A 1959 Harley-Davidson Servi-Car that has been stowed away by Greensburg police for decades is close to hitting the road again.
The relic, once covered by a blue tarp in a storage garage, has been painstakingly restored over several months and is awaiting decal lettering as a final touch to make the project official. Mark McClain and his son, Andrew, have put in about 48 hours of work at McClain’s Jam Cycle motorcycle repair shop in Cook.
“It’s a piece of history,” McClain said.
The Servi-Cars were introduced in the 1930s as a three-wheeled motorcycle with a spacious cargo box, according to a Virginia Harley dealer. They were used as delivery vehicles and by law enforcement until production ended in the 1970s, according to Riding Vintage.
The bikes later became collector’s items.
McClain’s knowledge of the local motorcycle community helped him find a collector who apparently owns a second 1959 Servi- Car that was once used by Greensburg Police. The VIN numbers on the two bikes are nearly identical.
“We always knew there were two at one time, but we didn’t know what happened to it,” said Greensburg police Chief Charles Irvin.
Police aren’t exactly sure what the two motorcycles were used for when they were on the streets of Greensburg. When the bikes were taken out of service also is unclear — it could be sometime in the late 1960s.
The one McClain has been working on was in need of some work.
“It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good,” he said. “It set for quite awhile.”
After cleaning the carburetor, changing the oil and updating the battery, McClain started it up, but the bike still doesn’t move too fast — with a 12-horse power engine and three speeds, it tops out at about 45 mph, McClain said. The odometer read 22,130 miles.
“It actually runs nice,” he said.
Body work has included powder coating part of the wheels and front end, he said. Aaron Anderson, owner of Picasso Auto Body in Salem, updated the white paint on the front fender and dash. He took measurements Thursday to create the police department decals.
Once it’s done, the police department plans to use it for community events, such as parades, Irvin said.
“It’s a conversation piece,” he said. “It’s nice that we were able to do this. They’ve been sitting there for forever.”
Irvin hopes to have the second Servi-Car owned by the local collector join in, too, if they can work out an occasional loan arrangement. That motorcycle will have police decals added as well, McClain said. With some work on the department’s bike still remaining, he doesn’t plan to charge the city for the job.
“It was a fun project,” he said. “We enjoy doing it.”
