Harley Survives Tsunami, Winds up in B.C.

Marcus Slater
HD Forums

We were expecting some refuse from the Japan’s monster tsunami to make it across the pacific… But I don’t think anyone was expecting this. With a stroke of luck, this bike managed to float across the pacific to the sandy shores of British Columbia. That’s wild.

The bike is tagged from Miyagi prefecture, which was one of the areas hardest hit by the Tsunami. It washed up on a beach in British Columbia, in what appeared to part of a moving van. Luckily the bike was in a box, or else it would’ve almost certainly sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

Hopefully, they’ll be able to find the original owners of this incredibly lucky bike. While they probably won’t be able it ride it again, it would be a wonderful living room conversation piece. If they can’t, I hope they make something of it. It would be a shame to see such an amazing story go to waste.

UPDATE: They found the owner! The bike belongs to 29-year-old Ikuo Yokoyama. According to the Japanese media, he bought the bike five years ago. The container that it washed up in was actually his makeshift garage (which explains the tools that were found with it). 

He was keeping it in his backyard when the tsunami came. In addition to sweeping away his garage, the tsunami destroyed his home and claimed the lives of three of his family members.

It’s unclear what will happen to the bike now, but the co-chair of the Provincial Tsunami Debris Coordinating Committee says they will work on getting it back to the owner if he expresses a desire to get it back.

Japanese television station NHK interviewed Ikuo about the situation. He says the “I would like to thank the man who found my bike in person, but because it’s hard to that , I’d like to thank him here right now.” When asked if he’d like to tell his bike anything, he said “Thanks for coming back buddy,” in Japanese.” 

Now that’s a partnership.

What do you think they should do with it? Discuss in the forums!