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In Varadero from the 7th TO the 10th OF FEBRUARY 2019 the annual gathering of Cuban Harley Davidson will take place.
Book your unforgettable experience early because in Cuba the atmosphere of the 1950s is relived not only with classic cars but also with these legendary motorcycles.

In 1917, the sale of the first Harley Davidson began in Cuba at the historic Harris Brothers store in Old Havana and also at Pujol Soler in Santiago de Cuba.

The Havana dealership located at San Lázaro # 314 became the center for Harley culture. According to dealership data, Bretos, the sole distributor on the island, sold about 500 Harleys in the 1940s and 1950s.

Mr. Bretos, the owner of the dealership, secured a good deal with the police and armed forces to supply them with motorcycles. As a result, the fame of Harleys was rising quickly on both sides of the Strait. Bretos organized popular promotional events, including rallies and cross-country races, with aggressive marketing by launching the sale of new models arriving directly from the HD factory in Wisconsin, such as the FL Hydra Glide with Panhead engine, to profitable effect.

When the Revolution triumphed in 1959 and the United States imposed an economic blockade, the Harley dealership in Cuba closed.
Parts and resources for motorcycle maintenance dried up. Thus began a new era for Cuban Harley enthusiasts who nurtured the same passion for their motorcycles despite the new restrictions and began to find ingenious ways to keep them running.

A culture of invention and innovation grew among a group of ingenious mechanics – including the legendary José Lorenzo (Pepe Milésima) – who adapted parts recovered from other cars and motorcycles and tools shaped from scratch onto the Harleys.
This mechanical brilliance and creativity is still on display every day in garages and workshops throughout Cuba and is the reason why about 100 Harleys from 1960, and a few rare ones from 1936 to 1937 – continue to ride through Cuban streets.
The camaraderie forged by the hardships of Harley ownership on the island, combined with the riders' dedication to the brand, has created the vibrant family of Cuban Harley enthusiasts.

Today in Cuba a true renaissance of Harley culture is underway, developing around clubs of the Latin American Motorcycle Association (LAMA) and around annual events, including the Varadero Harley-Rally. Likewise, the Day of the Fallen Biker, a Father's Day tradition in which Cuban Harley enthusiasts parade in Havana from the Malecón to Colón Cemetery to pay tribute to past motorcyclists and lay flowers at the tomb of Pepe Milésima, is a popular and emotional annual event.