Report From Japan
REPORT FROM JAPAN
W. B. SWIM
JAPAN’S Diet (Congress) is considering a bill introduced by the national police agency to make wearing helmets compulsory for motorcyclists riding on highways where the speed limit is 37 mph or higher, and also banning carrying a passenger. Surprisingly, the manufacturers have not opposed the double-riding ban. The new regulations, which are expected to become law about the time this column is published, do not include any provisions to punish motorcyclists who break the new law. Traffic cops, instead of being able to fine the offending rider, will only be able to stop and warn him. This should prove sufficient, however, for in actual practice the policeman will make the rider leave his machine where he is stopped until he puts on a helmet and comes back to get it. In case of double riding, the passenger will be forced to get off and walk.
How effective these tactics are can be seen in Osaka and Hyogo, two prefectures (states) where police have jumped the gun with harassing tactics. Police have recently been stopping every motorcycle rider who is not wearing a helmet on all roads and streets, regardless of the speed limit. The policeman gives the rider a five to ten minute lecture on the advisability of wearing a helmet for his own safety, citing statistics, etc. Then he lets the motorcyclist proceed on his way to the next corner, where another policeman is waiting with the same lecture. So it takes a motorcyclist without a helmet an hour to cover the x same distance a man wearing a helmet can do in ten minutes. Sales of helmets have skyrocketed.
Yamaha has received a handsome letter of thanks from the Tokyo Olympic Committee for lending 73 YG-1 and YA-6 motorcycles for use in liaison during the Olympic Games last year. Yamaha is the only motorcycle maker who offered its goods to the committee to help with the smooth running of the Games.
Honda’s super-secret new big one will be announced soon, following CYCLE WORLD’S photographic scoop in the March issue. The 440cc machine, which will be marketed under the name Honda 450, may he officially unveiled by the time this is published. If not, soon after.
Mitsubishi is ceasing production of its Silver Pigeon motor scooter to concentrate on making automobiles. This leaves Fuji’s Rabbit as the only scooter being made in Japan, Honda having dropped the scooter line last year.
President Nagano of the Kawasaki Aircraft Company, which makes about 10 models of two-stroke and four-stroke motorcycles ranging in size from 500cc down to 50cc, recently announced company plans to nearly double motorcycle production and up exports four times during the next three years. He said the company has overcome technical problems which had kept them in the red on motorcycle production, and the number of machines turned out will he increased gradually.The firm is making $3,600,000 worth of motorcycles yearly at present, and this will be raised to $4,440,000 this summer and $5,550,000 by the summer of 1966. By the end of 1967 the company will he turning out $7,000,000 worth of machines yearly, the president said. At the same time, exports will he increased to 20% of production compared with 10% at present.
Still suffering from the economic inflation in Japan as reported in the February edition of CYCLE WORLD, manufacturers are engaged in a sales war which is becoming fiercer by the day. Suzuki is holding a 3V2-month-long special sale with a trip around the world by KLM jet including the Isle of Man T.T. and 211,000 gallons of gasoline as prizes. Everyone who buys a new Suzuki gets a chance at the world tour and the gasoline. One hundred buyers will get 182 gallons each, 1,000 will win 90 gallons and 5.000 will receive 26 gallons of fuel. Honda, in addition to the two-year, 31,250-mile guarantee reported in the March column, has begun massive spot commercials on television networks. Yamaha is in the midst of a huge “1965 Is Autolube Year” advertising campaign. Bridgestone, which has enjoyed increasing success in local motocross races recently, is waging a special 3-month-long sale with lottery prizes based on its racing wins.
In addition to intensifying the sales war, the current economic recession has forced motorcycle manufacturers to cut expenses wherever they can, with some suspending publication of public relations magazines, etc. Along with cutting other expenses, donations to the Motorcycling Federation of Japan (MFJ), which depends on the makers’ handouts for expenses, have been cut down by the manufacturers. The MFJ is now strapped for cash to keep operating.
Both Yamaha and Suzuki have announced three new models. The 305cc Yamaha reported earlier is now on the market, along with an 80cc and a 70cc machine, all with Autolube injection system. Suzuki has a new model of its 250cc motorcycle out as well as two 80cc machines, a deluxe version and a sports model. Yamaha is also testing a 90cc motorcycle, not yet announced.
The Yamaha 305 Super Sports YM-1 two-stroke is based on the successful 250cc YDS-3. This machine is drawing a lot of interest because, before it was announced, it was more or less taken for granted that two-stroke motorcycles had the advantage up to 250cc and four-stroke machines were better above that. The new machine looks like a YDS-3 with bigger aluminum barrels and heads, and a pipe sticking out of the muffler. Bore and stroke of 60 x 54mm give a displacement of 305cc. Top speed claimed is 98 mph and power is 26 hp @ 7,000 rpm. The kick-started 4-speed machine weighs 359 pounds. Frame is double-cradle pipe and the motorcycle has telescopic forks and swinging arm. Makers claim a quarter mile from standing start in 14.9 seconds.
The Yamaha 80 Junior Sports YGS-1 is the firm’s sleekly-styled entry in the 90cc class sports field. Judging by looks alone, this one with its semi-raised muffler ought to sell like hotcakes in the United States. Bore and stroke of the single-cylinder twostroke is 47 x 42mm for a total of 73cc.
Top speed is announced at 60 mph and power at 8 hp @ 7,500 rpm. Four speeds, kick starter and a weight of only 154 pounds are featured. A backbone pressed frame leaves the engine angled out to the front. Telescopic forks and swinging arm have chromed springs out in the open.
The Yamaha 70 YP-1 is their answer to Honda’s recently announced 65cc models. It has sportster design with bare chromed springs on the telescopic fork and swinging arm. Bore and stroke of 47 x 40 mm give this two-stroke single a 69cc displacement. The four-speed machine has a pressed backbone frame and announced speed of 53 mph with 6 hp @ 6,500 rpm. Weight, same as the 80cc, is 154 lbs.
Suzuki has come up with several minor changes in its 250cc model X-16 which amount to a major improvement in the machine, bringing it up to U.S. standards. This dual carb two-stroke twin, with 22 hp @ 8,000 rpm, four gears with a top speed of 88 mph and a weight of only 330 pounds, has raised no complaints on performance. Suzuki has now improved brakes, acceleration and suspension considerably. The hydraulic rear brake has been scrapped and replaced by a conventional mechanical brake. On the front, a racing type double-cam, double-leadingshoe brake is fitted. Both brake drums are now buffed to a sparkling finish. The conventional sliding piece throttle has been replaced by a racing type which winds the throttle wire around the grip, making for faster acceleration since there is no delay while play in the wire is taken up. Response is instantaneous. The telescopic fork is unchanged, but the swinging arm now has three steps to adjust suspension to road conditions. A unique oil-damped handlebar damper is fitted.
A deluxe model of the popular 80cc model K-10, familiar in the U.S., features 45 x 50mm give a 79cc displacement. The front fork outer covers, fender braces and carburetor cover are chromed. Cylinder head fins are buffed. Side covers are redesigned in the style of the 125cc two-port S-10. Electrics are 12 volt, with a bright 25 watt head lamp. Bore and stroke of 45 x 50mm give a 79cc displacement. The two-stroke single gets 6.5 hp @ 6,000 rpm and a top speed of 53 mph with four gears. Weight is listed at 183 pounds.
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The Sports 80 version of Suzuki’s K-10 is little changed, using the same engine as the standard model. Chromed springs on the rear swinging arm units are not covered, a light front fender is mounted and the exhaust pipe is raised to just above the rear axle.
Official figures on production and export during 1964 show substantial increases over the previous year. Japan’s makers turned out 2,056,224 motorcycles last year, for an increase of 9.5 per cent while uping exports by a whopping 14.7 per cent to 590.708 machines worth more than $7,000,000. Japanese motorcycles sold in the United States numbered 240,801 last year, the official Association announcement stated. Honda continued as the world’s largest maker, marking off another 1,000,000 year with 1,353,594 motorcycles run off the production lines. Second was Suzuki, the world’s leading two-stroke maker, with 373,891. Yamaha rounded out the big three with 221,665. Production of other makers included Bridgestone with 69,788, Kawasaki with 33,040 and Lilac (Marusho) with 717. Hodaka is not a member of the association and their production figures are not available. Makers now out of business turned out 3,063 machines. Scooter makers accounted for 54,099 machines (Fuji 39,944, Mitsubishi 14,155) and exported 2,029, of which 739 went to the United States. Production figures by sizes are: up to 50cc, 649,277; 50-125cc, 1,249,703; 125-250cc, 121,691; over 250cc, 35,565.
The Motorcycle Club Federation of All Japan (MCFAJ) has set up a new 200cc class for moto-cross events to give 150cc machine riders a place in the sun. Kawasaki has started turning out a 150cc scrambler, but it had no class to run in except the open. Not deterred, a Kawasaki 150cc rider won the open class in the All Japan race last autumn. Previously the 250cc was restricted to machines between 225cc and 250cc, and the next lower class was the 125cc. This left no place for machines between 126cc and 225cc. Now the MCFAJ has set up a 200cc class for these machines. New rules are 50cc, l-50cc; 90cc, 51-90cc; 125cc, 91-125cc; 200cc, 130-224cc; 250cc, 225cc and over. This still leaves no place for the 126-129cc machine, but officials don’t want to have to tear apart and measure a lot of overbored 125cc machines entering the new 200cc class at every event.
With the first of the Grands Prix, at Daytona, already finished by the time this reaches the reader, interest in Japan is on what the makers here will put on the Classic Races circuit this season. Some real surprises could be in store. To recap for those who forgot over the winter, last year Suzuki’s Hugh Anderson won the 50cc World Championship, Honda’s Luigi Tavari took the 125cc, Yamaha’s Phil Read copped the 250cc and Honda’s Jim Redman rode away with the 350cc crown. Honda having lost the 50cc championship to Suzuki for three years in a row now, fireworks can be expected here. Honda put a twin out late last year which might beat Suzuki’s single. But Suzuki may field a two-stroke air-cooled twin this season, and Honda might counter with a 50cc four. Both of these machines would put out around 15 horsepower and have top speeds of around 90-95 mph. Honda will probably try fuel injection on the twin first. There’s just a possibility Honda is working on a 50cc six-cylinder racer, too! Honda may have trouble keeping the 125cc title with the twin they used last year, as Suzuki is reported developing a water-cooled four to replace their twin. The logical move for Honda would be a 125cc four. Honda’s 250cc six-cylinder machine, seen only in the last two races last year, should be a winner this season unless Yamaha’s watercooled four now being tested does better than the air-cooled twin they used to win the title last year. Suzuki has both a water-cooled four, which they used without much success last year, and a new watercooled twin. It isn’t known yet which they will race. Perhaps both. Honda should have the 350cc class all to themselves again, and the four they used last season should be good enough for the crown again this year. There is no word here of any Yamaha 350cc, so that rumor seems to be just a rumor. Honda may field a 350cc six, however, as the fours are pretty old now and it’s not much trouble to make a batch of new sixes.
Japanese factories have contracted foreign riders, and perhaps some Japanese as well, but they aren’t letting out news as to who will be riding what. Honda will depend on Jim Redman backed up by Ralph Bryans and Alan Shepherd, if he is able to make the grade after recovering from near-fatal injuries while practicing for the Japan G.P. last year. Japanese riders will be chosen from among Isamu Kasuya, Naomi Taniguchi, Kuniomi Nagamatsu, Akira Ito and Teisuke Tanaka. Yamaha’s foreign riders are Phil Read and Mike Duff. Japanese to back them up will be chosen from among Hiroshi Hasegawa, Akiyasu Motohashi and Hironori Matsushima. Furnio Ito won’t be riding any more. Suzuki has Hugh Anderson, Ernst Degner and Frank Perris under contract. Japanese riders will be Isao Morishita and Yoshimi Katayama, and others from among Mitsuo Ito, Michio Ichino, Toshio Fujii and Shunkichi Matsumoto.
