We bet you would have never imagined a Harley Davidson motorcycle could get dirty, but think again. Roland Sand’s Designs decided to take a 2011 Softail and modify it a little bit. It is now able to go off-road and ride with the best of them. There wasn’t a whole lot of changes that had to be made actually, but they wanted to see how far they could take a Harley Davidson. Once it was completed they took it out for a little test drive, and it performed just like Harley Davidson motorcycles are known for. Roland definitely wanted to keep the stockline gas tank because that’s what Softails stand out, and he also kept the triple trees and frontend. Everything after that was modified atleast a little to handle the rough dirt roads. He definitely wasn’t disappointed, though. The Harley held its own, just like he always knew it would!

Last week we blogged about a beautiful Harley Davidson motorcycle that was discovered in Canada that had Japanese license plates. Well, its original owner has been found, and it is now going back home to Japan. The 29-year-old owner, Ikuo Yokoyama, who tragically lost his house and 3 family members in the horrific Tsunami, was absolutely shocked to find out that his Harley Davidson motorcycle had been found. The bike had been checked out by a couple of mechanics at a Harley dealership in Canada, and they determined that the frame, front-end and transmission was still in “good condition” and is able to be repaired so it will run again. Harley has been trying to track the bike’s route, which involves riding a Tsunami, traveling across an ocean and coming across several dedicated Harley fans that plan to bring it back to life. It has definitely been a long ride for this Harley Davidson motorcycle, but it is finally going back home.

We bet you never thought that a Harley Davidson motorcycle could surf, did you? Well, think again because there was a Harley Davidson motorcycle found in British Colombia that came all the way from Japan, and investigators believe that it was the huge Tsunami that brought it over there. The license plate had been registered in the Miyagi Prefecture in Japan, and it just so happened to be one of the hardest hit areas when the Tsunami made landfall. Over 11,000 people perished, and tons of containers and white trucks were washed out into the sea. This is how it is believed that the Harley made it all the way across the pond into Canada. There was over 1.5 million tons of debris that washed away into the Pacific, and this beautiful bike was tragically one of many valuable things lost in the horrible tragedy. Hopefully it will end up in a museum somewhere because that’s exactly where it belongs.

Harley Davidson shows up in places you would never think possible, and this time we are putting Cuba on the Harley map. Harley Davidson motorcycles are known for what they represent, and that is freedom and the American way. That is why they are so popular in Cuba and have a huge following because the people of Cuba value independence. Recently, they had a Harley gathering where over 270 Harley Davidson motorcycles cruised the streets of Cuba together. What may surprise you is that most of the Harley’s that are on the roads in Cuba should actually be in a museum, but the people of Cuba actually use them just for transportation and recreation. Then, sometimes they all get together and like to show off their bikes, just like this last get-together they had. Just be sure to keep your eyes peeled for Harley Davidsons because you never know where they might pop up.

If you are a true Harley Davidson enthusiast, then you may have heard of the “knucklehead” engine they used in every motorcycle they built prior to 1947. After 1947, they began using the Panhead engine, which changed the whole look of their motorcycles. Well, the lucky guys on the History channel show, “American Pickers”, came across the Holy Grail of motorcycles recently. They found a Harley Davidson 1947 Knucklehead motorcycle on one of the stops they make trying to find cool things to re-sell. They originally offered the owner $25,000 for the bike, but he wasn’t budging. It was obvious to them that he was still attached to the bike, but he said he would let it go for $40,000. The owner definitely knew the bike was a rare find, but it was still a little too steep for the “American Pickers” crew. Even though they were not able to grab up the Harley Davidson, they left happily knowing that the bike was in the possession of someone who knew it’s worth and how important the bike actually is.

Well, what do you know. Harley Davidson motorcycles has one another award. Surprising huh? Andrew Ciancio took home the people’s choice award for his custom-built, beautiful Harley Davidson 90 Model Softail. It was during the Custom Bike, Car and Tattoo Show that is held every year at the Ky West Hotel. The event took play over the weekend of March 3rd through the 4th and is attended by hundreds of people each and every year. This isn’t the first award the custom Harley Davidson has won, though. On January 21st, Andrew took home the people’s choice award at the Shepparton Custom Bike, Car, and Tattoo show. This is because the bike is one of the most unique Harley’s you have ever seen, as you can see in the picture. Don’t think the awards are going to stop coming though, because Andrew will be entering it in more shows throughout the year.

We thought we would go over one of our favorite bikes Harley Davidson came out with in 2007. That bike is the FLSTC Heritage Softail Classic and even though it was only a few years ago when it came out, it’s already starting to have that vintage feel. It’s the type of bike that makes you want to dust it off, clean it up, and go out for a nostalgic cruise and watch the sunset. Even though it’s a new design, the Heritage Softail Classic still has that vintage Harley feel that everyone knows and loves. You may have not known it, but the entire Softail family of Harley bikes got their name because it was created to copy the vintage appearance of the classic hard-tail machines that were so popular. The only difference is that they designed it to hide the twin horizontal rear shocks that are below the beautiful engine. Some of the main details that stand out are the oil lines that they left to see and the oil tank that was done in a horseshoe style.

Looking for something to do this May? Well, if you’re anywhere near Cookeville, Tennessee, then you should definitely check out the HOG rally that is set to last from May 29th to June 2nd. About 2,000 riders are expected to attended, with half of them being people who traveled from out of state to join in on the fun. Everyone will be there showing off their bikes while enjoying great music and food and just taking in the atmosphere. This is the first time that Cookeville has won the bid to host the event and will actually be the smallest city so far. In the past, cities like Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga and Maryville hosted, but this year they decided to try a new and fun location. It will be a great shot in the arm for Cookeville, though, because the event is expected to bring in around $3 million in revenue from all of the attendees. So, join in on the fun if you’re anywhere in the area and looking for a place to meet your fellow Harley Davidson riders!

If you’ve been out of the Harley loop so far this year and haven’t heard, they have two brand new bikes being put into production. They are the Harley XL1200V Seventy Two and The Fat Boy Slim. The Seventy Two has tires that are white-walled and big handle bars. It comes from Harley’s Sportser line of bikes and this means that they aren’t as costly as a lot of the other bikes Harley Davidson offers. The great thing about the handle bars is that they are actually pretty comfortable and and great for those long bike rides that everyone loves. The paint job also has pinstriping on it that is gorgeous. Not only that, but the engine is a classic Harley and you can tell this by the sound and look, but don’t think that means it isn’t modern. It averages about 50mpg and runs as clean as ever. These two bikes are definitely ones you should check out if you’re in the market for a new Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Rolling Thunder Inc. is doing a special motorcycle ride coming up in May that is going to take place all across the United States. The event is for a dedication of a Veterans Memorial at Fountain Park in Florida. The intentions behind this ride is to bring awareness to those members of the military who are still Missing In Action (MIA) or Prisoners Of War (POW). It is also dedicated to all of our veterans who have still not returned home from the ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan. We can never thank them enough for everything they are doing for our great country, and this is just one way you can show it. If you are interested in taking part, just visit Rolling Thunder Inc.’s website to find out more information and you to can ride for our veterans. We all know they deserve the attention that this event will bring!