American biker buried 'riding' Harley-Davidson in clear box

Bill Standley's body was dressed in full riding gear for his final journey

Avid biker Bill Standley was buried in a clear plastic box (AP)

An American biker has made his final journey on his beloved Harley-Davidson and been buried astride the motorbike in a clear box.

It was Bill Standley’s wish to share a grave with the 1967 bike, which took him travelling around 49 out of America’s 50 states.

His body was dressed in full riding gear and positioned on the Harley in a see-through box, which was driven to the cemetery on a trailer before being lowered into the extra-large plot.

Work on the unusual coffin started six years before Mr Standley’s death, aged 82.

He built the plastic casket that would hold him and his motorbike himself with his sons, and bought three burial plots next to his wife.

“He said what am I supposed to do? I've got two sons, only got one bike. My sister just off-handedly said 'oh dad just be buried with it'.

”I think it was about two weeks after that that it really hit him - what a great idea. We all still thought he was kidding. Eighteen years later, guess what?“

Mr Standley left home at 13 to work on cattle ranches before settling down in the town of Mechanicsburg, Ohio.

The father-of-four lost his battle with lung cancer on 26 January and was buried on Friday.

Mr Standley's body is towed to Fairview Cemetery (AP)