# Japanese parts on Harley-Davidsons **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2000, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-parts-on-harley-davidsons/11252 "2000-04-28T12:45:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [April 28, 2000, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-parts-on-harley-davidsons/11252/1 "2000-04-28T12:45:00Z")
Harley-Davidsons are okay, but I prefer sport bikes. Cruisers, whether Harley or one of the many others available, just don’t do it for me. I like gobs of power in a light, modern frame, knee-dragging lean-angles, and lots of slick fibreglas. But who knows? I might get a cruiser one of these days… ## Anyway, I know that Harley-Davidson uses Japanese parts; notably the shocks (Showa) and the carburator (Keihin). What other parts are Japanese? “I must leave this planet, if only for an hour.” – Antoine de St. Exupéry Are you a turtle? ---
**Author:** ![Sentinel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sentinel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sentinel)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2000, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-parts-on-harley-davidsons/11252/2 "2000-04-29T16:31:41Z")
That doesn’t surprise me that Harley ‘sold out.’ I once owned a Ford Courier pickup truck. (Big mistake!) I bought it for a song and then had to do a bunch of work on it, which I expected. I was appalled to discover that my GENUINE AMERICAN FORD PRODUCT had a MAZDA made engine in it and that other parts of the thing were made in Japan also!! FORD sold out! The truck was mainly made in Japan, or, rather, most of the mechanics of it were, then assembled into an American made body in the US! It was fun to drive – provided one did not mind hitting the roof when going over some bumps, or the whole thing sounding like it was made of pressed beer cans when you slammed the door – but it was a pain to keep running. I sold it. ---
**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:** [April 29, 2000, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-parts-on-harley-davidsons/11252/3 "2000-04-29T21:52:16Z")
I don’t know about “selling out”. Ford has a long history with Mazda. I recall my dad had a '72 Ford Courier that was actually a Mazda with a Ford nameplate. I remember the Chevy LUV pickup of the early 70s (a friend of my mom’s had one in 1971? 1970?) being made by Isuzu. I’d assume Harley-Davidson has a similarly long history of using Japanese parts. But aside from the carb and shocks, what else on a Harley is of Japanese origin? ---
**Author:** ![egkelly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/db5fbb/32.png) [@egkelly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/egkelly)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2000, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-parts-on-harley-davidsons/11252/4 "2000-05-01T17:06:00Z")
The frame is made in japan, as well as many other parts. The really only 100% American part is that lousy, noisy, old-fashioned V-twin engine. Talk about a cult-this bike is straight out of the 1920’s-and people think it is wonderful! The power of advertising, I guess. Can you imagine if people still bought Model-A Fords (because they liked the way the engine rumbled)! The Japanese bikes are faster, quieter, and more reliable-and cost less-so why does H-D still have a market?