How Powerful Was A Harley-Davidson 7D Motorcycle & What's One Worth Today?
When the topic turns to classic motorcycles, it's a given that sooner or later the name Harley-Davidson will come up. As one of the biggest names in western choppers — if not the biggest — Harley-Davidson has been in business since the dawn of commercial motorcycle development in the early 1900s. All Harley-Davidson bikes have that fantastic pedigree, of course, but if you were to somehow stumble upon one of the brand's earliest productions, you wouldn't just have another motorcycle on your hands. You would have a bonafide piece of automotive history.
One standout example among vintage Harley-Davidson bikes is the 7D, originally produced all the way back in 1911. The 7D was a standout for the brand, as it was its very first bike to feature a twin-cylinder engine and paved the way for the other successful Harley-Davidson motorcycles that would come in the following decades. For this reason, the 7D has become one of the rarest Harley-Davidson bikes in the world, with only four believed to still exist intact. But what kind of performance could you expect from a prototypical twin-cylinder motorcycle, and what kind of cash could you get if one of those legendary four found its way to you?
The Harley-Davidson 7D could output 7 horsepower
The important thing to remember is that the original Harley-Davidson motorcycles were manufactured in a time when motorcycle riding wasn't really a thing. It was less a vehicle in its own right, and more just a bicycle you didn't have to pedal (though early Harley-Davidson bikes also had pedals, just in case). This is why, compared to today's motorcycles, the classics may seem a bit quaint. For their time, though, they were quite impressive.
The Harley-Davidson 7D was equipped with an 811cc V-Twin engine, the first of its kind developed in-house by Harley-Davidson engineers. With the power of its twin cylinders, this engine could output 7 horsepower, with a maximum speed of about 60 mph. Obviously, that's almost nothing by today's standards, but it is worth noting that one of Harley-Davidson's previous models, the 1908 Strap Tank, could only output 4 horsepower with its single-cylinder engine, so it was an objective improvement. Fun fact, the 7D was also equipped with a proprietary muffler that helped to cut down on the noise produced by the heftier engine. This gave it an in-house nickname: "The Silent Gray Fellow."
A mint-condition Harley-Davidson 7D could be worth over $300,000
What the Harley-Davidson 7D lacks in performance and muscle, it makes up for in spades with sheer valuation. As we mentioned before, only 4 of these bikes are believed to still exist intact. Combine that rarity with the vehicle's age and historic significance, and it goes without saying that one could fetch a pretty penny at just about any market.
According to reports from JDPower and Haggerty, even in the worst condition, a Harley-Davidson 7D could be worth around $30,000. Naturally, that value multiplies if the vehicle is in fair, working condition, increasing to approximately $110,000 to $160,000. If you were to somehow luck into possession of a 7D in perfect mint condition, then you could expect a payday ranging from $220,000 to $310,000, depending on how much of the original body and parts are still attached and if they're still functional.
Interestingly, a Harley-Davidson 7D was actually offered by Mecum Auctions at a Las Vegas event in January 2024, but nobody could meet the reserve price and the bike never left the auction block. Presumably, that bike is still in the possession of its owner.