Harley-Davidson is auctioning off a one-of-a-kind electric bike for COVID relief

Harley-Davidson has crafted a one-of-a-kind electric motorcycle to do its part in minimizing the devastating economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is auctioning off a customized version of its LiveWire electric bike, complete with a custom paint and design scheme, and all proceeds go to the United Way’s COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund.

When Harley-Davidson says one-of-a-kind, it means it: this exact bike has never been sold before and will never be reproduced. If you’re in the market for a new motorcycle and have some savings burning a hole in your pocket, it doesn’t really get better than this. Plus it’s all-electric, so you’ll be minimizing your carbon footprint every time you ride it.

Unique to the extreme — The customization of this special-edition LiveWire doesn’t just stop at the paint job. This bike is actually the 500th LiveWire bike Harley-Davidson produced — and since the LiveWire is Harley’s first electric motorcycle, you’re buying into a piece of history here.

Like all LiveWire bikes, this custom one has a high-voltage battery that promises a 146-mile range on the highway or about 95 miles of stop-and-go riding. It can be charged at home or at public charging stations, using either a traditional or fast charge. Harley-Davidson even offers free charging up to 500KWH or for the first two years of ownership, whichever comes first.

And then there’s the delivery experience — If you place the winning bet on this LiveWire, it’s not just going to show up to your doorstep. Harley-Davidson is also promising the winner and a guest of their choice a behind-the-scenes archival tour of the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The “exclusive delivery experience” includes domestic roundtrip airfare for two, two nights at a hotel, and the tour itself. The auction site calls it “an unparalleled look at the heritage and future of Harley-Davidson Motor Company.”

Buy a bike, help the community — All proceeds from this bike, except for taxes and fees, will go directly to the United Way’s COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund. The current bid is at $25,000, and it will surely go up by the time the auction closes on May 26.

The United Way supports local communities by helping to direct people to the resources they need most, like food, financial assistance, and housing. The organization runs a popular information hotline across the country, and it’s seen more than a 200 percent uptick in activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This might be the most interesting bit of COVID-19 relief we've seen thus far. You're essentially donating tens of thousands of dollars to an important organization and getting a free one-of-a-kind electric motorcycle in the mix. Oh, and there's that free trip to Milwaukee, which you'll be able to take whenever we're allowed to leave our apartments again.