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05/01/12, 08:55 PM
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Now ghostly Harley Davidson motorcycle travels across Pacific
The Haida Gwaii islands on B.C.'s west coast seems to be the destination for some of the oddest things from Japan. First it was the ghost ship, this week it is a Harley Davidson motorcycle (and 6 golf clubs) that was found inside an open container on the beach. The young man in Japan that it belongs to is happy to have it found and returned.
Poor guy, he lost his home and 3 family members in the tsunami.
See picture below. There are 12 pictures of the motorcycle and the container at the link.
Tsunami motorcycle owner located in Japan - British Columbia - CBC News
Quote:
The Japanese owner of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was washed out to sea in the tsunami last April says its discovery on a remote beach on the West Coast of B.C. last week is a miracle.
The owner Ikuo Yokoyama, a 29-year-old resident of the town of Yamamoto, in Miyagi Prefecture, was tracked down by a Harley-Davidson representative in Japan who saw the story in the media news.
A company spokeperson told CBC News they are now hoping to pay for the return of the bike to Yokoyama and to see if they can restore it for him.
Yokoyama told Japanese television station NHK that the discovery of the motorcycle was miraculous and he wished to thank the B.C. man who found it personally, but so far he has only been able to do so on TV.
He said he lost his home and three family members in the tsunami and is now living in temporary accommodation. The motorcycle was being kept at his house in the back section of a cube van that he was using as a storage shed when the tsunami struck.
He said he bought the bike five years ago and some of his fondest memories were of his tours around Japan on it.
When asked if he wanted to say anything to his bike, Yokoyama laughed and and said, "Thanks for coming back buddy," in Japanese.
Drifted 5,000 km to Haida Gwaii
After it was washed out to sea in the tsunami in the makeshift storage container, the motorcycle apparently floated 5,000 km across the Pacific Ocean
It was discovered by Peter Mark, a resident of B.C.'s Haida Gwaii, while he was exploring a remote beach on Graham Island.
The bike was rusty, particularly on the wheels and handlebars, but the logo on the fuel tank was unmistakable.
The motorcycle's licence plate showed it was registered in Miyagi Prefecture, and writing on the container matched photos of a commonly used Japanese moving van. Mark also found a few golf clubs, tools and camping equipment in the container.
Miyagi Prefecture, on Japan's east coast was the worst hit part of the country in the tsunami, with more than 11,000 people dead and missing.
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 Ikuo Yokoyama, a 29-year-old resident of the town of Yamamoto, in Miyagi Prefecture, was tracked down by a Harley Davidson representative in Japan. (NHK)
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.
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Last edited by naturelover; 05/01/12 at 09:08 PM.
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05/03/12, 11:08 AM
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Wasn't there a geiger counter handy?
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05/03/12, 11:13 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sevenmmm
Wasn't there a geiger counter handy?
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Why? This was washed out in the flood before the nuke plants leaked any radiation.
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Dear Math, it is time you grew up and solved your own problems.
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05/03/12, 11:14 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poppy
Why? This was washed out in the flood before the nuke plants leaked any radiation.
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Then there shouldn't be any signal of radiation.
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05/03/12, 11:50 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,759
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sevenmmm
Then there shouldn't be any signal of radiation.
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Why would there be and who, besides you, suggested there might be?
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Dear Math, it is time you grew up and solved your own problems.
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05/03/12, 12:12 PM
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Banned
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poppy
Why would there be and who, besides you, suggested there might be?
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Why do you ask?
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05/03/12, 03:18 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sevenmmm
Why do you ask?
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Why do you ask why I ask?
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Dear Math, it is time you grew up and solved your own problems.
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05/03/12, 03:56 PM
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Banned
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All right! All right already! I can take a hint. No more happy human interest stories for you guys.
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05/03/12, 03:57 PM
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Too Complicated For Cable
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Washington
Posts: 10,120
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Hmm, call me an evil selfish jerk but if I found that bike I might keep it. Finders keepers 
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Know why the middle class is screwed? 3 classes, 2 parties...
To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself. ~ Einstein
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05/03/12, 04:12 PM
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Banned
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InvalidID
Hmm, call me an evil selfish jerk but if I found that bike I might keep it. Finders keepers |
Aha! You have a chop shop, do ya? 
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05/03/12, 04:16 PM
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Too Complicated For Cable
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Washington
Posts: 10,120
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Quote:
Originally Posted by naturelover
Aha! You have a chop shop, do ya?
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I suppose the barn would be a chop shop if I had that bike, yeah... LOL
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Know why the middle class is screwed? 3 classes, 2 parties...
To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself. ~ Einstein
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05/04/12, 08:28 AM
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Join Date: May 2002
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Nasty junk now. It probably will cost a lot more to ship the thing back than it could ever be worth. But on the other hand, this is a pretty famous Harley now. He could put on eBay and make out well I think.
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05/04/12, 05:11 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Ontario
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CBC reported that Harley Davidson would rebuild that bike to pre-loss condition if the owner wanted. Smart PR move but not unexpected.
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Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup........
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05/04/12, 08:23 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Jun 2006
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Quote:
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Smart PR move but not unexpected.
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I agree, not unexpected. Harley Davidson has a long reputation as great business people who care about their customer satisfaction.
Quote:
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A company spokeperson told CBC News they are now hoping to pay for the return of the bike to Yokoyama and to see if they can restore it for him.
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Last edited by naturelover; 05/04/12 at 08:27 PM.
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