I generally try to avoid sharing projects that are this rough but Rikuos are too cool and too rare for me to ignore. During the Great Depression, Harley-Davidson was on the verge of bankruptcy – partially due to the 1921 Safeguarding of Industries act which imposed a 33.3% tariff on American products like Harleys that were threatening UK manufacturers. Because this pretty much shut Harley out of the many British Commonwealth countries, Harley looked to make some money in Japan. So in 1929, Harley started licensing their name and designs to Rikuo, one of Japan’s first motorcycle manufacturers.
Rikuo roughly translates to “Land King” (or “Road King”, a phrase that Harley fans will be familiar with). The RT2 (750cc V-Twin side-valve flathead) was the final model Rikuo made and 1958 was the last year of production. In 1950, Rikuo was sold to Showa – a company you should recognize. For more on the Rikuo story, check out this article from Motorcycle Classics.
Unfortunately, this example is missing a bunch of stuff: “internal camshafts, kickstart pedal/shaft assembly, outer transmission side cover, exhaust system, front fork pinch bolts, tank/fender emblems, and select small hardware.” The history is pretty cool – the seller says that it was imported in 1960 as parts in a crate by a USAF serviceman that came back home to Las Vegas. It shows 37,077 kilometers on the odometer and I hope someone brings it back to life but I’m not holding my breath.
Find this Rikuo for sale in Powhatan, Virginia with a BIN of $12,500 here on eBay.