German bikers dying to ride in Harley hearse Published duration 17 March 2012

image caption Joerg Grossmann's prototype sidecar hearse was fitted to a Kawasaki VN 1500

A German motorcyclist aims to help fellow enthusiasts arrive at their final resting place in style - in a sidecar hearse fitted to a Harley.

Joerg Grossmann says he developed the hearse for die-hard bikers who want to ride right to the end.

His prototype recently attended its first funeral fitted to a Kawasaki on a trial basis.

He says 10 Harley hearses, each costing about 60,000 euros (£50,000), will be ready later this year.

Mr Grossmann, 48, from near Frankfurt, estimates he could attract about 1,000 bookings each year in Germany alone.

Hiring the Harley hearse costs 1,200 euros a time compared with about 200 euros for a normal hearse.

He says he already has plans to expand his services into Switzerland and elsewhere.

Mr Grossmann said many motorcyclists were excited about the idea.