Vintage ’49 Harley S-125 Hummer: Born from War Reparations
Motorcycles & ATVs
Motorcycles
At the end of World War II, the Allies received manufacturing rights to various German vehicles as war reparations. The idea was to earn back the money spent on defense during the war.
The United Kingdom and the Soviet Union received reparation rights to the German DKW RT125 single-cylinder two-stroke motorcycle. The result was the creation of Britain’s BSA Bantam - opens in new window or tab. and Russia’s MMZ M-1A Moskva, better known as the Minsk.
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Americans also got into the action. Harley-Davidson received rights to build a copy of the DKW RT125. Harley called it the S-125 Hummer.
A Flashlight Battery Brings It Back to Life
Hummer bikes were multi-generational motorcycles, frequently passed down from father to son. They still pop up now and again from the dark recesses of old barns or cobweb-filled garages. This 1949 Harley S-125 Hummer recently sold on eBay had been sitting in a barn before finding its way to an estate auction.
Based in Lawrence, Kan., the buyer admits that he “knew nothing about this bike, thought it looked cool.” After researching the Harley S-125 Hummer to find its worth, he convinced his wife to let him make the purchase.
After bringing the dusty old motorcycle home and cleaning it up, the seller noticed a lot of unattached wires. He found wiring diagrams from the online Harley Hummer club - opens in new window or tab. and was able to repair it.
I thought it was a magneto, so I kept trying to kick-start it, and it wouldn’t start. I talked to my older uncle, who is in his mid-70s, and he told me to try hooking a six-volt flashlight battery to it to see if it would run. When I did that, I got it to start firing and rode it within minutes.
The S-125 Hummer Has an Iconic Tank
The Harley S-125 Hummer was a fun family bike. In the first seven months after its debut in 1947, Harley sold about 10,000 Hummer motorcycles. Younger riders gravitated to the Hummer, which often led them to bigger Harleys as they got older.
As a two-stroke, the Hummer’s 3.5-horsepower engine requires an oil-and-gas pre-mixture. The bike has a three-speed foot-shift transmission and a stout girder fork with large rubber bands. Unfortunately, most of the bands on this 1949 Harley S-125 Hummer were broken. But it came with a new set.
This Harley S-125 Hummer’s prior owner probably liked to play around in the dirt, given the bend of the bars and the knobby Dunlop tires - opens in new window or tab.. Its tank was custom painted with a Big Twin-like paint job. This is fitting, considering how the Hummer’s peanut tank would later be adapted for the Sportster - opens in new window or tab. and became one of the most iconic cruiser motorcycle tanks ever.
The seller said:
The bike starts right up and rides through the gears as it should.
Not bad for somebody who didn’t know anything about motorcycles.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.