Motorcycle
- Description
- Customized 9/11 commemorative Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The bike is painted like an American flag with a Statue of Liberty motif hidden in the blue field of stars. Names of 419 first responders killed on 9/11 are painted on the back of the bike. Printed in the center of the list of names is the "Fallen Heroes" commemorative emblem with printed text: “Sept 11, 2001 World Trade Center | Fallen Heroes,” with the FDNY, NYPD, and PAPD logos in the center and the Twin Towers. The bike has 35 to 40 handwritten signatures all over, including those of Willy G. Davidson, the grandson of Harley-Davidson cofounder William A. Davidson, and Willy's son, Bill Davidson. The license plate on the bike reads: “OURUSA.”
- Historical Notes
Many motorcyclists established memorial bike rides in response to 9/11. In November 2001, Ted Sjurseth, a former intelligence agency consultant from Virginia, organized a group ride to honor first responders to the 9/11 attacks. Sjurseth’s initial expedition grew into a yearly event known as America’s 9/11 Ride. Each August, hundreds of motorcyclists embark on a tour of the three attack sites, beginning at the Flight 93 crash site near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, stopping at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and concluding at the World Trade Center site in New York.
The annual venture raises funds for active first responders and their families nationwide. The painted design of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle resembles an American flag blowing in the wind. The names of more than 400 first responders who died due to the 9/11 attacks are printed on the rear of the bike.
- Accession Number: C.2018.79.1
- Dimensions: 48 in X 97 in
- Dimensions (Metric): 121.92 cm X 246.38 cm
- Source: Ted Sjurseth
- Credit Line: Gift of the Ted Sjurseth family
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