Harley-Davidson Fans In Japan

[Mulboyne]

[floatr][/floatr]SF Chronicle: Japan's Harley owners a family-friendly cult
By now hardly anyone in South Dakota is surprised when a half-million bikers, a good many on Harley-Davidsons, roar into the Black Hills each August...By contrast, it was jarring to see 20,000 Harley owners gathering in Gotemba last month for an annual rally at a racetrack in the shadow of Mount Fuji...The unmistakable growl of the big Harley V-twin engines was unlike the refined whirr typical of bikes on Japanese roads, and many riders were dressed as if they were pulled straight out of Harley's Japanese Lifestyling Fashion catalog, right down to the $800 leather jackets and $85 garage shirts. At first glance, the extra large Harleys -- quintessential emblems of American brawn and self-reliance -- are an odd fit in Japan...Yet Harleys are selling better than ever in Japan, despite sticker prices that can far exceed those of the home-grown alternatives...At odds with Harley's muscle-bound reputation were things like the pink dog tags that visitors were given, or the Japanese country band that sang "Sweet Home Alabama" while a crew of Japanese Harley employees taught line dancing. Then there was the ladies beauty square, a big tent where women were given free manicures, foot massages and time with stylists to revive hairdos flattened by their helmets...more...

Earlier FG link to rumours that Honda was looking to buy Harley-Davidson here.

[FG Lurker]

I had a friend who bought a brand new "Fatboy" in 2001. He thought for sure that the prices would be outrageous here so he checked carefully what it would cost to import a new one from the US.

I can't remember exactly what the difference was, but after calculating the cost of shipping the bike it was only a few hundred dollars (as in less than $500) difference between buying here in Osaka or buying in the US and shipping over. Needless to say he bought it here.

Parts and accessories are a lot more expensive here though...

[sirwanksalot]

The old breed of Harley enthusiasts are assholes. The new breed are pretentious middle age yuppies. Tools. I just don't know what to say about the Japanese enthusiasts.

[hundefar]

The old breed of Harley enthusiasts are assholes. The new breed are pretentious middle age yuppies. Tools. I just don't know what to say about the Japanese enthusiasts.

They have small penises?

[madfuku]

I have a Japanese neighbor who is a rice farmer, he has to be 60 or something like that. I see him pullout this chromed out Harley complete with chaps, and a leather coat with an American Eagle carrying the stars and stripes every weekend. I'll sneak a picture.

You should see the Hummers in my area, they look like they fell from some redneck Tennessee backwater complete with US flag window tint and USA caps on the hitch and there's like three of them like that in my area, white, yellow and black.

I think they compete in being tacky just like there Tennessee brethren

[Samurai_Jerk]

You should see the Hummers in my area, they look like they fell from some redneck Tennessee backwater complete with US flag window tint and USA caps on the hitch

I don't think rednecks drive Hummers. It's usually been trophy wives in rich parts of town that I've seen in them. The only hummer your average redneck will ever get is from his little sister.

[Greji]

The only hummer your average redneck will ever get is from his little sister.

You forgot cousins!

[Taro Toporific]

I have a Japanese neighbor who is a rice farmer, he has to be 60 or something like that. I see him pullout this chromed out Harley complete with chaps, and a leather coat with an American Eagle carrying the stars and stripes...

[floatl][/floatl]

Lucy Craft shows us how Harley hogs are [SIZE="5"]all the rage in Japan[/SIZE]
NBR Transcripts August 27, 2008
Nightly Business Report - Miami,FL,USA
http://www.pbs.org/nbr/site/onair/transcripts/080827f

While sales in the U.S. have slowed in the sluggish economy, overseas, it's a completely different story. Lucy Craft shows us how Harley hogs are all the rage in Japan.

LUCY CRAFT, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: The tens of thousands of visitors to this annual extravaganza staged outside Tokyo might think they had stumbled upon a county fair. There were country line- dancing lessons, free rides for the kiddies, a manicure tent and a contest for the best-dressed dog. But the sponsor of this homey family fest is an American manufacturer more often associated with rugged individualism than the home-alone set -- Harley-Davidson.

Harley-Davidson is on a roll in Japan. The century-old iconic motorcycle maker has torn up the textbook for marketing and struck pay dirt. Japan's motorcycle makers control the world market for bikes. Yet they've been forced to sit by helplessly as Harley has zoomed away with a controlling share of their home market in the heavy-displacement class, the most lucrative corner of the business says Rod Copes, an executive with Harley Davidson.

ROD COPES, VP, ASIA PACIFIC, HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR CO.: The Japan market, for Harley-Davidson, is very important. Outside of the United States, they're one of our top countries as far as overall sales and they have done a very nice job of kind of localizing the Harley-Davidson culture within Japan.

CRAFT: It's not that Honda and Yamaha can't build monster 750 cc cruisers just as good-- they do]http://www.kawasaki-police.com/touring/200902.htm[/url]

[kusai Jijii]

Reminds me of a trip I took up Koya-san many years ago. I was drinking a coke in the car park when this H.D. pulls up with two chicks in full leathers. When they took their helmets off and let their hair down, I definately found wood.
"Sexy J-Dykes on Bikes" I'm sure theres a movie titled something like that, right Captain?:bukkake:

[Behan]

Reminds me of a trip I took up Koya-san many years ago. I was drinking a coke in the car park when this H.D. pulls up with two chicks in full leathers. When they took their helmets off and let their hair down, I definately found wood.
"Sexy J-Dykes on Bikes" I'm sure theres a movie titled something like that, right Captain?:bukkake:

I know I posted this pic before, but...

[kusai Jijii]

The dykes at Koya-san were better. Like I said, full leathers, and real bad ass attitude.