If you’re anywhere in or around the Indianapolis, Indiana area on May 20, 2023, then you may want to pay a visit to Dana Mecum’s 36th Original Spring Classic at Indy. Also called Mecum Indy 2023, the massive automotive auction event started on May 12, with May 20, 2023, as its final day. That’s also the day that its headlining auction vehicles will cross the stage—including a rare 1976 Harley-Davidson FLH Bicentennial that’s widely believed to be Elvis Presley’s last motorcycle.
The King of Rock n’ Roll’s love for motorcycles—particularly Harleys—is well-known. Still, as with many an entertainment legend and their passions, questions of authenticity can (and do) arise. Luckily, that’s not the case with this bike—because it also comes with its original California title, signed by none other than Elvis Presley himself.
This 1976 Harley-Davidson FLH Bicentennial is one of only 750 of these bikes ever made, painted in a custom blue-and-black color scheme that Elvis ordered. He purchased the bike on August 11, 1976, and it was registered to his California residence at 845 Chino Canyon Road in Palm Springs.
Gallery: Elvis Presley's 1976 Harley-Davidson FLH Bicentennial
According to Mecum, Elvis then sold this FLH back to a Harley dealership around three months before his untimely death. Sometime after that, a hotel owner in Wildwood, New Jersey got their hands on it, and proudly displayed the bike as a tourist attraction. Eventually, it found its way into the hands of Dave Geisler, who purchased it for display at the Pioneer Auto Museum in Murdo, South Dakota—where it lived happily and entertained guests for the next 36-plus years.
The odometer has 1,261 miles on it at the time of writing on May 16, 2023. It comes with its original historic pink California title, registered to the King’s California address and signed by Elvis himself. It’s not clear when (or if) this bike was last ridden, but any new owner who wishes to ride this bike on public roads would need to give up that historic title in order to obtain a current title. (As we always say, we can’t tell the future, but that seems awfully unlikely.)
This 1976 Harley-Davidson FLH Bicentennial is Lot S228 at the 2023 Mecum Indy auction, and is listed as a Star vehicle, which should cross the block sometime on May 20, 2023. If you’re interested in learning more about the bike, be sure to check the link in our Sources.
