Rikuo Motorcycle
Encyclopedia
was one of the first motorcycle
s manufactured in Japan
, originally in the early 1930s under license and name of Harley Davidson using their tooling, and then under the name Rikuo until 1958.
There is a fairly comprehensive history here – although even this author admits there are some details unknown as Harley-Davidson themselves did not publicize this Japanese connection. This, because effectively, it could be that the Japanese were helped in mass-production techniques by the introduction of this factory
into Japan just prior to the Second World War.
In 1922 Meguro, one of Japan's oldest manufacturers of motorcycles is making copies of the UK Single cylinder motorcycles as well as a copy of the Harley-Davidson Model J.
Sankyo company imports and produces Harley-Davidson motorcycles in 1923. At this time there are dozens of Japanese Motorcycle companies which are small shops spread all throughout Japan.
The Japanese government also was alarmed by the damage being done to their economy by Harley-Davidson. In 1924 the Military Subsidy law allowed the government to subsidize certain industries in order to encourage domestic production. Motorcycle production that had been conducted in small shops was now immediately being performed in large factories. Major Japanese industries were now manufacturing motorcycles. Both Murata Iron works and Toyo Kogyo tried to copy the Harley-Davidson motorcycle and failed.
During the great depression of 1929 Harley-Davidson was on the verge of bankruptcy. Having lost much of their overseas sales to the British Commonwealth nations Harley-Davidson looked to Japan to make up for their losses.
Rikuo, a licensed copy of the Harley-Davidson, is produced starting in 1929. In 1931 Dabittoson Harley Motorcycle Co., Ltd. was established in Japan. Dabittoson start domestic production of Harley-Davidson Road King Motorcycle. The 4-cycle, 1200 cc, side-valve V-twin engine produces 28 horsepower for a top speed of 97 km per hour.
The Road King motorcycle was improved and produced by Lin Ritsukawa, Kurogane No, and No. Tsui Meguro during World War II. The included the Type 97 military motorcycle which was often produced with sidecar.
Harley-Davidson
, through the efforts of Alfred Rich Child, shipped tooling and personnel to Japan
in the mid-1930s to build HD VL flathead (sidevalve)
motorcycles.
In 1933 Sankyo Company changed its name to Sankyo Nainenki Co. and produce Harley-Davidson motorcycles under license as the Type 97 for the Japanese Military. The type 97 was made entirely from Japanese components. During their production the company was constantly modernizing the design. Approximately 1500 of these machines were produced for Japanese military use.
When Harley-Davidson was prepared to produce the new EL OHV Knucklehead
design, they insisted that the Japanese factory buy the license to produce the EL as well. However Sankyo
, Rikuo's parent company
, was reluctant to produce the new vehicles and refused to make this commitment.
Almost simultaneously, Japan’s government was becoming increasingly militaristic leading up to World War II and eventually suggested that Harley-Davidson employees, including Mr. Child, leave the country. The motorcycle continued production under the name of Rikuo, meaning “Land King” or “Continent King.” Rikuo built approximately 18,000 motorcycles between 1937 and 1942, most of which were sold to the Japanese military and Japanese police departments.
Sidecar
combinations called Type 97 were produced for military work in the Philippines
and Manchuria
during the Second World War. Solo machines were supplied to civilian police forces, for example for Osaka in the 1950s.http://otalsakeo.hp.infoseek.co.jp/rikuonew.html
After the war the remaining factory continued producing the 750 cc (45 cubic inch
) RQ and 1200 cc (74 cubic inch) VLE models still using the old flathead, total-loss lubrication design. The 750 gained a telescopic front suspension
and the 1200 model retained springer forks. All of the new motorcycles were made with hardtail rear ends. In 1950 and 1951, the plant produced about fifty 45 cubic inch motors per month and thirty 74's with sidecars. By August 1952 production was estimated at approximately seventy 45's a month while the 74's stayed about the same. The 45 and 74 models are near exact copies of the 1934 Harley Davidson. An OHV version was prototyped, but never produced.
http://www3.alpha-net.ne.jp/users/oguma/rx750.htm
The factory began to use the "Tele-Glide" type front suspension in or around 1950 on the 750 cc units, but while updating the sheet metal on the VL type, retained the "Springer" type front suspension on those units. Therefore, the 1950s 750s are basically the Harley-Davidson 45 cu.in. RL of the early 1930s, and the 1950s 1200s are the Harley-Davidson VL of the same era, but both with updated sheet metal (the updated front fork of the RQ/RT notwithstanding).
In 1950 Sankyo sold Rikuo to Showa (the same company that supplies parts to HD today)
and 4 Kgm of torque
at 3000 rpm. The complete motorcycle weighs 230 Kg
. http://world.honda.com/collection-hall/2r/rq_1955.html
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s manufactured in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, originally in the early 1930s under license and name of Harley Davidson using their tooling, and then under the name Rikuo until 1958.
There is a fairly comprehensive history here – although even this author admits there are some details unknown as Harley-Davidson themselves did not publicize this Japanese connection. This, because effectively, it could be that the Japanese were helped in mass-production techniques by the introduction of this factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
into Japan just prior to the Second World War.
History
The production of the Harley-Davidson in Japan resulted in large part from the McKenna Tarrifs modification of 1921 that was put in place in the United Kingdom. In 1921 the Safeguarding of Industries act placed duties of 33.3 percent on 6500 items. The tariffs were put into place to protect UK industry and levied a steep import duty against the American brands which were seen as damaging the UK motorcycle industry. This had the effect of denying one of Harley-Davidson's largest markets to them, which was Australia.In 1922 Meguro, one of Japan's oldest manufacturers of motorcycles is making copies of the UK Single cylinder motorcycles as well as a copy of the Harley-Davidson Model J.
Sankyo company imports and produces Harley-Davidson motorcycles in 1923. At this time there are dozens of Japanese Motorcycle companies which are small shops spread all throughout Japan.
The Japanese government also was alarmed by the damage being done to their economy by Harley-Davidson. In 1924 the Military Subsidy law allowed the government to subsidize certain industries in order to encourage domestic production. Motorcycle production that had been conducted in small shops was now immediately being performed in large factories. Major Japanese industries were now manufacturing motorcycles. Both Murata Iron works and Toyo Kogyo tried to copy the Harley-Davidson motorcycle and failed.
During the great depression of 1929 Harley-Davidson was on the verge of bankruptcy. Having lost much of their overseas sales to the British Commonwealth nations Harley-Davidson looked to Japan to make up for their losses.
Rikuo, a licensed copy of the Harley-Davidson, is produced starting in 1929. In 1931 Dabittoson Harley Motorcycle Co., Ltd. was established in Japan. Dabittoson start domestic production of Harley-Davidson Road King Motorcycle. The 4-cycle, 1200 cc, side-valve V-twin engine produces 28 horsepower for a top speed of 97 km per hour.
The Road King motorcycle was improved and produced by Lin Ritsukawa, Kurogane No, and No. Tsui Meguro during World War II. The included the Type 97 military motorcycle which was often produced with sidecar.
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
, through the efforts of Alfred Rich Child, shipped tooling and personnel to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in the mid-1930s to build HD VL flathead (sidevalve)
Flathead engine
A flathead engine is an internal combustion engine with valves placed in the engine block beside the piston, instead of in the cylinder head, as in an overhead valve engine...
motorcycles.
In 1933 Sankyo Company changed its name to Sankyo Nainenki Co. and produce Harley-Davidson motorcycles under license as the Type 97 for the Japanese Military. The type 97 was made entirely from Japanese components. During their production the company was constantly modernizing the design. Approximately 1500 of these machines were produced for Japanese military use.
When Harley-Davidson was prepared to produce the new EL OHV Knucklehead
Knucklehead
The knucklehead was a Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine, so named because of the distinct shape of the rocker boxes. The engine is a two cylinder, 45 degree, pushrod actuated overhead valve V-twin engine with two valves per cylinder. It was the third basic type of V-Twin engine used by...
design, they insisted that the Japanese factory buy the license to produce the EL as well. However Sankyo
Daiichi Sankyo Co.
is a global pharmaceutical company and the second largest pharmaceutical company in Japan. It achieved JPY 970 billion in revenue in 2010 and is currently ranked number 17 in world sales. Its headquarter is based in Tokyo. The company also owns the American biotechnology company Plexxikon, the...
, Rikuo's parent company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
, was reluctant to produce the new vehicles and refused to make this commitment.
Almost simultaneously, Japan’s government was becoming increasingly militaristic leading up to World War II and eventually suggested that Harley-Davidson employees, including Mr. Child, leave the country. The motorcycle continued production under the name of Rikuo, meaning “Land King” or “Continent King.” Rikuo built approximately 18,000 motorcycles between 1937 and 1942, most of which were sold to the Japanese military and Japanese police departments.
Sidecar
Sidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, producing a three-wheeled vehicle.-History:A sidecar appeared in a cartoon by George Moore in the January 7, 1903, issue of the British newspaper Motor Cycling. Three weeks later, a provisional patent was...
combinations called Type 97 were produced for military work in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
during the Second World War. Solo machines were supplied to civilian police forces, for example for Osaka in the 1950s.http://otalsakeo.hp.infoseek.co.jp/rikuonew.html
After the war the remaining factory continued producing the 750 cc (45 cubic inch
Cubic inch
The cubic inch is a unit of measurement for volume in the Imperial units and United States customary units systems. It is the volume of a cube with each of its 3 sides being one inch long....
) RQ and 1200 cc (74 cubic inch) VLE models still using the old flathead, total-loss lubrication design. The 750 gained a telescopic front suspension
Motorcycle fork
A motorcycle fork connects a motorcycle's front wheel and axle to its frame, typically via a pair of triple clamps. It typically incorporates the front suspension and front brake, and allows the bike to be steered via handlebars attached to the top clamp....
and the 1200 model retained springer forks. All of the new motorcycles were made with hardtail rear ends. In 1950 and 1951, the plant produced about fifty 45 cubic inch motors per month and thirty 74's with sidecars. By August 1952 production was estimated at approximately seventy 45's a month while the 74's stayed about the same. The 45 and 74 models are near exact copies of the 1934 Harley Davidson. An OHV version was prototyped, but never produced.
http://www3.alpha-net.ne.jp/users/oguma/rx750.htm
The factory began to use the "Tele-Glide" type front suspension in or around 1950 on the 750 cc units, but while updating the sheet metal on the VL type, retained the "Springer" type front suspension on those units. Therefore, the 1950s 750s are basically the Harley-Davidson 45 cu.in. RL of the early 1930s, and the 1950s 1200s are the Harley-Davidson VL of the same era, but both with updated sheet metal (the updated front fork of the RQ/RT notwithstanding).
In 1950 Sankyo sold Rikuo to Showa (the same company that supplies parts to HD today)
Specifications
The RQ has a 747 cc engine that develops 22 bhp at 4250 rpmRevolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
and 4 Kgm of torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
at 3000 rpm. The complete motorcycle weighs 230 Kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
. http://world.honda.com/collection-hall/2r/rq_1955.html
External links
- 1955 Rikuo RQ Honda Collection Hall article
- 1958 Rikuo RT2 American Motorcyclists Association article
- Rikuo Type 97 Vladivostok Oldtimers Museum photos
- Hemmings 1957 Rikuo QR750