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According to the National Register of Vehicles in Cuba, there are about 150 classic Harley-Davidsons on the island, of which at list 80 are still working perfectly.
Luis Breto was the first importer of Harleys on the island. In 1920, he opened a shop in Santiago de Cuba, which subsequently moved to Havana at 314 calle San Lazaro. During those years the, at the time, President Gerardo Machado made Harley-Davidson the official motorcycles of the Police.
At the success of the Revolution in 1959 and the few years following, there were about one thousand Harleys on the island, between the ones belonging to good families' young people and those used by the Army and the Police.

In 1962, the United States of America established the ‘bloqueo', the economic embargo that is still on today, making it impossible to get replacement parts. Meanwhile, the Cuban Government started to consider Harley-Davidson as a symbol of American imperialism and for the bikes started a quick agony.
In the following years, José Lorenzo Cortes, better known as ‘Pepe Milesima' for the millimetrical precision he put into his work, started restoring old Harley-Davidson. Thanks to him, many beautiful HD motorcycles went back on the road again. His example was followed by other Harley passionate who, directly or by word of mouth, treasured his teachings.
José Lorenzo Cortes was so admired by the HD community that every year since 1991, one year after his disappearance, all Harley bikers on the island meet on the third sunday of June in the Colon, the monumental cemetery where he rest, to pay him homage. The celebration took the name of Dia del Motorista Ausente (the Day of the Absent Motorcyclist).
In 1992, the Club of Classical Motorbikes in Cuba (MOCLA) was founded to help its members exchange information and spare parts, and to organize rides on the beautiful and uneven roads of the island.Among the various activities the MOCLA organizes are some important social initiatives, such as special amusement days for young kids in hospitals.
Today, this incredible traveling museum has become a major tourist attraction. In fact, some MOCLA members even organize tours of the island for Harley bikers coming from all parts of the world, who either bring their own bikes or use those of the Club for a unique experience.