Whanganui funeral home converts Harley Davidson motorbike into hearse for coffin

Dempsey & Forrest's 1997 Harley Davidson hearse offers a unique way to send off family members in style. Photo / Steve Cauldwell

A Whanganui funeral home’s converted Harley Davidson motorcycle is being used as a hearse by families to give loved ones a final ride to their resting place.

Dempsey & Forrest has taken a 1997, 1340cc Harley Davidson Softail Springer with a sidecar hearse to funerals around Whanganui, and further afield in Palmerston North, Auckland and the Wairarapa region.

Funeral director James Forrest, who has been in the job for 36 years, said he saw the hearse-converted bike on Trade Me in 2019 and thought “what a cool idea”.

“The wife or the partner can get on the back of the bike, and that is just amazing to see them travelling with their loved one to the cemetery,” Forrest said.

The hearse captures the feeling of riding with the 'wind blowing over the casket'. Photo / Steve Cauldwell

Forrest’s father and grandfather were funeral directors, making him the third generation at the helm of his family’s business.

“Probably if I said to my dad when he was still alive that we were getting a Harley Davidson hearse, he would have thought I had rocks in my head,” Forrest said.

But Forrest has observed a trend towards people planning their own funerals and for more personalised, bespoke ceremonies.

“I always say to families, ‘there are no rules’.

“No two funerals are the same, and that’s the neat thing.”

Compared to 20 years ago, Forrest felt death was far more spoken about and less “swept under the carpet”, which he saw as a positive change.

Dempsey & Forrest funeral director James Forrest and marketing manager Ellese Toohill. Photo / Eva de Jong

The unique vehicle has been a popular choice for motorcycle enthusiasts but it is available for funeral services throughout the North Island, with 48 hours' notice required for booking.

“We had a family with a lovely elderly lady who had passed away and had never been on a motorbike, but the family chose it for her final farewell,” Forrest said.

“They just thought ‘Let’s do this for Mum, let’s send her off in something unique'.”

Dempsey & Forrest marketing manager Ellese Toohill comes from a family of keen motorcyclists and said the hearse captured the feeling of riding with the “wind blowing over the casket”.

“It makes the last trip special, it’s not just part of the rigmarole of what you do [for a funeral].”

Forrest said he had noticed the Harley hearse brought lighter moments to funerals with family members often eager to take photos of the casket journeying past them.

Funeral companies can hire the motorbike hearse with the provided driver, but the cost varies depending on the city and distance to travel. For Whanganui residents, there is no extra cost to use the Harley hearse at funerals.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023. You can contact Eva on eva.dejong@nzme.co.nz