Steve McQueen's vintage Harley up for sale

Steve McQueen – Famous Hollywood actor, once the highest paid in his field, but also a massive lover of vintage motorcycles. Don’t ‘cha know!

Now the opportunity has come to own, yes own, for yourself, one of the King of Cool’s actual bikes; His 1912 Harley-Davidson X8E Big Twin. 

In-keeping with the glitzy, Hollywood theme, the Big Twin will be up for auction at the Bonhams sale later this month in Las Vegas. But be warned, it comes with a meaty guide price of £81,000 to £98,000. Better empty the piggy bank.

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The bike heralds from the days when motorcycles were still relatively young and was Harley-Davidson’s top model in that year’s range.

It was the first to feature a clutch, which is denoted by the ‘X’ in the model’s title and was also the first Big Twin that the company produced, with a 1000cc engine that had 8bhp and was capable of 65mph. 

An under sprung seat made the ride smoother and a chain replaced the leather belt drive that was prone to slipping. 

McQueen is believed to have ridden the motorcycle in at least one pre-1916 event and rumour has it that the bike was repainted with a rattle can after a drinking session one night with his friend Von Dutch. 

This machine comes in running condition with matching numbers on the engine and cylinder head. It comes with a signed certificate of authenticity that was signed by Terry and Chad McQueen when it was originally sold at McQueen’s estate auction in 1984. The only changes made, after McQueen’s ownership, where an update of the wheel rims to make the bike safer to ride and a headlamp was added so that the machine could take part in vintage rallies.

The Bonhams sale will take place on January 26 at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. For more info on the lot, you can check out the motorcycle here. Or click here for more information on the other machines that are listed for auction.

 

Looking for the perfect two-wheeled companion? Visit MCN Bikes For Sale website or use MCN’s Bikes For Sale App.