HD to restore tsunami Harley
#1
05-03-2012, 12:58 PM
UPDATED MAY 7 - HD to restore tsunami Harley -
http://gawker.com/5907395/harley+dav...ound-in-canada
Harley-Davidson Will Restore Motorcycle Lost in Tsunami and Found in Canada
Harley-Davidson announced yesterday it plans to fully restore a rusted motorcycle that washed ashore in British Columbia after being swept away from Japan's Miyagi Prefecture during last year's tsunami.
The announcement followed the identification of its owner, 29-year-old Ikuo Yokoyama of Yamamoto, who was tracked down by Harley-Davidson Japan after they learned of the bike's discovery through the media.
Haida Gwaii resident Peter Mark first stumbled upon a container housing the motorcycle last week while walking along a Graham Island beach. Golf club, tools, and camping gear were also found inside.
"I would like to thank the man who found my bike in person," said Yokoyama, who lost three family members to the tsunami. "Thanks for coming back buddy," he added, referring to his bike.
Harley-Davidson will arrange to have the chopper shipped directly to Yokoyama once it has been restored.
UPDATE - MAY 7, 2012
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...-davidson.html
Tsunami motorcycle shipped to Victoria for journey home
Volunteer moved the Harley-Davidson 1,600 kilometres
The Canadian Press
Posted: May 7, 2012 7:51 AM PT
A rusted salt-encrusted Harley Davidson motorcycle that survived the Japanese tsunami has arrived in Victoria and is being readied for shipping back to its owner, thanks to the efforts of some dedicated volunteers.
Since it was pulled from a remote beach on Haida Gwaii, volunteers have looked after the bike every step of the way —ferrying it across Hecate Strait and then driving it about 1,600 kilometres from the northwestern, B.C. city of Prince Rupert to Victoria, where it will be shipped back to Japan.
"I thought, you know, if I lost one of my bikes it would be pretty important to get it back," said Ralph Tieleman, a Tofino, B.C., man and motorcycle enthusiast, who trucked the bike to Victoria.
After dropping off the bike at Steve Drane Harley-Davidson Sunday and returning back to his home on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Tieleman figures he'll have travelled at least 3,000 kilometres.
The 2004 Harley-Davidson Night Train bike — caked in salt and damaged by pounding surf — may be one of the most unique and improbable artifacts to hit the west coast of Canada since the disaster.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Coast Guard sank an unmanned fishing boat because it was a hazard to shipping and to the coastline. Last month, a soccer ball lost by a Japanese teenager also washed ashore on an Alaskan island.
The bike was found in April on Graham Island, the largest Haida Gwaii island, by Masset, B.C. resident Peter Mark.
The motorcycle had made it across the Pacific stored in a large container and packed in Styrofoam.
Traced through the bike's licence plates, the motorcycle's owner was identified as Ikuo Yokoyama, a 29-year-old Japanese man who lost three family members in last year's disaster.
Tieleman, who began riding Harleys at the age of 15, said he heard about the bike and decided to get involved.
He said Mark went through exceptional effort to get the Harley, driving about 60 kilometres off road and in a four-by-four to reach the buried bike and winching it out of the sand.
Engine and transmission in good shape
The bike was then taken to the ferry and arrived Friday in Prince Rupert, where it was met by Tieleman and his truck. Tieleman said he drove east to Prince George, south to Vancouver, and then hopped on yet another ferry that took him to Victoria.
Along the way, people, and even police, stopped to look at the bike, some even taking photos, said Tieleman.
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The bike is a little rusty but amazingly intact. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
Peter Mark, a beachcomber on Haida Gwaii, found the container on April 18 while he was aboard his ATV in Naikoon Provincial Park. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The container is believed to be from the back of a Japanese moving truck. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The container was lined with foam and markings on the inside match it to a Japanese moving truck. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The motorcycle was found on its side in the back of the moving truck container. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
This sign is from inside a Japanese moving truck, with instructions for lashing down objects. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The licence plate shows the motorcycle is from Miyagi Prefecture, one of the hardest-hit areas during the tsunami. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The logo shows the bike is a Harley-Davidson. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The Japanese Consulate has the bike's VIN number and says it is trying to track down the owner. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
Six golf clubs were pinned beneath the bike. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The container landed below the high tide mark and appeared to have been batted around quite a bit. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
Once the bike was out of the container, the finder had to get it into the back of a pickup truck. Submitted by Peter Mark
"It's caked in salt and corrosion," said Tieleman, after arriving in Victoria. "There's rocks jammed everywhere. It got beat up on the beach a bit."
The bike's frame is still good and so are its engine and transmission cases, he said, noting that even the bike's front end is in good shape.
According to a statement, Steve Drane Harley-Davidson will prepare the bike for shipment to Japan, where it will be restored by Harley-Davidson Japan and returned to its owner.
Tieleman said the journey provides a powerful lesson to others who find tsunami-related debris on B.C. beaches.
"Remember that it's somebody's property and what people there went through," he said.
"It's not just junk. At one point, it was part of someone's life."
Harley-Davidson Will Restore Motorcycle Lost in Tsunami and Found in Canada
Harley-Davidson announced yesterday it plans to fully restore a rusted motorcycle that washed ashore in British Columbia after being swept away from Japan's Miyagi Prefecture during last year's tsunami.
The announcement followed the identification of its owner, 29-year-old Ikuo Yokoyama of Yamamoto, who was tracked down by Harley-Davidson Japan after they learned of the bike's discovery through the media.
Haida Gwaii resident Peter Mark first stumbled upon a container housing the motorcycle last week while walking along a Graham Island beach. Golf club, tools, and camping gear were also found inside.
"I would like to thank the man who found my bike in person," said Yokoyama, who lost three family members to the tsunami. "Thanks for coming back buddy," he added, referring to his bike.
Harley-Davidson will arrange to have the chopper shipped directly to Yokoyama once it has been restored.
UPDATE - MAY 7, 2012
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...-davidson.html
Tsunami motorcycle shipped to Victoria for journey home
Volunteer moved the Harley-Davidson 1,600 kilometres
The Canadian Press
Posted: May 7, 2012 7:51 AM PT
A rusted salt-encrusted Harley Davidson motorcycle that survived the Japanese tsunami has arrived in Victoria and is being readied for shipping back to its owner, thanks to the efforts of some dedicated volunteers.
Since it was pulled from a remote beach on Haida Gwaii, volunteers have looked after the bike every step of the way —ferrying it across Hecate Strait and then driving it about 1,600 kilometres from the northwestern, B.C. city of Prince Rupert to Victoria, where it will be shipped back to Japan.
"I thought, you know, if I lost one of my bikes it would be pretty important to get it back," said Ralph Tieleman, a Tofino, B.C., man and motorcycle enthusiast, who trucked the bike to Victoria.
After dropping off the bike at Steve Drane Harley-Davidson Sunday and returning back to his home on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Tieleman figures he'll have travelled at least 3,000 kilometres.
The 2004 Harley-Davidson Night Train bike — caked in salt and damaged by pounding surf — may be one of the most unique and improbable artifacts to hit the west coast of Canada since the disaster.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Coast Guard sank an unmanned fishing boat because it was a hazard to shipping and to the coastline. Last month, a soccer ball lost by a Japanese teenager also washed ashore on an Alaskan island.
The bike was found in April on Graham Island, the largest Haida Gwaii island, by Masset, B.C. resident Peter Mark.
The motorcycle had made it across the Pacific stored in a large container and packed in Styrofoam.
Traced through the bike's licence plates, the motorcycle's owner was identified as Ikuo Yokoyama, a 29-year-old Japanese man who lost three family members in last year's disaster.
Tieleman, who began riding Harleys at the age of 15, said he heard about the bike and decided to get involved.
He said Mark went through exceptional effort to get the Harley, driving about 60 kilometres off road and in a four-by-four to reach the buried bike and winching it out of the sand.
Engine and transmission in good shape
The bike was then taken to the ferry and arrived Friday in Prince Rupert, where it was met by Tieleman and his truck. Tieleman said he drove east to Prince George, south to Vancouver, and then hopped on yet another ferry that took him to Victoria.
Along the way, people, and even police, stopped to look at the bike, some even taking photos, said Tieleman.
previous 1 of 12
next
The bike is a little rusty but amazingly intact. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
Peter Mark, a beachcomber on Haida Gwaii, found the container on April 18 while he was aboard his ATV in Naikoon Provincial Park. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The container is believed to be from the back of a Japanese moving truck. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The container was lined with foam and markings on the inside match it to a Japanese moving truck. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The motorcycle was found on its side in the back of the moving truck container. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
This sign is from inside a Japanese moving truck, with instructions for lashing down objects. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The licence plate shows the motorcycle is from Miyagi Prefecture, one of the hardest-hit areas during the tsunami. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The logo shows the bike is a Harley-Davidson. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The Japanese Consulate has the bike's VIN number and says it is trying to track down the owner. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
Six golf clubs were pinned beneath the bike. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
The container landed below the high tide mark and appeared to have been batted around quite a bit. (Submitted by Peter Mark)
Once the bike was out of the container, the finder had to get it into the back of a pickup truck. Submitted by Peter Mark
"It's caked in salt and corrosion," said Tieleman, after arriving in Victoria. "There's rocks jammed everywhere. It got beat up on the beach a bit."
The bike's frame is still good and so are its engine and transmission cases, he said, noting that even the bike's front end is in good shape.
According to a statement, Steve Drane Harley-Davidson will prepare the bike for shipment to Japan, where it will be restored by Harley-Davidson Japan and returned to its owner.
Tieleman said the journey provides a powerful lesson to others who find tsunami-related debris on B.C. beaches.
"Remember that it's somebody's property and what people there went through," he said.
"It's not just junk. At one point, it was part of someone's life."
Last edited by iceman336; 05-07-2012 at 12:29 PM. Reason: UPDATED - MORE INFORMATION
#2
05-03-2012, 01:20 PM
Road Warrior
What an awesome story. I couldn't believe how the bike could float to BC. Maybe the air in the tank/tyres made it buoyant.
#3
05-03-2012, 01:32 PM
It was found in a 20' shipping container on a beach in a remote area on Vancouver Island. The container was still certified - meaning it was watertight when the tsunami hit. The salt water eventually ate through the can resulting in the corrosion evident on the bike, but by that time the sea can had beached itself.
Last edited by iceman336; 05-03-2012 at 01:40 PM.
#5
05-03-2012, 02:09 PM
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They must have great faith in their product to fix it and give it back. I would worry about the saltwater corrosion inside of the frame. How are they going to stop that rust besides taking the frame apart? Maybe start with a new frame and restamp his VIN?
#6
05-03-2012, 03:20 PM
The hows probably don't matter so much as the fact that HD is going to set things, with the bike, right for the dude. This is an overall good story, that he is going to get his HD back, and it is going to get fully restored by the MC...
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#8
05-03-2012, 03:29 PM
Road Warrior
If I was calling the shots at Harley. I would have the bike preserved and put in the Harley Museum. And give the kid his choice of any 2013 Harley.
#10
05-03-2012, 03:41 PM
I think the guy getting HIS bike back may be important to him. I know for me I'd want MY bike back, not a new bike. Either way, I'd just be happy with whatever they did knowing my bike was found after that kind of trip.