LOT 637

From The Warr's Harley-Davidson Collection 1964 Harley-Davidson 165cc Topper AH Scooter Registration no. BLF 393B Frame no. none visible Engine no. 64AH2640

Sold for £4,370 inc. premium

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Lot 637

From The Warr's Harley-Davidson Collection, 1964 Harley-Davidson 165cc Topper AH Scooter
Registration no. BLF 393B Frame no. none visible Engine no. 64AH2640

The Spring Sale - The International Classic MotorCycle Show|23 April 2022, 10:00 BST|Stafford, Staffordshire County Showground

From The Warr's Harley-Davidson Collection
1964 Harley-Davidson 165cc Topper AH Scooter
Registration no. BLF 393B
Frame no. none visible
Engine no. 64AH2640

When Harley-Davidson wanted to add a range of lightweight motorcycles to its line-up of traditional heavyweight twins, it simply went out and bought the Italian Aermacchi concern. But when it came to adding a scooter to the range, H-D eschewed the large-wheeled Aermacchi designs in favour of one of its own: the Topper, though at 12" in diameter the Topper's wheels were larger than those of many scooters. The Topper was powered by a pull-started 165cc air-cooled two-stroke engine, which drove via an 'infinitely variable' automatic transmission. Its frame was tubular and there was an Earles-type leading-link fork up front, while the slab-sided glassfibre bodywork was available in two-tone livery. Two versions were available initially: 'A' (9.5bhp) and 'AU' (5bhp), the former changing to 'AH' in 1961. Elvis Presley was one of the Topper's better known owners. Unfortunately for H-D, by the time of the Topper's arrival in 1960, the post-war scooter boom was subsiding and sales were disappointing. The Topper was last catalogued in 1965.

This example of a Harley-Davidson model rarely seen in Europe was sold new by Warr's and is believed to have been in their collection since the 1960s (the affixed tax disc expired in June 1968 and the odometer reading is 15,732 miles). The machine is offered with an old-style V5 document and will require re-commissioning before use.
Offered without key

Footnotes

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

Saleroom notices

Please note that the machine if offered without documents, however the vehicle registration number BLF 393B does appear on the HPI database. Prospective bidders must therefore satisfy themselves as to the validity of the vehicle registration number and are responsible for making an application to the DVLA to obtain a replacement registration document. There are keys with this lot. The engine number is 8-64 1451.

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