Riding to the cemetery in style - Photo credit: Diamond Life Limousines
You rode your bike in style. Now you can leave this earth in style. A hot trend for bikers is a motorcycle escorted funeral complete with a hearse pulled by a bike or trike. Some funeral homes are reporting that even non-bikers are opting for a motorcycle pulled hearse as well. All ceremonial services are provided with the dignity required of a funeral.
Many companies offer extras such as a trip down a favorite road or past a favorite hang-out. A common courtesy among some of the companies is free or reduced fees for police, fire, and military members killed in the line of duty.
Below are just a few of the companies across the United States offering motorcycle hearse services. Most of them belong to the American Motorcycle Hearse Association (who knew there was such a group!).
Arizona
- Gilbert, Arizona: Steelhorse Hearse LLC offers free escorts for police, fire, and military killed in the line of duty and reduced fees for members of a motorcycle club or any member of the police, fire, or military
California
- Arcadia, California: Hawg Heaven Hearse
- Oakland, California: Diamond Life Limousines has a full line of limousines for all occasions including motorcycle funeral escort
- Santa Ana, California: Black Velvet Hearse Company also offers other services such as mock funerals and over-the-hill parties
Florida
- Tarpon Springs, Florida: Ride to Eternity LLC offers hearses in varying sizes and is able to accommodate children and pets
Iowa
- Davenport, Iowa: Highway to Heaven offers free escorts for police, fire, and military killed in the line of duty
- Des Moines, Iowa: Iron Hearse Destinations offers free escorts for police, fire, and military killed in the line of duty and reduced fees for members of a motorcycle club or any member of the police, fire, or military
Maryland
- Sykesville, Maryland: Mid-Atlantic Motorcycle Hearse Company
Massachusetts
- Auburn, Massachusetts: Boston Hearse Company
Michigan
- Battle Creek, Michigan: Hometown Hearse can offer a trumpeter playing live music at the cemetery
Missouri
- Springfield, Missouri: Last Ride Motorcycle Company offers free escorts for police, fire, and military killed in the line of duty
- St. Louis, Missouri: Lone Spur Hearse offers free escorts for police, fire, and military killed in the line of duty and they are also well-schooled in protocol for military funerals
Montana
- Dillion, Montana: Brundage Funeral Home is a traditional full-service funeral home also offering motorcycle and horse drawn hearses
New Hampshire
- Jaffrey, New Hampshire: Cournoyer Funeral Home & Cremation Center is a traditional full-service funeral home also offering motorcycle drawn hearses
New Mexico
- Aztec, New Mexico: Go’n Home Motorcycle Hearse Service offers reduced fees for police, fire, and military
Ohio
- Canton, Ohio: The Farewell Ride offers free escorts for police, fire, and military killed in the line of duty
Pennsylvania
- Hellertown, Pennsylvania: Forever Remembered Hearse Service specializes in Harley-Davidson funerals
South Carolina
- Easley, South Carolina: Black Stallion Motorcycle Hearse offers free escorts for police, fire, and military killed in the line of duty
Texas
- Bryan, Texas: Black Diamond Motorcycle Hearse Service offers police, fire, and military killed in the line of duty receive 50% off initial fee
Utah
- Salt Lake City, Utah: Last Ryde Motorcycle Hearse Company
Washington
- Seattle, Washington: One Last Ride is unique in that the coffin is transported via a sidecar rather than a pull behind hearse
Wisconsin
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Krause Funeral Home is a traditional full-service funeral home also offering motorcycle drawn hearse
- Whitewater, Wisconsin: Marlin Capital Coach Company offers reduced fees for police, fire, and military
Check out other Motorcycle/Scooter Examiners:
- Ride Destination: 'the Union Hotel Restaurant & Tavern' - Baltimore Motorcycle Examiner
- Rolling Thunder XXII – first-hand report - DC Motorcycle Travel Examiner
- A year of gas - DC Motorcycle Examiner
- Motorcycle helmets, discriminatory laws, road hazards, biker wisdom--read it all here - National Motorcycle Examiner
- Can a sport biker learn to love a Harley-Davidson? - Seattle Motorcycle Examiner
- Stop and smell the flowers, but keep riding! - LA Motorcycle Examiner
- Motography: Motorcycle photography and portraits - Denver Motorcycle Examiner
Comments
Great Article. Although we're not listed we established Clear Creek Coach, out of El Dorado Springs, Missouri. It too is a Missouri Motorcycle Hearse. The families we have done services for; bikers and non-bikers alike have said our hearse 'honored their loved ones memory' and of course that means the world to us. You can see our hearse at www.clearcreekcoach.com (ps we haven't joined the association because as of yet there were not any by-laws or proposed rules to review prior to joining).
Re:ride to eternity correction: we do not offer various sizes of hearses, rather we can accommodate all sizes of caskets(including children) and can accommodate urns as well.Our coach is handcrafted oak with a beautiful angel in the front window to welcome your loved one home.
@ brenda, The AMCHA is more a network so someone searching the web might find a hearse in their area. If you want "BYLAWS" then they should charge to be a member AND if you are a member then YOU would have to attend meetings. NOW, can you see how ridicules your comment was? There are motorcycle hearses through out the U.S. that could not possibly attend any meetings. SO GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE! Your service is not any better than the next guy.
I didn't see us on the list...thought I'd give a little plug. Thanks!
Starwalt Motorcycle Hearse Company of St. Louis, MO, was formed in 2005 because of our awareness of motorcycle enthusiasts' increasing desire to escort you or your loved ones to a final resting place via the same transportation you enjoyed during life. Taking that last ride on a motorcycle hearse is one way to make a final statement about who we are.
People today go to great lengths to prepare for their funeral ceremonies, and many are choosing a celebration of life. Planning our funeral is the ultimate “say” we have in our lives. Deciding how to take that final ride to the cemetery is one of the choices we offer.
To honor our military KIA and civilian first responders (police, fire, etc...) Killed in the Line of Duty, all costs for our services are waved.
Our Website is: www.motorcycle-hearse.com
We also have a Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Starwalt-Motorcycle-Hearse-Company-St-Loui...
And...we are listed on the AMCHA website.
Just a quick word to invite intrested parties to view our Motorcycle hearse that we build. We also have now added a motorcycle wedding carriage.
we now boast that we marry em and bury em
http://www.buggy.com/motorcyclehearse.html
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!