Flathead (VL type) 74/80 cubic inch Harley-Davidson design manufactured in Japan

In the early 1930s Rikuo operated under the license and name of Harley-Davidson. using their tooling. and later under the name Rikuo until 1958. The Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan rates the 1935 Rikuo Motorcycle as one of their 240 Landmarks of Japanese Automotive Technology. The word "Rikuo" itself is pronounced "rik ew Oh" said very quickly with an emphasis on the "Oh. near as I can tell. The name is fairly common in the Japanese language. sometimes referencing characters. but in this case it translates as "Land King" or "Continental King" - or so I understand.

Here are the Japanese characters: ?? Please look up "Rikuo Motorcycle" in Wikipedia. and "Rikuo Motorcycle" in your favorite search engine. The motorcycle in the image in the Wiki article is the very motorcycle presented here for your bidding.

Frame and engine numbers match. Frame: 59-V-7305 / Engine: V-7305.

click for movie

The top end was recently rebuilt (since the video. which was shot several years ago). the bottom end is completely solid. It leaks some oil. if you can imagine that. Lubrication system on this motorcycle is "Total loss" meaning additional oil is supplied from the remote tank in the left side of the fatbob to the engine as it is burned. The engine does not smoke nor use excessive oil. The engine cranks readily when done by a knowledgeable operator. idles well. runs great. pulls hard. shifts perfectly. and clutch does not slip. The top end rebuild utilized 80 cubic inch (1311cc) HD pistons. which were what were installed in the motorcycle when I purchased it years ago. There are references to 80 cu in versions in some places. so I assume this is correct. The HD V & VL engines were 74ci/1200cc & 80ci/1311cc respectively I believe. Sidecar lugs are part of the frame. I have a copy of the Japanese parts list for both the big and small flathead Rikuo twins. and most of the engine and trans mission part numbers are the same as HD V/VL and R (45ci) engines! Obviously. the parts list copy goes with this bike.

The transmission is a three speed forward/one reverse unit. Note that shifting is by foot clutch/hand shift lever. The primary sprocket has been changed out to a significantly larger one. causing the motorcycle to be much more useable on modern roads (RPM lowered). Pulling away from a stop requires a bit of finesse; no problem for an experienced operator. Mechanically otherwise. the motorcycle runs straight down the road. no untoward noises. The speedometer is inoperable; issue appears to be the rear axle drive gear. The tires are old. but new ones come with the sale. The headlight and tail light. and horn. work. The tin appears to be all original. Rikuo took many styling cues from various versions of Harleys over the years. the tin on this one appearing to be similar to early 1950s HDs. excepting the retention of the springer fork. Note that the paint in some images is a funky green. I was able to remove most of that to expose the metallic blue seen in other images. There were two layers of the blue of different shades under the crappy green.

The Japanese characters on the rear fender translate to "Military Bar. indicating that a sidecar was once attached to this unit and used for fetching soldiers back to their barracks after drinking excursions. The Japanese characters on the pedestrian slicer on the front fender translates to "Old Farts Club" or some such. I am told.

This has been a fun and interesting machine for me to own for the past decade or so. I have another one (45 cu in/750cc in the HD 45 DL mold) and displaying the two together at meets is a wonderful experience. By now most know. but there were some incredulous HD experts when they first laid eyes on this motorcycle. I have other interests now. and I'm older and operating a foot clutch in traffic is getting trickier instead of easier so it's time to move on.

The 45 cu in bike is in pieces - disassembled from a running. working machine - professionally painted and chromed and engine bored with new pistons. etc. . ready for completion of restoration should the high bidder wish to make a package deal - once the bidding on this one is complete!

Also published at eBay.com