bands suspending the fuel and oil tanks from the frame,” says the listing.
The bike was discovered in a Wisconsin barn in 1941. Credit: courtesy Mecum Auctions
The bike “established the pattern for all future production, combining a clean yet conservative styling, a somber color scheme, heavy-duty cycle parts and an engine a little bigger and stronger than the rest,” according to the listing.