A rare 1908 Harley-Davidson motorcycle auctioned off in January is the most expensive bike to ever be sold at an auction.

The 115-year-old Strap Tank Harley was recorded on vintagent.com as being sold for $935,000 (£778,000) in auction fees last month at Mecum Auctions in Las Vegas.

The bike is thought to be one of only 12 surviving motorbikes of the same model. It is also believed to be the earliest Harley model that fans can still obtain, as styles that pre-date the Strap Tank have either been destroyed or currently reside in private collections.

The record-breaking bike had many of its original parts, including the tank, wheels, engine belt pulley, seat cover and muffler sleeve, making it even more rare, said Greg Arnold, Motorcycle Division Manager at Mecum Auctions.

"We marketed the bike well and Harley is by far the most famous American motorcycle brand so we had a feeling it would do well in auction, but obviously you are surprised anytime you sell the most expensive bike ever," he explained.

Mecum said the bike was found intact in a Wisconsin barn by David Uihlein in 1941, and he kept it in his possession for the next 66 years. The bike was most recently restored by Paul Freehill of Fort Wayne, Indiana.