Report From Japan
REPORT FROM JAPAN
W. B. SWIM
SIXTY DIFFERENT models of motorcycles and scooters from Japan's seven makers are on the showroom floors in Japan, according to an exacting count by that country's leading enthusiasts' magazine, the Motorcyclist. Another 15 models (for export only) were counted by the magazine's staff writers, but this correspondent can name another five export mpdels they neglected, making a grand total of 90 machines, 83 of them motorcycles, and the other 7, scooters. Each year, in its May edition, the magazine prints pictures, detailed specifications, and charts and graphs of road test data on all motorcycles and scooters made in Japan. Using the magazine count, Honda and Yamaha are tied with 18 models each, followed by Kawasaki with 14, Suzuki and Bridgestone, each with 12, Lilac (Marusho in the U.S.) with 4 and Rabbit with 7 scooters. The one model made by Hodaka, which does not sell its machines in Japan, and is built for export to the U.S., was skipped by the magazine.
Kawasaki has come up with two new 175cc models with rotary disc valves and oil injection systems. The model F2TR is an off-the-road version, while model F2TL. is a touring machine. Both are twostrike singles with 18 horsepower and four speeds. The road model claims 80 mph at top speed and dry weight of 253 pounds. Both have electric starters. The bore and stroke of 2.44 x 2.21 inches gives a displacement of 10.32 cubic inches (169 cc). Both versions of the new 175 are aimed at the U.S. rider.
Honda has incorporated a couple of minor changes in its 450cc Super Sports. Most obvious is the redesigned taillight assembly, which now has a rounded brace the width of the taillight emerging from the top of the rear fender. The other change is in the swinging-arm pivot area. Two models, 180° and 360° crankshaft layout, are now on sale in Japan.
Yamaha made. three minor changes in its model YM-1 Super Sports 305cc, when it upped the power to 27 hp. A new tank and tank paint job, new egg-shaped knee grips and a front fender brace (which is straight across like the TD-1 racer) were added, making the speedster look sharper all around.
For the first time in six years, Honda has made a change in its popular OHC 250 'Super Sports, model CB-72. A new speedometer/tachometer unit with calibrations up to 180 kph and 12,000 rpm is fitted. The front fork lower legs are now cast of light aluminum alloy, and for the local models, new shaped turn signal lamps are installed. No word as yet, however, about the rumored double overhead camshaft version of the 250 Super Sport.
The next new model rumored to make an appearance is a hot two-stroke lOOcc single from Kawasaki. It’s said to be a rotary valve churning out one horsepower for every lOcc of displacement, with a top speed of more than 60 mph through four gears.
Hurray for one motorcyclist down in Osaka, Japan! Watch salesman Takumi Okamoto was putt-putting down a city street, Oct. 22, 1963, when a traffic cop blew the whistle on him. It turned out he was headed down a one-way street the wrong way. The motorcyclist claimed he hadn’t seen any one-way street sign where he turned in, but the cop took him back and, sure enough, there it was. The reason the watch salesman hadn’t seen it, however, was that in addition to the sign being old, faded, and difficult to read, it was twisted around 40 degrees some five yards from the corner. No motorcycle rider, Mr. Okamoto claimed, could be expected to read such a sign, and he demanded a trial. The traffic court fined him $11.11. Mr. Okamoto appealed. The Osaka Higher Court upheld the fine, and Okamoto appealed again. Finally, just this month, two and one half years after the cop whistled him down, Japan’s Supreme Court heard the case, reversed the verdict and declared the motorcyclist innocent. You’re not required to obey signs you can’t reasonably be expected to read, ruled Supreme Court Justice Kenichi Okuno.
American tire companies are having Japanese manufacturers turn out motorcycle tires in their names for sale in the United States. Goodrich, Firestone and Goodyear are reported to be placing orders for 2.25-17 inch tires on a trial basis.
Since the market for motorcycle tires is small in comparison with automobile tires, these three American companies decided it was more profitable to have the tires made in Japan (with American brand names) than to tool up and produce them in the U.S. Goodrich apparently has the jump on the other two firms, with the completion of 5,000 tires by Yokohama Tire Company. The contract calls for some $180,000 worth of motorcycle tires monthly. Firestone has approached the Otsu tire people, and Goodyear, the Bridgestone Tire Company, according to sources in the tire industry.
Kawasaki was the latest to set up its own company to distribute motorcycles in the United States, leaving only Bridgestone and Hodaka to be distributed by American firms. Now it appears that parts makers are going the same route, with NGK, Japan’s top spark plug maker, reportedly making plans to establish a distributing company in the U.S. Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Marusho and Rabbit already have their own U.S. distribution companies.
Official statistics for fiscal 1965 (April 1965 through March 1966) show a 62 per cent increase in exports, topping the magic one million mark. Overseas buyers paid $198,702,175 for 1,017,148 twowheelers, including 2,532 scooters, during these 12 months. As usual, American riders got the lion’s share, buying 650,814 machines for $142,418,242. During the same period, production was up only 5.3 per cent, to 2,259,669 machines. The big jump was in the over 250cc section, which accounted for 141,859 motorcycles, as compared with only 31,088 the year before. Production during the fiscal year by sizes was: Under 50cc, 66,495; 51 - 60cc, 61,240; 61 - 90cc, 939,146; 91 - 125cc, '219,474; 126 - 150cc, 117,411; 151 - 200cc, 10,369; 201 - 250cc, 68,909; 251 - 300cc, 4; 301 - 350cc, 117,333; 351 - 500cc, 24,477; 501 - 700cc, 45.
There were 34,766 scooters produced during the year. Honda remained well out in front with production of 1,469,517 motorcycles. Next was Suzuki with 348,859, followed by Yamaha with 270,266, Bridgestone with 79,370, Kawasaki with 56,781 and Lilac with 100. Hodaka is not a member of the association which does the official tabulating, and its production and exports are not reported. Figures for March, 1966, the latest month available, indicate a continued rise in both production and exports this year. Production for March totaled 215,104 machines and 101,867 motorcycles were exported.
Japanese motorcycles won the Singapore Grand Prix road races held on the Thomson Road Circuit on Easter Sunday. The GP, for machines over lOOcc, was won by Mitsuo Ito, riding a Suzuki 125cc factory racer. Second was Lee Wing Sang on a Honda 350cc, with Albert Lim pushing his 251cc Ducati to third spot. Prerace favorites, Yoshimi Katayama (Suzuki) and Hiroshi Hasegawa (Yamaha 250cc) battled for the lead during the first few laps of the 60-lap race. Then Katayama crashed into another rider in lap 10 and broke a collar bone, and Hasegawa went out the next lap with engine trouble, but not before setting a new lap record of 2 min. 21.6 sec. The old record of 2 min. 22.5 sec. was set by Akira Motohasi, (Yamaha) last year.
Bridgestone won the 50cc race, when Shinichi Tamada. crossed the finish line first on a 10-speed two-stroke twin. Hiroshi Matsushima won the lOOcc race on a 97cc Yamaha twin, and Bridgestone’s Isao Morishita was 2nd on a 53.4cc bored out version of the 10-speed twin. Yoshimi Katayama won the 125cc race with his Suzuki before the main event; Yamaha’s Hiroshi Hasegawa was first and Hironori Matsushima second in the 250cc class race. The two-day event drew 127 entries.
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Kawasaki, which hasn’t entered its water cooled 125cc two-stroke twin in competition since the last Japan GP, has approached former Honda rider, Tommy Robb, to sound him out about riding in European eyents later this year. One of their top Japanese riders broke a hip in a crash at Suzuka Circuit, while testing the machine recently.
With Bridgestone getting a whiff of the heady smell of international racing success at Singapore, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them in European racing before long — perhaps at the Isle of Man T.T.
There have been 56 races at seven motocross and scrambles events during the past month. In the race to collect first place trophies, Yamaha is well ahead with 18, followed by Bridgestone with 13, Suzuki with 12, Honda with 10, Kawasaki with 2 and Tohatsu with a single win.
The TMA district of American servicemen clubs drew 189 entries'for the 3rd Sagami T.T. Scrambles, one of their three big events sanctioned by the MCFAJ this year. Hot expert Yamaha rider, Tadao Suzuki won two races, the senior 250cc and senior 125cc, and top junior Suzuki rider, Yasutoshi Sugaya also nabbed two, the open class and senior 90cc. Suzuki’s Tateo Enomoto won the senior 50cc. Novice winners were Akio Fuwa (250cc, Honda) Toshiharu Suzuki (125cc, Yamaha), Takenori Kaneko (90cc, Bridgestone) and Takashi Kurokawa (50cc, Bridgestone). James Christopherson, riding a Honda for the KMC club, had the best day arriong the Americans, taking 3rd in the novice 250cc, 5th in the senior 250cc and 6th in the open race. The only other American trophy winners were David Bettisworth (Honda, KMC), 5th in the novice 250cc, Cecil Robinson (Honda, TAS), 8th in the open, and Ronald Pipher (Honda, TAS), 10th in the open.
The MFJ’s big annual motocross, the 3rd Motocross Japan GP, drew 183 entries. Matsuhisa Kojima won both the junior 250cc and junior 90cc, riding Suzukis. Ichiji Arai took the junior 125cc on a Yamaha. Masatsugu Mitani won the amateur 250cc and placed 3rd in the 90cc, winning a two-week trip to Europe, offered by the MFJ to the top amateur rider of the day. He was given a chance to watch two international motocross races in Europe. Honda riders took the amateur over 251cc and 250cc races, a Kawasaki won the amateur 125cc event, Suzuki the 90cc and a Bridgestone the 50cc.
American riders had their best outing ever at the 9th Speed Scrambles, when from 20 entries they took home 11 trophies. All novice class riders had to fight their way through heat races to qualify for the final, with 231 entries at the race. Best American was Cecil Robison (Honda, TAS), with 5th in the senior 250cc, 9th in the novice 250cc and 13th in the open race. James Christopherson (Honda, KMC) had a 4th in the senior 250cc and 8th in the novice 250cc. Charles Ball (Honda, TAS) and William Shannon (Honda, TAS) were about even, with Ball taking a 10th in the Open and 12th in the novice 250cc and Shannon getting 11th place in both these races. Other American trophy winners were Ray Parmer (Yamaha, KMC), 13th in the novice 125cc, and Leslie Hanson (Honda, TAS), 15th in the novice 250cc. Yamaha expert, Kazuyuki Miyoshi, was a double winner, taking the Open and senior 250cc. Yamaha’s Tadao Koide won the senior 125cc, Bridgestone’s Masataka Sasada, the senior 90cc, and Honda’s Hidenao Ogawa, the senior 50cc. Novice winners were Ryusuke Nakahira (250cc, Honda), Tsuneo Miyashiro (125cc, Yamaha), Kiyoshi Aoki (90cc, Bridgestone) and Yukiharu Kono (50cc, Suzuki).
The 15th Kanagawa Motocross also drew more than 200 entries, but in the boulders and sand, Americans were unable to win any trophies at all. Hideji Miyoshi, riding Yamahas, was a double winner, taking the Open and senior 125cc, as was Takinori Kaneko, who rode Bridgestones to win the novice 90cc and novice 50cc. Honda rider, Eiichi Niitsu won the senior 250cc, Bridgestone’s Masataka Sasada took the senior 90cc, and Tamotsu Kosuge won the senior 50cc with a Tohatsu. Masao Iijima (Honda) won the novice 250cc and Masaaki Iwasaki (Yamaha) took the novice 125cc.
Japanese riders were permitted to enter the 14th Scrambles race held on the Atsugi U.S. Naval Air Station for the first time. Until now, base authorities had not permitted Japanese to race on the course, so events had been restricted to U.S. servicemen. Eighty-seven entries showed up, and the Japanese promptly walked away with all seven 1st place trophies. Novice Takinori Kaneko was the only double winner, riding Bridgestones in first in the novice 90cc and novice 50cc races.
Best races of the day were the Open and senior 125cc, with Kiyomaru Kato and Hideji Miyoshi fighting one another all the way from start to checkered flag, both on Yamahas. Miyoshi took the Open with Kato 2nd, and Kato won the 125cc, followed by Miyoshi. Hiromichi Tazawa won the senior 250cc with a Bridgestone 180, Akio Fuwa (Honda) took the novice 250cc, and Yoshinobu Kawada (Suzuki) was the novice 125cc winner. American riders finished out the senior 250cc places, with Ronald Pipher, Charles Ball, Cecil Robison (all Honda, TAS) and J. E. Stonerock (Yamaha, SMC) 2nd through 5th. Robison was 6th and Pipher 7th in the Open.
Although rain had been pouring for two days, with the course one, long, mud puddle and continued rain forecast for the day, 98 entries showed up for the 33rd Yokota Scrambles. Lap counters had their work cut out for them, what with riders, machines and number plates one solid brown mudball.
Kazuo Ugajin won two, the Open on a Honda and novice 125cc with a Suzuki. Honda’s Ryusuke Nakahira also had a good day, with a win in the novice 250cc, 2nd in the senior 250cc and 2nd in the Open. Senior 250cc winner was Yamaha expert Tadao Suzuki, who ran out of gas with two more laps to go while leading the Open. He had been spinning his wheels more than he realized, and used up all his fuel. Masaichi Arahata won the novice 90cc on a Bridgestone, and Suzuki rider, Yukiharu Takano took the novice 50cc. Brad Ross (Honda, KMC) lucked in third (and last man across the line) in the novice 250cc, Misawa Dusters rider, Charles Hadley (Suzuki) was 5th in the novice 125cc and 7th in the Open, Ray Parmer (Yamaha, KMC) was 7th in the novice 125cc, and Louis Caziarc (Yamaha, KTC) was 10th in the Open.
The Ogiyama Motocross, which was supposed to be MFJ’s Tokyo area qualification race for their Motocross Japan GP, drew only 34 entries. Tadao Suzuki and his Yamaha made it a one-man day, winning three - the Junior Open, junior 250cc and junior 125cc. Hisashi Kuriyama was the only other junior winner, taking the 90cc with a Kawasaki. Amateur winners were Haruo Tsuchiya (Amateur Open and 125cc) on Suzukis, Setsuo Yamada (250cc, Yamaha), Tamao Shichida (90cc, Bridgestone) and Yoshihiro Ori (50cc, Yamaha).
Winners of the 283 trophies awarded at these seven events were Bridgestone 78, Yamaha 69, Honda 64, Suzuki 52, Tohatsu 12 and Kawasaki 8. ■
