Japanese tsunami Harley owner found

Harley-Davidson find the owner of the bike washed away in the Japanese tsunami last year

Posted: 2 May 2012
by Visordown News

THE owner of the Harley-Davidson washed up on a Canadian beach following the tsunami in Japan has been found.

A Japanese representative for the American manufacturer saw the news of the bike and tracked down Ikuo Yokoyama, a resident of the town of Yamamoto in the Miyagi Prefecture, where the bike was registered.

Yokoyama told a Japanese news station that the recovery of his motorcycle was miraculous and he wanted to thank the man who found it personally, rather than on TV.

He said that he had lost his home and three family members in the tsunami and was now living in temporary accommodation. He bought the Harley five years ago and was storing it in the container when the tsunami struck in March 2011.

He added that some of his fondest memories were touring Japan on the Harley and when asked if he had anything to say to his bike, the 29-year-old laughed and said: "Thanks for coming back buddy."

A Harley-Davidson spokesperson said they were hoping to return the bike to Yokoyama fully restored.



Previous article
Suzuki V-Strom Concept for Donington
Next article
Kawasaki test ride tour starting at Silverstone


japanese, tsunami, owner, harley davidson, owner, found, located, canada
TwitterStumbleUponFacebookDiggRedditGoogle


Discuss this story

I've seen Harleys look worse than this in one British winter and not a year in salt water!
On a serious note, lovely gesture by Harley Davidson to restore it before returning it to him.

Posted: 02/05/2012 at 14:27

A nice gesture by Harley my arse,

This is a massive PR opportunity they can't afford to miss!

And i bet all the bits removed from this bike are never returned to the owner.

They will be in display cases in Harley's museum,

Where the good ol paying public can see'em

Or am i just being a bit cinical?

Posted: 02/05/2012 at 19:30

It's still a great gesture. He lost everything, this is his.

Posted: 02/05/2012 at 19:45

Anyplace else he would probably be just as happy with a nice check from his insurance co.
But I doubt he had any coverage
Now his bike smells like - well- (fish)

Posted: 02/05/2012 at 19:52

And there are only two things that smell like fish..

Posted: 04/05/2012 at 17:24

check this out its from a blog site called 4q conditioning and there is also a picture
it doesnt quite add up.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Posted by max schaaf 0 comments
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Motorcycle swept away by Japanese tsunami reaches Canada Harley-Davidson that journeyed 4,000 miles and found washed up on Canadian island is identified by its owner

..this is completely nutso!! if it's on a million other blogs...i'm sorry. ------------------------------------------------------------------

It must have been a wild ride. A Harley-Davidson motorcycle lost in last year's tsunami has washed up on a Canadian island about 4,000 miles away, according to Japanese media reports. The rusted bike was found in a large white container where its owner, Ikuo Yokoyama, had kept it. He was located through the number plate number, Fuji TV reported on Wednesday. "This is unmistakably mine. It's miraculous," Yokoyama told Nippon TV when shown photos of the motorcycle. Yokoyama lost three members of his family in the March 2011 tsunami, and is now living in temporary housing in Miyagi prefecture state. The motorcycle is among the first items lost in the tsunami to reach the west coast of North America. In March, an Alaskan man found a football and later a volleyball from Japan; their owners were located last week using names that had been inscribed on the balls. Canadian Peter Mark, who found the bike and its container, told Fuji that he "couldn't believe that something like that would make it across the Pacific." The report said he found it on 18 April on Graham Island, off the coast of British Columbia. The motorcycle had a lot of corrosion and a lot of rust, said Mark. When he saw the Japanese number plate, Mark wondered if it might have drifted from Japan after the tsunami, and contacted a local TV station. The Fuji report said the motorcycle would be shipped back to Japan, and that the shop that sold it to Yokoyama would help with paperwork and storage. Debris from the tsunami initially gathered in the ocean off Japan's north-eastern coast and has since spread out across the Pacific. In February, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said currents would carry much of the debris to the coasts of Alaska, Canada, Washington and Oregon between March 2013 and 2014, though they correctly predicted that some of it could arrive this year. Last month, a US Coastguard cutter fired on and sank a fishing boat in the Gulf of Alaska that had drifted from Japan after the disaster. Authorities had deemed the ship a hazard to shipping and to the coastline.

Posted: 06/05/2012 at 18:25

You're being 'cinical' alright, but since it's a win-win situation for both parties involved, we should all be pleased on the owner's behalf.

Posted: 07/05/2012 at 23:10

Of course it's good PR. It's also a really nice thing to do. Kudos to H-D, on both counts!

Posted: 08/05/2012 at 15:29

That's a really touching story and brings a smile to ones face esp. when all the other stories coming out of Japan about that awful event make you sad. I know the poor chap wont get his family members back but at least he will get his Harley home safe and sound.

Posted: 09/05/2012 at 08:51

Talkback: Japanese tsunami Harley owner found