From California, with Love: Elvis Presley’s Last Motorcycle Up for Sale
Elvis Presley, the King himself, had a 1976 Electra Glide, and it may become the most expensive motorcycle ever sold.
Some guys get all the luck, all the girls and all the cool motorcycles. Like “Elvis the Pelvis,” as a certain generation of Americans used to call him.
Yes, Elvis Presley dug his Harleys and he owned at least a cool dozen in his short life, the last of which was a 1976 FLH 1200 that he bought shortly before his death.
And like most things associated with the legendary King of Rock and Roll, it’s now worth a fortune. In fact, it may become the most expensive motorcycle in history.
Bidding Frenzy
It’s already sold once for $800,000. That was only three years ago, so you may remember all the frenzy it generated before it came up for bid.
Some were predicting it might go for as high as $2 million. It did not, of course, but it did earn third place on the list of most expensive motorcycles ever sold.
And – as all of us Harley owners are told by the dealers – Harleys appreciate over time. Thus the talk that it will move up that money list and maybe even overtake the 1951 Vincent Black Lightning that sold for $929,000 in 2018.
We’ll find out May 20 when Elvis’ old ride is being offered by Mecum Auctions at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.
Elvis Presley: The King’s Own Handwriting
Presley bought the machine on Aug 11, 1976 from a local Palm Springs, California dealer and the title is included in the sale if you don’t believe it. There’s the King’s handwriting right there, along with his Palm Springs address.
As you might expect, the bike is a real looker, with custom blue and black paint, a four-stroke, air-cooled 1,207cc engine that coughed up about 60 horsepower and 70 pound/feet of torque. The bike also sports – to this day – a four-speed transmission, telescopic forks, huge black leather seat and snazzy whitewalls that just scream Elvis.
He had it shipped to Graceland of course and he tooled around on it, looking like the king of rock he was, for only 126 miles. He ended up selling it, and only three months later, he met an timely death from a heart attach brought on by drug addiction and eating just about everything he saw.
He was only 42. The good, they do die young.
Letter from Priscilla?
The King’s Electra Glide weighs just a little over 700 pounds, has full coverage fenders, lace spoked wheels, hard, locking saddlebags and a rear luggage rack, and there is nothing to keep the new owner from taking a road trip to Tupelo, Mississippi to get yourself some sweet honey, or even Graceland.
The winning bidder will even get a letter from Priscilla, Elvis’ widow. We know the motorcycle cranks up because the auctioneers have a video proving it.
It’s less than 500 miles from the auction in Indianapolis to Memphis, where the Graceland mansion is. What do you say? What do you have to lose, aside from close to a million dollars? What a road trip that would be, on Elvis’ old Electra Glide.
Photos: Mecum Auctions
Join the HD Forums now!
You must be logged in to post a comment.