Habana Harley Club

Mostly all visitors to this beautiful island of Cuba have the same puzzled feeling when they see the old vintage cars roaming along the streets of Cuban cities. The so-called street museum of vintage American cars also includes an important collection of great Harley-Davidson bikes.

Cuba is in a very unique situation regarding people riding Harley-Davidsons bikes. Classic Harley-Davidson riders are seen almost as a society within a society and they seem to have gathered a particular respect from the police and other government agencies since they all know and understand that keeping these classic bicycles functioning and usable in Cuban streets is an astonishing feat.

There are three motorcycle clubs in Cuba, one of them, the Habana-Harley Club, celebrated its 6th anniversary on January 22. One of the most esteemed members of the Habana-Harley Club, Cuban singer David Blanco, featured in Cubaplus past issues, performed during the celebration.

The members of the Habana-Harley Club rank from business people to Cubans dedicating their lives to keeping the bikes on the road. They exchange information and spare parts and organize rides on the beautiful and uneven roads of the island.

Another of the motorcycle clubs present in the island is a chapter of The Latin American Motorcycle Association (LAMA) based in Chicago, USA that has a long tradition in maintaining the Harley spirit.