Harleys in China?

Yep, there actually is such a thing.   We saw just two Harleys on our ride across China…a Sportster in Luoyang, and a big twin with apehangars just outside of Beijing (the Chinese guys in our group had a good laugh when they saw those handlebars).   We were on the move both times, so I didn’t get any photos.  Anyway, my son-in-law sent a link to me today with a story about Harley-Davidson motorcycles in China, and you can read it here.

It will be interesting to see what happens when those Harleys hit the magic 13-year mark in China.   It’s illegal to keep a vehicle older than that in China, so when your car or motorcycle is 12 years old, it’s in its final year of life in China.   Shocking, I know, but it’s why you don’t see any older cars or bikes in China.  There’s no exemption for classics, collectibles, or anything else.  I guess it keeps the economy going and gets older (and presumably more polluting) vehicles out of circulation.   But wow, it sure is draconian!