Yesterday October 24, Harley-Davidson Museum unveils a special display featuring Ikuo Yokoyama’s Harley-Davidson® motorcycle that drifted for more than a year across the Pacific Ocean following the tragic tsunami that devastated parts of northern Japan last year.
The 2004 Harley-Davidson FXSTB Softail Night Train, recovered off the coast of British Columbia by Peter Mark, is being displayed at Yokoyama’s request. He asked to have the motorcycle preserved in its current condition and displayed at the Harley-Davidson Museum as a memorial to those whose lives were lost or forever changed by the 2011 tsunami in Japan.
The remarkable story of the motorcycle’s survival and recovery made international headlines after Mark found it washed ashore on a remote beach on British Columbia’s Graham Island at low tide. He discovered the motorcycle, still bearing its Japanese license plate, in a container where the bike was being stored by Yokoyama.
Contact was made with Yokoyama, who lost his home and currently lives in temporary housing in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Still struggling to rebuild his life in the aftermath of the disaster, Yokoyama declined Harley-Davidson’s offer to return the bike to him, although he was grateful for the offer and touched by the outpouring of support from Harley riders around the world. The Harley-Davidson Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., with the exception of Thursday, when it is open until 8 p.m.
Compassion? Did Harley gave him a new one?
It’s my understanding Harley did offer to rebuild or replace the bike but Yokoyama declined their offer and instead requested the bike be displayed as is as per above story.
Perhaps he a 1%er, and not a 47%er.
@Brandon: A quick Google search would answer all of your questions…
Says a lot for American ingenuity. After a douche job I bet it still runs. ..Z
How about a memorial in Japan for the American lives lost during WWII? Or, is that all of the Toyotas and Hondas running around our towns?
Any comment would fall short , so stop for a moment and give thanks for our good fourtune . Thank You Mac Out
Every once in a while the Motor Company does something that surprises everyone….
Every once in a while we are reminded that, maybe, under all that corporate greed,
you get a slight glimpse of true biker spirit .
It’s rare these days, very rare indeed
Wait , theres alot more stuff from the Tsumani on our West Coast shores that needs to be picked up as well, is Harley going to help with any of that? Not a chance I’d say . That would come out of there pockets, not go into them.