Remember the Harley that swept up on Canadian shores after drifting 4,000 miles from Japan?
The story originally concluded with plans to send the bike back
across the Pacific, have it restored by H-D of Japan, and return it to
owner Ikuo Yokoyama, who lost his family to the horrendous natural
disaster that claimed nearly 16,000 lives... but a new twist offers an
intriguing outcome to the poignant tale.
According to Harley-Davidson's Milwaukee headquarters, Yokoyama
"respectfully declined" the offer to return his bike, asking instead
that the 2004 Night Train be preserved in its current state at the H-D
Museum in honor of the disaster's victims. He also turned down the offer
of a new replacement bike, wishing not to be "singled out when so many
others lost as much or more" than he did.
Yokoyama expressed gratitude to Peter Mark, the Canadian who found
the remains and, with the help of Ralph Tieleman and Steve Drane,
transported the bike to Steve Drane Harley-Davidson. He also thanks
Harley-Davidson, which has extended an invitation to fly him to
Milwaukee to visit the bike.
"I've always felt Harley-Davidson motorcycles have a soul, and their
owners obviously have an emotional attachment to their bikes," says
Drane. "I just wanted to reunite this bike with its owner."
Source: Harley-Davidson
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