A true piece of history arrived at the Port of Mobile yesterday.
The 1918 Harley-Davidson Model J motorcycle was brought over from France to drive on American soil for the first time since it was manufactured some 100 years ago.
Its current stage of life began about 10 years ago when a wealthy Frenchman named Christophe de Goulaine, of the notorious Château de Goulaine in Nantes, purchased the Model J and had it refurbished, with the intentions of bringing it home to its land of birth.
Last month, the Harley was put on a ship docked at Port Saint-Nazaire in France and sailed to Alabama’s Port City.
Until Monday, the GulfQuest National Maritime Museum in Mobile will be displaying the Model J for visitors to see though on Saturday morning, those who want to see it will have to visit the Mobile Bay Harley-Davidson.
“We thought it was a rare opportunity for us to showcase a piece of military history that transited seaports 100 years ago, assisted the war effort, and found its way back home through the Port of Mobile,” Brent Beall, Interim Executive Director for the museum, said in a press release.
After that, de Goulaine and the bike’s restorer, Pierre Lauvergeat, will drive it all around the country: first stop, Jacksonville, Florida.
The two also intend to stop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the Harley-Davidson Headquarters.
“In all, we plan to complete 9000 kilometers (5600 miles) on a 1918 motorcycle without any special technical assistance,” de Goulaine said.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.