100-year-old Harley-Davidson returns from France to honor American WWI vets

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It was one of an estimated 20,000 olive green Harley-Davidson motorcycles used by American soldiers in the Great War.

French motorcycle enthusiasts de Goulaine and Pierre Lauvergeat spent the past year renovating it. Still, the bike largely holds true to its origins with the same engine, frame and seat it left the factory with.

“It was a non-runner, it was in terrible condition,” de Goulaine said, while showing pictures of bike parts in boxes. “Now the bike is on the road, and we’ll have a little road test for about 5,000 miles.”

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The Model J and its sidecar rolled onto American soil for the first time in a century, kick-starting a nationwide repatriation tour this week.

The pair of Frenchmen are riding from Alabama to Florida, up to Wisconsin, and west to California in the refurbished antique.

The mastermind mechanic, Lauvergeat, said the bike could fail at anytime. Yet, the unpredictable motorcycle and ambitious mileage ahead of it have not depleted the pair’s enthusiasm.

The mission, dubbed Operation Twin Links, is a nod to Americans who laid down their lives in WWI to assist their oldest ally — the French.

The project, being executed on the 100th anniversary of the war’s end, honors the numerous links between America and France. Most obviously, it recognizes America’s assistance in both World Wars.

A look at Lauvergeat’s and de Goulaine’s family history explains their relentless enthusiasm in the ambitious undertaking.

American soldiers liberated Lauvergeat’s grandfather and father from the trenches in 1917 and German camps in 1944, respectively.

De Goulaine is a descendant of a French explorer who colonized what is recognized today as Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville and Nantes, France (de Goulaine’s hometown) are now honorary twin cities.

“We love America,” de Goulaine said. “I think this is a way to say ‘we love you’ very simply.”

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