The bike was on display Thursday night at the official kickoff event for the commissioning at Mike's Famous Harley-Davidson on Bank Street, New London CT which drew a crowd of about 700 people, including the crew of the South Dakota. South Dakota artist Mickey Harris, a pioneer of freehand airbrushing, painted the bikeHarley-Davidson donated the bike and will keep it in running condition for the next 30 years. J&L Harley-Davidson of Sioux Falls, S.D., is the sponsoring dealer for the project, donating parts and labor.
The bike eventually will make its way to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame in South Dakota, where it will be on permanent display. Any sailor assigned to the USS South Dakota will be able to ride the motorcycle during a visit to the museum, a way of helping to maintain a bond between the sailors and the boat's namesake state. The USS SOUTH DAKOTA was built across the Thames River in Groton CT at Electric Boat General Dynamics.
The bike eventually will make its way to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame in South Dakota, where it will be on permanent display. Any sailor assigned to the USS South Dakota will be able to ride the motorcycle during a visit to the museum, a way of helping to maintain a bond between the sailors and the boat's namesake state. The USS SOUTH DAKOTA was built across the Thames River in Groton CT at Electric Boat General Dynamics.
