BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc. opened its first authorized dealership in China on Saturday amid hopes its rumbling bikes will strike a chord with wealthy Chinese.

But the Wisconsin-based company has acknowledged ownership curbs on motorbikes in most Chinese cities could mean a slow journey in the fast growing nation.

"We're taking a long-term market perspective with China," David Foley, who oversees the firm's China operations, told Reuters Television on the sidelines of an opening ceremony.

"We're going to be focusing on developing our brand here and continuing to develop the distribution and the dealer network," he said.

The new dealership would sell a variety of Harley models, offer training for would-be bikers and organize events, Harley said in a statement.

Harley, whose bikes have become an icon in America, first unveiled plans to set up the Beijing dealership last month.

The company has said its long-term China strategy is to address riding restrictions over time and to help develop a leisure-oriented motorbike market as consumer buying grows.