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Harley lost to the Japanese tsunami found

4K views 33 replies 11 participants last post by  Dean 
#1 ·
#2 ·
I saw that over at jalopnik. its crazy
Although i have heard that there are MASSIVE piles of crap just floating around now from it
 
#4 ·
Hit a submerged telephone pole while cruising in the Chesapeake Bay once. If the 50' boat didn't just get an upgraded steel keel we would have been sunk for sure. Tore one of the two props off.

BTW - It is rumored the boat was once owned by Jimmy Carter's brother.
 
#5 ·
Be a cool story if the owner survived the tsunami and the bike made it back home.
 
#6 ·
I have a friend that lost his sea kayak off Oregon Inlet in North Carolina. It was found 500 miles off the french coast and was brought to the Bahamas by a vacationing sail boat. Barnacles made the thing pretty useless but the stuff in the hatches (where his ID was) were still in good shape. When the police came to the door to inform him about finding it they asked "Ah, Sir, Have you lost a Kayak." "No. Well I did a year ago."

I might use the S&S air filter cover. But everything else.... not so sure.
 
#7 ·
quote:Originally posted by raven

Be a cool story if the owner survived the tsunami and the bike made it back home.
It is now:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/05/01/bc-tsunami-motorcycle-owner.html

"He said he lost his home and three family members in the tsunami and is now living in temporary accommodation. The motorcycle was being kept at his house in the back section of a cube van that he was using as a storage shed when the tsunami struck.

He said he bought the bike five years ago and some of his fondest memories were of his tours around Japan on it.

When asked if he wanted to say anything to his bike, Yokoyama laughed and and said, "Thanks for coming back buddy," in Japanese."
 
#8 ·
quote:Originally posted by raven

Be a cool story if the owner survived the tsunami and the bike made it back home.
It is now:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/05/01/bc-tsunami-motorcycle-owner.html

"He said he lost his home and three family members in the tsunami and is now living in temporary accommodation. The motorcycle was being kept at his house in the back section of a cube van that he was using as a storage shed when the tsunami struck.

He said he bought the bike five years ago and some of his fondest memories were of his tours around Japan on it.

When asked if he wanted to say anything to his bike, Yokoyama laughed and and said, "Thanks for coming back buddy," in Japanese."
 
#11 ·
Hoof,

When Katrina happened the only bikes that "survived" (and I use tht term loosely) were Harleys. Everything else melted into garbage.

Let me put it this way: think about all the household cleaners you have under your sink and the chemicals in your garage. Now think about all your neighbors and their chemicals. Now imagine someone mixing all that stuff in a giant pot with really brine-y salt water. What do you think it does to the aluminum, titanium, magnesium, etc in most motorcycle engines? In the case of Katrina it literally disolved every jap bike engine case I saw. Old Harleys faired better because the use a lot thicker casting and a different aluminum alloy mix that seems to react slower.

Add that to the likely reduced acidity of tsunami water (sheer volume dilutes the bike melting cocktail) plus the fact that in Japan Harley's are likely to be stored better (they cost 4 times as much as any jap bike in Japan) and I would say they have a Better than average survival rate.
 
#12 ·
Hoof,

When Katrina happened the only bikes that "survived" (and I use tht term loosely) were Harleys. Everything else melted into garbage.

Let me put it this way: think about all the household cleaners you have under your sink and the chemicals in your garage. Now think about all your neighbors and their chemicals. Now imagine someone mixing all that stuff in a giant pot with really brine-y salt water. What do you think it does to the aluminum, titanium, magnesium, etc in most motorcycle engines? In the case of Katrina it literally disolved every jap bike engine case I saw. Old Harleys faired better because the use a lot thicker casting and a different aluminum alloy mix that seems to react slower.

Add that to the likely reduced acidity of tsunami water (sheer volume dilutes the bike melting cocktail) plus the fact that in Japan Harley's are likely to be stored better (they cost 4 times as much as any jap bike in Japan) and I would say they have a Better than average survival rate.
 
#17 ·
If I were a high level executive at Harley, that thing would get a factory rebuild on the house before sending it back home. You can't buy PR like that.
 
#18 ·
If I were a high level executive at Harley, that thing would get a factory rebuild on the house before sending it back home. You can't buy PR like that.
 
#26 ·
no. The wife and I had moved the year before. Her folks were and we went back to help with their house. I also tried to gather info to try and write an article for Motorcycle classics about it but when I tell you there was nothing left of these bikes I am not kidding. literally melted.
 
#25 ·
no. The wife and I had moved the year before. Her folks were and we went back to help with their house. I also tried to gather info to try and write an article for Motorcycle classics about it but when I tell you there was nothing left of these bikes I am not kidding. literally melted.
 
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