There are motorcycles that are worth what they are, others for what they mean. In this case, the symbolic value weighs as much as the chrome. Not every day a Harley-Davidson appears in an auction that has been owned by George Foreman, one of the large heavy weights of the twentieth century boxing and, in addition, recognized vehicle collector.
The Fat Boy in question was not just any motorcycle. Foreman bought it new in 1992 and then was part of his personal garage for more than 20 years. In addition, it was not a simple decorative object: it was modified to the taste of the champion, with personalized details that went from painting to the escapes. Its value, in principle, should go beyond the model itself and be practically a piece of collector.
So the curious thing is not to be sold, what really attracts attention is the price it reached: just 6,200 dollars (5,320 euros to change), a figure well below what could be expected from a piece with such a pedigree. And although it is not a record motorcycle, its story could well have deserved a more adjusted bid to its legacy. To get an idea, an Elvis Harley sold for 800,000.
The Harley that the legend of the ring “Big George” endorsed
Those who know the Harley-Davidson Universe know that the Fat Boy models of the early nineties have their own place for their own merit. And if that is added to the connection with a character like George Foreman, the mixture is almost irresistible. But not always auctions follow the logic of emotion.
As we said, Foreman acquired this New Fat Boy and, far from leaving it as standard, he was shaped with details that moved her away from the original catalog. The first, a red bito paint scheme with gold lines applied in 1993 by Carlini Autographic. To that, leather saddlebags, a double megaphone type escape – of those who do not go unnoticed – and a personal wink in the form of hamburger logo in the seat, a possible reference to his well -known facet as an electric grills entrepreneur.
The engine, a classic Evolution V-Twin of 1,343 cc with Keihin carburetors, remains to be expected. His mileage, ridiculous for a motorcycle of his age: just 2,499 miles on the clock. Of course, neither abandonment or carelessness. Everything indicates that it was preserved with care, as one more piece within a collection that mixed muscle and elegance, as its owner.
The final figure of the auction may not reflect what this motorcycle for Big George meant, but the new owner not only takes a Harley, takes a part of the personal history of a champion who knew how to leave a mark, also literally in the body of many rivals …
