Crash victim's missing Harley Davidson motorcycle found in river

Tributes to Russell Allan Blackford laid alongside his now located bike. Photo / NZ Police

A motorcycle owned by a man who died in a crash over a year ago has been found after it disappeared from an Invercargill address.

The discovery followed a plea from Southland Police to anyone with information on the whereabouts of the 1998 Harley Davidson Sportster Custom 120, which had gone missing from the property it was stored at.

The bike belonged to 41-year-old Athol man Russel Blackford who was killed in a crash in November 2018.

His father, Barry Blackford had made plans for one of his late son's bikes to be transported back to him in the Waikato.

However, it went missing before it could be sent.

The Harley-Davidson 98 Sportster Custom 120, which recently disappeared from an Invercargill address where it was being stored. Photo / Otago Daily Times

A police spokesperson confirmed police received a call from a member of the public on Saturday to advise the bike had been located.

''It had been found partly pushed into a river and the member of the public had retrieved it.''

The Harley Davidson was recovered and put into secure storage until arrangements could be made to have it transported back to the Blackford family.

"Police would like to extend our thanks for the support received from the wider community and for all the information received, as well as to the member of the public who found and recovered the bike."