beijing cops on Harleys...

[China twin 88]

Three traffic cops tooled around  brand new Harley Davidson motorcycles along the Chang'an Avenue on Monday morning.
That is the fobidden city in the back ground....and the word is Harley will send 20 more and provide the maint.   ... this could be a break for big bikes which have had a hard time with import.. but there is two official shops  and now a (for lack of a better word) Boutique in Orient Plazza....as maore and more cities close off their cities to motorcycles.. this could be a good thing getting a seperation fromthe legal dicriptions that would seperate the big motors bikes from the small underpowered 125 and the 150's which the purce snatchers in thesouth seem to favor...

[Flat Dog]

It's only a matter of time before one of their factories starts cloning them at 1/10th the price.

[HV]

It's only a matter of time before one of their factories starts cloning them at 1/10th the price.

They clone a bunch of bikes now.. ( small Honda's ) .... trust me...they will sell cheap.... but there will be no aftermarket shops ... they are worthless after 6 months... electrics suck/..... anything Plastic will shatter because of the poor quality...same with rubber parts...
They have to be cheap...cuz they aint worth CRAP

[motorplex88]

Man I'm glad I live in USA. In the background where I live is still the USA. We  still have motorcycles as motorcycles some are taged dirrerent by cc but still motorbikes. I'm glad the men in this country that have fought have givin me this right to say this. These United States and other countries have rode H-D because they proved durabal and could get replacement parts. Some good some bad. I hope it stays the same............... I wonder.

[JamLazyAss]

WHY CLONE THEM ?

MAYBE THE MOTHER COMPANY (MOCO) WILL FOLLOW MUCH OF CORPORATE AMERICA.
CLOSE THE PLANTS IN THE USA, AND BRING THE MANUFACTURING TO CHINA  
THINK THIS IS A LITTLE TOO FAR FETCHED? LOOK AT ANY RANDOM PRODUCT FOR COUNTRY OF ORGIN.
THAT INCLUDES YOUR HARLEY.
I (LIKE OTHERS) WORKED IN A STEALERS PARTS DEPARTMENT AND KNOW THE COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN FOR TOO MANY OF THE COMPONENTS.
AND TRUST ME, IT'S AN UGLY LIST...

[China twin 88]

There are a lot of Harleys in China...but the biggest VTwin made is 250.. although I think Taiwan buidls a big inch engine...otherwise to ride a bike in China is ok... cheap insurance and a police department that doesnt stop u for (useless) inspections have mde riding in China a pleasure...as far as harley and chinese production goes..already they have a deal with a chinese company for promotion .... manufacturing (such as detroit has already started in Shanghai) may be the next step... as China turns into a consumer society ... more people will want the big bikes .... and I miss the roads of the US... often it is better to take an old army bike like the CJ750 on the mountain roads evn though it has 1938 old tech and only 22 hp....as they are sketchy .. in the future .. I will buy a bike for the US and the shovel I will keep in China..

[Trolling10]

  I think i remember reading in a mag several years ago that Japan had a deal to produce a 45 under license from HD (many yrs ago) to sell in Japan. It was called hte RIKUO(spelling ?) meaning KING OF THE ROAD but the japs would not by it beacause it didn't have the HD name on it. May be wrong as age has let CRS creep in.

[HV]

Rikuo Motorcycle Co. was one of the first motorcycles manufactured in Japan, originally in the early 1930s under license and name of Harley Davidson using their tooling, and then under the name Rikuo until 1958.

There is a fairly comprehensive history here  - although even this author admits there are some details unknown as Harley-Davidson themselves did not publicize this Japanese connection. This, because effectively, it could be that the Japanese were helped in mass-production techniques by the introduction of this factory into Japan just prior to the Second World War.

The main plant was located in..........................Hiroshima


( From Wikipedia )

[China twin 88]

they did produce that bike a v twin many years ago.. but it wasnt offered to the general public as it was in pre war production .. as I understand...a flat head...

[CraigArizona85248]

Yep... Rikuo was setup entirely by H-D.  They provided everything they needed to get started.  I've never heard that the Japanese didn't accept the Rikuo because it didn't have the H-D label on it.  In fact I'd bet that very few Japenese had even heard of H-D between 1935 and 1958 (the years Rikuo were being produced).  I suspect it didn't do so well because gas was/is very expensive in Japan and they needed smaller more fuel efficient motorcycles.

Rikuo made two different models.  Both were sidevalve (flathead) motors.  One was 750cc (45ci) the other was the 1200cc (74ci) VL model.

-Craig

45ci model:


74ci model:


**Actually, I think I might have the caption reversed on those pictures, but the site where I found them labeled them that way.  I think the top photo is actually the 74ci model though...

[CraigArizona85248]

I did a little more research... looks like they made about 2000 units a year until the late 1950s.  They were largely used for police and courier service.  Interesting article here...

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/classics/bike.asp?id=81

[Trolling10]

   Thanks for getting me straight, saw it in mag many yrs ago.

[HDRDR]

interesting, thanks

[Dennis The Menace]

Those police bikes look like they are lowered.    just sayin

menace

[Speeding Big Twin]

Craig, can you post a link to the site for those two Rikuos please. I'd like to see if there is mention made regarding the muffler on the top bike and the heads on the bottom bike. And I would have thought both the captions were correct, given the location of the rear chain on each bike. Thanks.     Eric

[CraigArizona85248]

Eric,

Those photos came from the Wiki page.  Not much info there... they just sort of scratch the surface.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rikuo_Motorcycles_-_Japan

-Craig

[Speeding Big Twin]

Thanks, Craig.     Eric

[MMOCGuy]

Two comments here.

China Shovel. There was a fellow that used to post on the old HTT forum. Everyone here was happy to hear from him when he posted. You wouldn't by chance be him (I don't recall his nickname on that forum) would you? I, for one, am always glad to hear things about life and motorcycles from the other side of the world. I hope you continue to post here.

Craig, I think that "Speeding Big Twin is correct". Looking at the rear frame sections, I think that the captioning is correct.

Norm.

[miwhite]

" **Actually, I think I might have the caption reversed on those pictures, but the site where I found them labeled them that way.  I think the top photo is actually the 74ci model though..."

I believe that the captions are correct. Check the chaindrive on the bottom photo - it is on the left. With H-D flat-heads, the 74's were on the left and the 45's on the right.

[mark61]

   Over on the Home ShopMachinist bulletin board 1 or 2 years ago one of the people (engineer/inspector?) who was making regular trips to China checking their product or manufacturing plants  talked about seeing a big Bar and Shield sign appear on a new building in one of the larger Chinese cities....

mark61

[04glide]

Those police bikes look like they are lowered.    just sayin

menace

They look like Street Glides to me.

[China twin 88]

MMOCGuy 

Sure nuff, that  me.. I couldn't re register under the old moniker....for some reason.. and yea I am still here...in Red China....Beijing to be exact...and winter is here and rebuilding and painting the CJ 750s now .......still have the shovel .. and been collecting parts.. hard to import here as I should have a proper shop and tax to get overseas bike  parts...but trying to bring them in  slowly through a PO box...had thought about returning to the US this year.. but with the current status.. though I might give it another year ..or go to England for a extended trip ..

[sfarson]

Thanks for the post China shovel.  Have stood at that spot and have passed the H-D dealership.  From numerous trips to China on business I look forward to the day when bigger CC bikes are authorized outside of restricted zones and one can ride the country without escort.

Seeing these bikes at that location tells me the door to being able to do so continues to widen, albeit slowly.

[China twin 88]

I use to hear of the Shanghai Devils using escorts... when traveling.. but for my self .. never used one and never been even ask... rode to Mongolia a few years ago .. and even have crossed borders...lots of big inch engines .. but usually running "outlaw" as the availability of the tags are only for new bikes.. but belieave me they are here..
I currently have a CJ licence with a Jing A plate...can go down to the T Square where the photo of the cop scoots was made....if ur in country, let me know and I can show u around...now Harley is on Wang Fu Jing  area...in Orient Plaza mall..or out my way near the Lido is the Authorized shop.. as well as one in Shanghai as well as Hong Kong..I know of three "aftermarket" shops called Black shops by the Chinese...

This is a Chinese shop