The first Harley-Davidson motorcycles arrived in Cuba in the 1920’s. But after the 1959 communist revolution and the consequent U.S. trade embargo that followed most Harleys disappeared smuggled out of the island, others fell in disrepair and parts available dried up. So, how is it possible that there are still about 100 Harleys in Cuba, most still in running condition? Because of Sergio Morales, the only Cuban mechanic on the island making a living repairing Harley-Davidsons the old fashion way fabricating his own replacement parts to preserve a piece of Americana in Cuba. He works out of his modest Havana house. Rebuilding an engine takes him one to two years given the need to make his own parts. Morales’s personal bike is a 1950 Panhead, called “El Indio” that he bought in 1986 for $1,000 after selling his 1945 Flathead. It still carries nearly all of its original parts. The wheels, though, are borrowed from a Skoda, the Czech automobile. Morales even fitted the bike with a sidecar, lifting the chassis from a Soviet Ural sidecar and designing a homemade copy of a Harley body. In 1990, Sergio Morales got his first Harley repair manual and discovered that he already figured out all the instructions inside. Because of the embargo, US citizens are forbidden to travel to Cuba (although you can travel there coming from another country but I am not supposed to tell you), but if you go there because you can as a foreign national or as soon as the embargo is lifted, before you rush to a pristine Cuban beach, pay a visit to Sergio. He is a true Harley hero. In La Havana, just ask for direction to the “Harlista” nut. They all know.
