Sirius Black's Motorbike

• Type: Transportation, Enchanted Muggle Artefact
• Owners: Sirius Black, Rubeus Hagrid (on loan), Harry Potter
• Maker: Unknown Muggle manufacturer; Enchanted by Sirius Black; Later modified by Arthur Weasley

Sirius Black's motorbike is described as an enormous, flying vehicle. It is large enough for the half-giant Rubeus Hagrid to ride, though he is still noted as being far too big for it, with his knees sticking up much higher than the handlebars. The motorbike produces a loud, roaring engine sound, though it can be made to run more quietly. For the Battle of the Seven Potters, Arthur Weasley attached a sidecar to it. The entire vehicle is black in colour.

The motorbike's primary and most significant magical property is its ability to fly. When Rubeus Hagrid first used it to deliver the infant Harry Potter to Privet Drive, he remarked that it was not as fast as a top-of-the-line racing broomstick, but was still quite swift. By 1997, the motorbike had been heavily modified by Arthur Weasley for defensive purposes. These modifications, controlled by buttons on the dashboard, included:

• A purple button that shot a jet of dragon's fire from the exhaust pipe.
• A button that released a net, which successfully entangled pursuing Death Eaters.
• A button that caused a solid brick wall to erupt from the exhaust pipe, blocking the path behind the rider.

The motorbike was originally owned by a young Sirius Black. On the night of 31 October 1981, after learning of the attack on the Potters, Sirius flew to the house in Godric's Hollow. There, he met Rubeus Hagrid, who was on a mission from Albus Dumbledore to rescue the infant Harry. Overcome with grief and a desire to pursue Peter Pettigrew, Sirius lent the motorbike to Hagrid so he could safely transport Harry to the Dursleys' home. Hagrid kept the motorbike for over a decade. When Sirius escaped from Azkaban in 1993, he presumably reclaimed it. Following Sirius's death in 1996, the motorbike was bequeathed to Harry Potter in his godfather's will. It was kept safe by the Order of the Phoenix until July 1997. The motorbike played its final and most dramatic role during the Battle of the Seven Potters, where it served as the transport for the real Harry and Rubeus Hagrid. During the aerial chase, the sidecar, enchanted by Arthur Weasley, was detached by a curse. Shortly after, the motorbike itself was hit by a killing curse from Lord Voldemort intended for Harry. It “seemed to be blowing apart” and crashed into a muddy pond in the garden of Ted Tonks and Andromeda Tonks. It was presumed to be destroyed beyond repair.

The motorbike serves as a significant symbol connecting Harry Potter to his godfather, Sirius Black. It acts as a set of bookends for Harry's childhood at Number Four, Privet Drive; it is the vehicle that delivered him to the Dursleys as a baby and the one that carried him away for the last time as a young man. Its use in two critical escape sequences highlights its importance as a tool of rescue and protection. The modifications made by Arthur Weasley also serve as a prime example of his fascination with enchanting Muggle objects, a skill that proved vital to the Order of the Phoenix.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, the sidecar, once detached, is shown to be self-propelled and continues to fly alongside the main bike for a short time before being struck down. This is a cinematic addition not present in the novel. (film)
• The motorbike used in the films was a classic British motorcycle, a 1959 Triumph Bonneville T120, further cementing its classic, rugged image. (film)