1934 Harley-Davidson VL Built for the Japanese Imperial Navy
At the end of the Great Depression, Harley-Davidson sold exclusive manufacturing rights to the Sankyo Corporation to build both Harley-Davidson motorcycles and spare parts in Japan. As part of that agreement, Sankyo would continue buying motorcycles directly from Harley-Davidson until its own factory was completed and ready for production. It took Sankyo almost five years to complete that factory, which helps explain why Milwaukee-built machines were still being supplied to Japan during this period.
The VL pictured here was one of those motorcycles, photographed by Harley-Davidson for use by the Japanese Imperial Navy. That makes this motorcycle an interesting snapshot of the transition between imported American Harleys and the later Japanese-built Rikuo machines. The broader background is covered in the Sankyo and Shinagawa factory background, but this particular photo set still shows a Milwaukee-built VL prepared for a Japanese military customer.
Why Sankyo Was Still Buying Harleys
The arrangement with Sankyo did not immediately end Harley-Davidson exports to Japan. The Japanese factory still had to be built, equipped, and brought into production, so complete motorcycles continued to come from Milwaukee while the local manufacturing side was being developed. In the larger story of Harley’s Japanese licensing story, this is the overlap period: Japan wanted proven heavy motorcycles for military and government use, while Harley-Davidson was trying to keep a strong position in a market that was about to become much harder to serve from Wisconsin.
Research on prewar Japanese military motorcycles shows that Harley-Davidson sidecar outfits were used by the Army, Navy, police, and Imperial Guard before domestic production took over. The Navy connection matters here because the front-fender placard carries an anchor marking, and the sidecar is fitted on the left side, consistent with the Navy requirement noted in the original article and with Japanese sidecar practice of the period.
Navy Sidecar Details and Gun Mounts
The powerplant for this motorcycle is a 74 cubic inch side-valve V-twin engine paired to a three-speed transmission, most likely with reverse since it is equipped with a sidecar. Basically, it is your standard VL with the addition of a gun mount on the rear luggage rack.
The sidecar is fitted to the left side per the Navy’s requirements, and it is fitted with a gun mount as well. Japanese military sidecar outfits of the period were often configured for light machine-gun use, and the mounts on this VL appear intended for that kind of military role. I would still be careful about naming a specific weapon for this exact motorcycle without clearer evidence from the photograph or accompanying Harley-Davidson records.
The placement of both gun mounts seems a little strange, since either one would require the driver to dismount or move. Even if the passenger was firing the weapon, the driver would obviously have to shift out of the line of fire. That may mean the motorcycle was photographed in a presentation or sales configuration rather than as a combat-ready field arrangement, but the photos still show how Harley-Davidson was presenting the VL for a Japanese Navy customer.
A Factory Photo Made to Impress
These photos were taken by Harley-Davidson, and I have to applaud them for their attention to detail. The placard on the front fender with the anchor is a nice touch, but I was more impressed with the use of an actual Asian model or actor to pose with the motorcycle. I wonder if this was an attempt to impress the Japanese military in hopes that they would continue to purchase Harley-Davidson motorcycles directly from Milwaukee instead of from Sankyo.
That speculation fits the timing. Harley-Davidson was still selling complete motorcycles to Japan, but Sankyo was preparing to produce Harley-style machines domestically. Once the Japanese-built flatheads gained momentum, the story moved toward Rikuo’s later military development, where the same basic heavy sidecar role was carried forward under Japanese production.
How This VL Fits the Japan Story
This VL is valuable because it sits right between two eras. On one side is the period when Harley-Davidson was exporting motorcycles directly to Japanese customers through a complicated network of importers, government contacts, and Sankyo-backed sales channels. On the other side is the Shinagawa-built Rikuo era, when Japanese production replaced the need for most Milwaukee-built machines.
The motorcycle in these photographs is not just a standard VL with a sidecar. It is a Milwaukee-built Harley dressed for a Japanese Navy buyer at the moment when Harley-Davidson was still trying to hold onto direct sales in Japan while Sankyo was preparing to build its own motorcycles and parts. That tension is what makes the photo set so interesting.