Greetings from Japan... there's a HD dealer here...
Big Kahuna HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 22,912
Likes: 75
From: Okinawa, Japan
Welcome to Okinawa, you'll love it here.
Don't wanna rain on your parade but I hope ya did some research before deciding to bring your bike from the states with ya. It's gonna cost about $3000 to be able to get it registered here. Gonna have to get brake and emission certs/testing done and that means it has to be shipped up to the mainland (no testing facility here). Plan on it taking at least a few months to do, lots of paperwork and even more frustration dealing with local government.
Don't wanna rain on your parade but I hope ya did some research before deciding to bring your bike from the states with ya. It's gonna cost about $3000 to be able to get it registered here. Gonna have to get brake and emission certs/testing done and that means it has to be shipped up to the mainland (no testing facility here). Plan on it taking at least a few months to do, lots of paperwork and even more frustration dealing with local government.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,345
Likes: 1
From: West of 47 IL
Welcome to Okinawa, you'll love it here.
Don't wanna rain on your parade but I hope ya did some research before deciding to bring your bike from the states with ya. It's gonna cost about $3000 to be able to get it registered here. Gonna have to get brake and emission certs/testing done and that means it has to be shipped up to the mainland (no testing facility here). Plan on it taking at least a few months to do, lots of paperwork and even more frustration dealing with local government.
Don't wanna rain on your parade but I hope ya did some research before deciding to bring your bike from the states with ya. It's gonna cost about $3000 to be able to get it registered here. Gonna have to get brake and emission certs/testing done and that means it has to be shipped up to the mainland (no testing facility here). Plan on it taking at least a few months to do, lots of paperwork and even more frustration dealing with local government.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,672
Likes: 2
From: Indianapolis
Too bad Okinawa isn't really Japan! That's what those of us stationed on the mainland used to tell the guys stationed in Oki just to **** them off. 
They would use Katakana which is a 55 character set of Vowel consonant combinations like Ha Ri Da Va Su Nu. They could use Hiragana which is the more cursive form of the 55 Character set but to be correct they should use Katakana for foreign words.
There were 2 Harley shops in Hiroshima in the Early 80's when I was there, 1 Dealer and 1 Indy. We had 8 harley's on base and my 2yr inspection on the Sporty cost around $600 and took about 3 weeks. When I got the bike from the dock in Kobe I trucked it down to the base then rode it for a couple of days with california plates until I got the appointment set for the inspection. The Police stared a little at the plates but didn't mess with me in Oki you probably wouldn't get away with that!
They would use Katakana which is a 55 character set of Vowel consonant combinations like Ha Ri Da Va Su Nu. They could use Hiragana which is the more cursive form of the 55 Character set but to be correct they should use Katakana for foreign words.
There were 2 Harley shops in Hiroshima in the Early 80's when I was there, 1 Dealer and 1 Indy. We had 8 harley's on base and my 2yr inspection on the Sporty cost around $600 and took about 3 weeks. When I got the bike from the dock in Kobe I trucked it down to the base then rode it for a couple of days with california plates until I got the appointment set for the inspection. The Police stared a little at the plates but didn't mess with me in Oki you probably wouldn't get away with that!
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 175
Likes: 1
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Big Kahuna HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 22,912
Likes: 75
From: Okinawa, Japan
The place with the Bar & Shield logos in Japanese is Al's Cycles on Gate 2 Street. He used to do cutom work but gave that up a few years ago. He runs the bar (Al's Place) upstairs and his OL runs the accessory shop (she used to have another location that was called Yum Yum Tree). Last time I looked the shirts were running about $35 or so (might be more now with the economy and Yen rate).
There's an actual dealer on highway 58. They have regular HD shirts with Okinawa, Japan on them and the prices start at $60. Never buy parts from them unless it's urgent - gonna cost at least double what you would pay by ordering from the States (even with the shipping cost it's still cheaper).
There's an actual dealer on highway 58. They have regular HD shirts with Okinawa, Japan on them and the prices start at $60. Never buy parts from them unless it's urgent - gonna cost at least double what you would pay by ordering from the States (even with the shipping cost it's still cheaper).
i love it here but My bike is somewhere on a boat right now... I hope. anywho, I will find out the price of the shirts and let you know... I'm going to atleast go to the bike shop on 58 but, AL's looks a little run down and that's where the other shirts I saw were I'll compare... last night we went to the "banana show"... interesting stuff. 