Numbers-Matching ’48 Harley FL Is Red Hot
Enthusiast drops nearly $34G for this beautiful piece of American and motorcycle history.
Original, unrestored, numbers matching vintage bikes are all the rage these days. And that means you’re going to pay a premium for that patina. Such was the case with this red 1948 Harley FL that was recently up for grabs on eBay, where it sold for nearly $34,000.
The FL surfaced on the market thanks to an older gentleman, who traded in the vintage Harley for a new car after obviously taking good care of the motorcycle for many years. This is a legitimate old-man used bike, not just a salesman’s story.
Even the sidecar is period correct, and it adds to the cool factor. It isn’t a perfectly restored bike, but Harleys in original condition are much more desirable these days.
The bike had 56,100 miles on the original Panhead engine at the time of the recent auction, but it was otherwise in excellent condition. The dealer didn’t even bother cleaning it because he didn’t want to mess with perfection. And all signs showed that this is a numbers-matching, investment-grade bike.
Even the sidecar is period correct, and it adds to the cool factor of this FL. There’s arguably no color combination more fitting than red and black. Sure, it isn’t a perfectly restored bike, but Harleys in original condition are much more desirable these days.
The year 1948 also saw the introduction of the Panhead, which featured better cooling and less weight than the outgoing Knucklehead. It was also the last year before more modern suspensions were fitted to the FL. The Hydra-Glide brought more comfort but arguably took some character away as well.
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