1936 Harley-Davidson WR Flat Tracker (Lot G205)
Motorcyclists are familiar with Mecum’s annual motorcycle-only auction, which takes place in late January every year at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. This year’s auction, held Jan. 27-31, saw more than 1,800 motorcycles cross the block, with total sales of more than $20 million and a 92% sell-through rate.
Mecum hosts auctions throughout the year, and many of them include motorcycles. Dana Mecum’s 39 Annual Spring Classic – known as the Indy auction – takes place May 8-16 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. As of today (March 31), there are 57 motorcycles listed on Mecum.com that are up for sale at the Indy auction. Of these, more than a dozen are classic Harley-Davidsons. Here are a few standouts.
1936 Harley-Davidson WR Flat Tracker
Lot G205: The 1936 WR flat tracker shown above (lead photo) was raced by Roger Reiman, a national champion and Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame inductee. It has a 45ci V-Twin with a tank-shift 3-speed gearbox.
1937 Harley-Davidson EL Knucklehead
1937 Harley-Davidson EL Knucklehead (Lot N742)
Lot N742: This is a comprehensive restoration of a Knucklehead built in 1937, the second year of production for this iconic model. It has a rebuilt 61ci V-Twin with a 4-speed gearbox. Many of the parts are original, and the bike has period-correct Delphine Blue paint with gold pinstriping.
1942 Harley-Davidson WLA
1942 Harley-Davidson WLA (Lot L196)
Lot L196: This is one of several WLA military models up for auction at Indy. This example was restored by military expert and author David Sarafan using 90% original parts. It includes a copy of Sarafan’s out-of-print military book The Liberators. Check out the listing for a long list of special parts and features.
1954 Harley-Davidson KH
1954 Harley-Davidson KH (Lot N35)
Lot N35: The KH was the predecessor to the legendary XL Sportster, which was produced from 1957 to 2022. This example is powered by a 54ci 45-degree flathead V-Twin with a 4-speed gearbox. Its fenders are red and its two-tone tank is red and white with chrome Harley-Davidson badges. There’s a 50th anniversary Harley-Davidson badge on the front fender, though the actual anniversary year was in 1953.
1958 Harley-Davidson Arlen Ness Custom
1958 Harley-Davidson Arlen Ness Custom (Lot N263)
Lot N263: This is a rare early digger custom by legendary builder Arlen Ness. It was built for Paul Joseph “Rocky” Roll, owner of Rocky’s Cycle Supply, who died in 2024. This is a unique one-owner machine. It has a rigid frame, multi-layer paint and gold leaf combination, gold-plated components, and gun-engraved engine cases, rocker covers, pushrod covers, and exhaust.
1958 Harley-Davidson FL Panhead Bobber
1958 Harley-Davidson FL Panhead Bobber (Lot N50)
Lot N50: This custom Harley bobber has a springer fork with no front fender, spoked wheels with black rims and a custom front disc brake, a red tank with black scallop accents, a black solo seat, and a custom upswept dual exhaust with chrome silencers.
1959 Harley-Davidson XLCH Sportster
1959 Harley-Davidson XLCH Sportster (Lot L12)
Lot L12: This XLCH Sportster, one of several classic air-cooled Sportsters up for auction at Indy, is in unrestored, highly original condition. Built 1959 – the third model year for the hot-rod model – it has an 883cc 45-degree V-Twin with a 4-speed gearbox. Its peanut tank finished in factory red with white side panels and matching red fenders.
1976 Harley-Davidson XLH Sportster Bicentennial Edition
1976 Harley-Davidson XLH Sportster Bicentennial Edition (Lot L10)
Lot L10: This limited-edition Sportster celebrates the 200th anniversary of America’s independence. Powered by a 1,000cc V-Twin with a 4-speed gearbox, it has special bicentennial graphics on the tank and a period-correct sissy bar. The odometer has 13,627 miles on it. This bike had been previously on dealership display and stored in a climate-controlled environment.
(Earlier this year Harley-Davidson announced three 2026 models as part of its Enthusiast Collection Liberty Edition lineup, which celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence.)
To see all of the motorcycles up for auction in Indianapolis, go to Mecum.com, click on the Buy drop-down menu at the top, select Motorcycles, and under “Featured Motorcycle Lots,” click on the Indy tab.
A Mecum auction is a must-attend event for any gearhead, but if you can’t be there in person, you can bid online or by phone – just fill out the registration form at Mecum.com.
The post 2026 Mecum Indy Auction Preview: Classic Harley-Davidsons appeared first on Rider Magazine.
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