Harley-Davidson Takes Prague

HARLEY-DAVIDSON TAKES PRAGUE

PRAGUE, THE SHOWCASE city of the Czech Republic, is a town some visitors think is beautiful enough, and graceful enough, to be compared to Paris. When you go there you expect to find kielbasa and great beer. And now you can expect to find Harley-Davidsons.

Actually, Czech citizens are more than familiar with Harleys. In 1945 the American army left 4500 WLC models in Czech depots. Throughout the years of then-Czechoslovia’s Communist domination these machines, converted to do duty as civilian transport, were considered by some to be a form of two-wheeled protest. Today they remain quite valuable.

But if a Czech enthusiast is happy about getting a look at an old Army Hog, he’s even more pleased at what happened in Prague last September. For that’s when a small shop called Harley-Davidson Praha (the Czech name for Prague) opened its doors. Since then the tiny shop has sold 12 bikes-no small feat, considering their considerable expense here. Softening that expense just a little is a program that allows the bikes to be leased.

But what’s a Harley without Harley duds? H-D Praha has that covered, too. It also offers Harley’s line of Motor Clothing and accessories.

Can a Harley Owners’

Group chapter be far behind? Probably not.

-Pavel Husák