USS Milwaukee-tribute Harley-Davidson up for auction in Las Vegas

Rick Barrett
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Harley-Davidson customized this 2016 Softail Slim as a tribute to the Navy's USS Milwaukee littoral combat ship. The bike will be auctioned Friday in Las Vegas, with the proceeds going to the National Military Family Association.

A Harley-Davidson motorcycle customized to honor a U.S. Navy warship, the USS Milwaukee, will be auctioned Friday in Las Vegas — with the proceeds to benefit a program that helps military families.

The Softail Slim bike has the Navy logo on its fuel tank and the USS Milwaukee crest on its front fender.

The customization, done by Harley-Davidson chief stylist Ray Drea, includes battleship-gray paint derived from a paint sample used for Navy ships.

Harley says the motorcycle is reminiscent of its bikes used by the Navy in WWII and this one has never been ridden.

Many chrome parts have been blacked out, and the custom air-intake for the engine was modeled after the speaker system on a Navy ship.

“It’s really well done, without going over the top,” said Greg Arnold with Mecum Auctions, the firm handling Friday’s event.

Mecum, based in Walworth, says 1,400 motorcycles will be auctioned this week during its sale at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

It’s billed as the world’s largest auction for antique and collectible motorcycles, and in 2016, the event generated $9 million in sales for about 650 bikes. 

In addition to the USS Milwaukee-tribute Harley, this year's auction has bikes dating to the early 1900s.

For example, there’s a 1917 “Merkel Motorwheel” on the auction block that was made in Milwaukee and is basically a bicycle with an engine attached to the rear wheel.

A Harley-Davidson motorcycle customized to honor a U.S. Navy warship, USS Milwaukee, will be auctioned Friday in Las Vegas to benefit a program that helps military families.

This bike, Arnold said, “is as rare as hens' teeth.

“If you want one of these, pretty much nobody else is going to have it,” he said.

The auction also has dozens of more recent-vintage Japanese, British and European motorcycles, including popular bikes from the 1970s.

Those bikes, especially, appeal to baby boomers.

“It’s all about what you had as a kid, or almost more importantly, what you couldn’t have when you were a kid,” Arnold said.

Previously, Mecum auctioned a racing motorcycle, once owned by actor Steve McQueen, for $750,000. It also sold an early 1900s Harley for $600,000.

Still, some bikes in the auction sell for under $1,000. And just because something is rare, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be worth a lot of money, according to Arnold.

“There is some extremely rare stuff out there, but no one collects it,” he said.

The Navy-tribute motorcycle has the USS Milwaukee crest on its front fender.

Veterans are likely to be drawn to the USS Milwaukee-tribute motorcycle that was donated by Lockheed Martin Corp. to the National Military Family Association based in Alexandria, Va. Lockheed is the defense contractor behind the USS Milwaukee and other littoral combat ships built in Marinette. 

Lockheed commissioned the bike’s customization, from Harley-Davidson, and 100% of the auction proceeds will go to help military families, said Lockheed spokesman John Torrisi.

If you’re interested in bidding on the bike online or by telephone, you must register with Mecum. There is no minimum reserve price. 

The National Military Family Association is known for its "Operation Purple" children's camps, scholarships and a wide range of services and assistance to families with someone serving in the armed forces.

"We try to take care of the family so the service member can concentrate on their mission," said Jennifer Pusatere, the association's development director. 

It’s the first time the association has been part of a motorcycle auction.

“We don’t do a lot of events. That’s why we are so grateful to have Lockheed and Mecum help facilitate this,” Pusatere said.