# Foreign parts on Harley-Davidsons

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-parts-on-harley-davidsons/475810>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 5, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-parts-on-harley-davidsons/475810 "2008-12-05T03:43:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-parts-on-harley-davidsons/475810/1 "2008-12-05T03:43:24Z")

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What components used on Harley-Davidson motorcycles are foreign?

Not being a Harley driver, I don’t know where to start looking. ISTR they use Keihin carbs. I want to say they use Shimano shocks, but I equate Shimano to bicycles so I’m not sure.

Anyone have a list?

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**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-parts-on-harley-davidsons/475810/2 "2008-12-05T12:30:35Z")

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Before anyone attempts to cause you any physical harm, one is a Harley rider, not driver. Saw some guy hosting a motorcycle get together make this mistake, many leather clad folks let the guy know about his error in a rather unpleasant terms.

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**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-parts-on-harley-davidsons/475810/3 "2008-12-05T15:59:41Z")

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Depending also on how you define foreign.

They had a partnership with Showa motors in Japan for their brakes. Showa built the machines that made the brakes and sent them to an HD plant in (I think) Ohio. This was about 10 years ago when one of my classes was teaching English to the Showa engineers who were going to go over and train the HD guys.