Harley-Davidson hearse offers unique last ride funeral service in Whakatāne

Ride out in style with a custom Harley-Davidson hearse. Photo / Aston Palmer

A Whakatāne funeral home has a new way to send your loved one off in style.

The Last Ride is a new service by Gateway Funeral Services that allows clients to swap out a regular hearse for a 2000s Harley-Davidson Fatboy with a custom-built enclosed hearse sidecar, providing the newly departed with one final cruise.

A family member can ride on the back of the bike alongside their loved one.

Managing director Bradley Shaw said the bike was something the funeral home had been wanting to do for a long time.

“For the last couple of years, we’ve been looking for a different offering and when this came up, it sort of fitted what I wanted, especially with this area as well.”

The Last Ride is a service that is available to other funeral homes around the Bay of Plenty and beyond.

Shaw took the bike to the AMJAZZ Autorama car show in Rotorua and was met with plenty of interest in the bike and The Last Ride service.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘that’s how I want to go out’.”

The bike has already been used for a funeral, and Shaw said the family were “so happy” and it provided a good send-off for their loved one.

He said the bike fitted well with Gateway Funeral’s other unique hearses – the 1975 Chevrolet Impala and the 1988 Chevrolet Caprice.

“The old hearses are always very cool. People like them as well.”

He believes the Fatboy will grow to be just as well loved.