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The Rikuo - An article for Classic Bike 1998 [img]http://tinyurl.com/mz8snz[/img]; A PORTAL FEATURE: - Harley-Davidsons built in Japan? Unthink
Topic Started: Monday, 27. July 2009, 01:07 (429 Views)
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The Rikuo
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Harley-Davidsons built in Japan?           Unthinkable?
Actually, it happened for almost three decades.

     It all started in the early 1930s, when the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, like everyone else, was mired in the Great Depression. By 1932, in fact, the Milwaukee factory was running at about 10 percent capacity, and sales were below 4,000 units a year.

One bright spot had been exports, but in Japan, Harley sales were also plummeting, because of an unfavorable exchange rate.

Enter Alfred Rich Child, an independent business agent authorized to represent Harley-Davidson in Japan, China, Korea and Manchuria.

Child figured he could reduce the retail price of a Harley to a Japanese customer if the machines were built in-country. He convinced the home office to sell Harley machine tools and licensing rights to the Japanese Sankyo Seiyako Corporation, which would build Harleys in Japan.

In dire straits, Harley agreed to the deal, and a new, Japanese-built model appeared under the “Rikuo” name. Roughly translated, Rikuo means “Land King,” or “King of Road.”

The deal continued for several years, until Harley-Davidson produced the EL 61 OHV Knucklehead in 1936. Child couldn’t convince Sankyo to buy the licensing rights for the new machine. That disagreement, coupled with the rise of a militaristic government in Japan, put an end to Child’s, and Harley’s, relationship with the Japanese Rikuo company.

Despite that split, Rikuos continued to be built in the Japanese factory. In fact, military versions of the Rikuo were built for the Japanese army during World War II. When civilian production resumed following the war, the motorcycle was limited largely to police and courier use.

As late as the 1950s, though, as many as 2,000 Rikuos were built each year, with the engine having been expanded from the original 750cc to 1,000cc, and then to 1,200cc.


Quote:
 
RIKUO, the first motorcycle manufactured in Japan. It was originally made under licence from Harley Davidson using tooling supplied by that company and was called a Harley Davidson. Then the Japanese licencee and HD fell out - they name was changed to Rikuo and carried on making the bike regardless until 1958.


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[redit][/redit]
Edited by obxbiker, Monday, 27. July 2009, 01:37.
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Links
:READING:
[google]Rikuo Moyorcycle[/google]
[yahoo]Rikuo Moyorcycle[/yahoo]
[youtube]Rikuo Moyorcycle[/youtube]
[photobucket]Rikuo Moyorcycle[/photobucket]

[piwyr]Rikuo Moyorcycle[/piwyr]
[archive]Rikuo Moyorcycle[/archive]

Rikuo News Japanese website with English information page.

1955 Rikuo RQ Honda Collection Hall article

1958 Rikuo RT2 American Motorcyclists Association article
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This topic is as of this date a feature on the:

      * |» NEWS: Entry Portal page.
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[you] , anything to add ? :HATOFF:


THANK YOU

[note] This is the new ''BUMP'' Auto-Tool auto post using the ''you'' tag so it reflects the readers username...[/note]




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:OLD: Just that if anyone has one laying around that is in the way, Brandon and I will gladly come and take it off your hands.
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REAL RIDERS and OWNERS HERE !! piwyrmanagement@gmail.com
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Yea.. great 'classic looks''....
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Have moved this topic off the ENTRY PORTAL.
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