An 1954 Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide, which was reported stolen back in 1972 was discovered and returned to its rightful owners. The bike was discovered by the joint efforts of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Outbound Enforcement Team officers at the Los Angeles/Long Beach (LA/LB) seaport, who worked with California Highway Patrol (CHP) investigators and National Insurance Crime Bureau agents.
The bike was intercepted prior to being shipped to Australia, and was seized by the CBP, who turned it over to the California Highway Patrol for a more detailed investigation. The CHP inquiry discovered that this Harley had been reported stolen from a North Carolina police officer by the name of Edgar Johnson Sr., a resident of Charlotte in the Mecklenburg County. The bike was stolen on March 4, 1972 and was never tracked down despite its owner’s efforts.
Johnson Sr. passed away four years ago, so the CHP handed over the bike to his son Edgar Johnson Jr. Police investigations traced the last 4 previous owners of the Hydra-Glide, but as the oldest of them has since passed, going down the line to the thief is now impossible.
The original green color was replaced by a bright yellow livery, and the bike seems to have been carefully maintained. Edgar Johnson Jr. remembers how his father loved his bike and tried to retrieve it after it was stolen, and he also says that he has memories of him being picked up from school aboard the very bike. “I miss my Dad so much. We used to talk once every week. He’s with me in my heart. This is like a piece of him is coming back home," he adds.
The 1954 Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide is worth an estimated $24,000 (€19,100) and is a 50th anniversary special model, with a trumpet-style horn and a brass commemorative medallion on the front fender. Edgar Johnson Jr. says he will ride the bike and take it for display at motorcycle shows in his area.
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