Description
This motorcycle is Lot 99 of Bonhams Motorcycles Online – The Summer Sale; open for bidding 5-15th June 2026. This Lot is available for public view and eventual collection from Bonhams Motorcycle Department, Milton Keynes.
Please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Auction Timings:
Bidding on all Lots commences Friday 5 June, 12:00 noon.
Bidding closes Monday 15 June, 12:00 noon, starting with Lot 1
Each subsequent Lot will then close one minute apart unless bidding remains active.
Public Viewing (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY):
All Lots:
Wednesday 10 June, 9am - 5pm
Thursday 11 June, 9am - 5pm
Please email using the button below with your availability to schedule an appointment.
Lot 99
The Connoisseurs Collection, Part III
1948 Harley-Davidson S-125
Registration no. not registered
Frame no. unnumbered (see text)
Engine no. 48S1016
This Lot has arrived in the UK from overseas under Temporary Admission. Shippio Ltd must complete all post-sale customs clearance administration, for import or export, on behalf of the purchaser. A compulsory fee of £195 + VAT will be added to the buyer's invoice for this service. This Lot may not be collected from the auction venue by the purchaser or any third-party transporter until Shippio Ltd has confirmed that this Lot has cleared customs.
If this Lot is to remain in the UK, or is not exported within 90 days of the sale, Import VAT at 5% of the hammer price will be payable.
"While most Harley buyers wanted more size and power, the new S-125 found plenty of riders who longed for something more nimble, and more than 10, 000 units were assembled in the first year of production. Not even the venerable WLA was built in such quantities." - Doug Mitchel, Standard Catalog of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles.
Germany's post-war reparations to the victorious Allies included the transfer of technology, which included the rights to manufacture the DKW RT125 motorcycle, one of the most advanced small two-strokes of the day. The design was taken up by BSA and marketed as the Bantam in the UK, while in the USA the Harley-Davidson version was known as the S-125. The little DKW was also widely copied elsewhere. Harley's offering was renamed 'Hummer' in 1955 and developed versions of it continued in production into the mid-1960s.
Our vendor purchased this Harley-Davidson lightweight from a US auction in September 2001 (paperwork on file). It should be noted that Harley-Davidson did not stamp a frame number on this model. The machine is presented in restored condition and displays a total of '3' on the odometer (presumed the number of miles covered post-restoration). The engine turns over with compression.
Following a period of inactivity, this motorcycle will require recommissioning and/ or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's completeness, history, authenticity, originality and mechanical condition prior to bidding.
£1, 500 - 2, 000
All lots are sold ‘as is/ where is’ and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams Motorcycles website for all pertinent auction information.
