This is a 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 Custom 100th Anniversary Edition that remains completely unused in its original factory shipping crate. It has 0 miles on the odometer, and it’s currently being offered for sale.
The Sportster is the longest-running model in Harley-Davidson history and it remains a best-seller both in the United States and around the world
Fast Facts – A Crated 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster
- This is a 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 Custom 100th Anniversary Edition motorcycle that remains unused in its original factory shipping crate. With 0 miles on the odometer, it’s a rare collectible being offered for sale out of Florida. The Sportster model is Harley-Davidson’s longest-running and remains popular worldwide.
- The Sportster’s history dates back to 1952, evolving from the Model K series. It was developed as a lighter, more sports-oriented alternative to compete with the popular British motorcycles of the time. The Sportster was one of the first Harleys with rear suspension and an overhead-valve engine, appealing to new riders and women.
- Over the years, the Sportster has undergone various improvements, including engine upgrades, transmission changes, and the switch from chain to belt drive. In 2021, Harley-Davidson introduced the all-new Sportster S with a modern liquid-cooled engine, though many enthusiasts still prefer the earlier models.
- This particular 2003 Sportster is a Pearl White 100th Anniversary Edition with 0 miles. It remains in its original crate with protective coverings intact. The new owner will decide whether to preserve it as a collectible or prepare it for road use.
The Importance Of The Sportster
The Harley-Davidson Sportster has its origins in the Model K Sport and Sport Solo which debuted in 1952. These early models and the Sportster that would follow in 1957 were developed to offer a lighter-weight, more sports oriented motorcycle that would be better able to complete with the wildly popular sports motorcycles coming out of Britain at the time.
This Sportster has remained in its factory shipping crate for over 20 years, and it’s now being offered for sale.The Sportster was one of the first Harley-Davidsons to be fitted with rear-suspension (its parent bike, the Model K series was the first) and it was also the first of the Harleys to be fitted with a higher-performance, overhead-valve engine.
The fundamental design of the Sportster remained largely the same for many years, with a tubular steel frame, an air-cooled 45º V-twin, telescopic front forks, dual rear shock absorbers, and seating for two.
Compared to the other, more expensive Harley models the Sportster was lighter and it offered a more sporting riding experience. It quickly became a popular choice for new riders and for riders seeking a more manageable, lower-weight bike – women in particular flocked to it.
Some riders would later move up to a larger more powerful Harley, but many remained on their Sportster long-term after finding that it offered an ideal balance between size, handling, and highway capability.
The Sportster started out with a 1000cc V-twin which would later be replaced with a more modern design offering both 883cc and 1200cc variants. Over time the 4-speed gearbox would be replaced with a 5-speed unit, the original chain drive would be swapped out for a belt drive, and the hard-mounted engine would be given rubber mounts to reduce vibration.
In 2021 Harley-Davidson debuted the all-new Sportster S, a completely new Sportster with a modern liquid-cooled engine with overhead cams producing 127 bhp – vastly more than the outgoing air and oil-cooled 1200cc version.
The fuel tank has never been filled and the battery has remained disconnected, it was connected for long enough to get this picture of the odometer reading of 0.0 miles.Although the new Sportster S has many advantages there is a large community who are sticking by the earlier Sportster models, and as a result their values have remained remarkably stable – even climbing in some areas.
The 0-Mile 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster Shown Here
The motorcycle you see here is a 0-mile 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster that remains in its factory shipping crate. This is a collectible Sportster 883 Custom 100th Anniversary Edition, and it may very well be the only 0-mile example of its kind that is not in a museum or the internal collection at Harley-Davidson.
This bike is finished in Pearl White with 100th Anniversary badging, it has front and rear disc brakes, forward controls, and the protective film and foam padding remain in place around the motorcycle. The battery of this motorcycle has never been connected, and the fuel tank has never been filled with fuel.
As you would expect for a 2003 Sportster, this bike has an electric starter, a dual seat, telescopic forks, dual rear shock absorbers, and a 5-speed transmission sending power back to a belt final drive. The bike rides on a 19″ wire-spoke front wheel and a 16″ cast alloy rear wheel, both fitted with Dunlop tires.
It will be the new owner’s choice whether they want to keep the bike preserved as-is, or get it on the road for some adventures.It will be up to the new owner whether the bike remains in its crate and is preserved, or if it is given a new battery, a new set of tires, and it’s fired up and put on the road. It’s now being offered for sale out of North Miami Beach, Florida with with two keys, an owner’s manual, and a clean Florida title in the seller’s name.
If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here on Bring a Trailer.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
