Report From Japan
REPORT FROM JAPAN
W. B. SWIM
AS HAD BEEN RUMORED, Honda finally broke the ice with a bicycle-pedal equipped machine, which they have named "Little Honda." The model P-25, however, is 49cc instead of the rumored 30cc to 40cc expected. Both Suzuki and Yamaha are reported to have pedal equipped bikes powered by 30cc to 40cc engines, but are waiting to see whether Honda gets government approval for riders to use the moped without a driver's license.
Output for the 42 x 35.6mm (1.6 x 1.4 inch) bore and stroke engine is 1.2 hp @ 4,200 rpm and top speed is held down to 16 mph. Starting is by the bicycle pedals. A switch on the handlebar cuts in the engine and it fires when the bike is moving. The overhead camshaft engine is mounted on the left side beside the rear wheel, with the muffler on the right side at the same position. Front internal expanding brake is operated by a lever on the right handlebar and a left handlebar lever operates the rear external contracting brake. An automatic clutch is incorporated in the one-speed machine. Curb weight is listed at 99 pounds.
The price in Japan is $83, as compared to $55 to $70 for a bicycle. Initial production runs are set at 10,000 bikes monthly, with exports to begin about the time this magazine reaches the reader. No exports to the United States are planned at present.
Look for a 350cc two-stroke from Japan next. This seems to be the next class for makers here. As reported before, Yamaha has had a 350cc for a couple of years but never put it into production. Recently they had it out for flat-out speed and reliability testing. Rumor has also had Kawasaki boring out their hot twin rotary valve 250cc machine to 350cc. Now, the latest rumor is that Bridgestone's next model will be a 350cc. Their largest machine to date is 177cc.
Honda director Kihachiro Kawashima recently blamed the war in Viet Nam for a rapid drop in Honda sales in the U.S. He said drafting, or threats of drafting the young men who otherwise would be buying a new Honda, had cut into sales.
Consequently, Honda lowered its 1966 sales target for the U.S. from the previously announced 450,000 machines to about 360,000. Honda had anticipated monthly sales of 50,000 to 60,000 during the April to May period, but actual sales came only to around the 40,000 mark. A quick check of other Japanese manufacturers by CYCLE WORLD revealed that only Honda has felt the pinch so far. All other makers report their sales are holding up well, and the latest official export figures back them up.
The Taiwan Tohatsu Industry Co., Ltd. is expected to begin manufacturing a 50cc Tohatsu in September, with initial production runs of 300 machines a month increasing to 500 monthly next year and 1,000 monthly in 1968. The recently completed factory has a capacity of 25,000 bikes annually. Special machine tools are being supplied by Tohatsu in Japan, which will also make the engine and transmission and hubs and supply technical advisers to the Taiwan concern. Sales will be confined to Taiwan, at least at first, although parts may again become available for export. Tohatsu in Japan will receive a 4% royalty for five years for supplying technical knowhow.
Honda has slashed dealer prices on seven discontinued models by 9%. Included is the old-type OHV "nifty-fifty" C-100, now replaced by the OHC C-50.
The Japanese Ministry of Transportation owns a banked oval test circuit 3.44 miles long. It has been booked nearly solid by motorcycle manufacturers who are testing top speed and reliability. In addition to the Yamaha 350cc, Japan Racing Motors has had its 125cc single road racer prototype on the course, and Kawasaki has been testing its 125cc twin road racer, 650cc OHV, 250cc double rotary valve twin and 175cc street machine. When the factories go out to this "no-spectators-admitted" course, they usually take along competitive models made by the other makers, to see how their machines stand up against everybody else's.
Honda has two new models, in addition to the Little Honda. One is a police version of the CB-450 Super Sports, complete with siren and all the goodies of the CP-450. The other is a brand new !25cc street machine. The CD-125 is an OHC twin with 12.5 hp @ 10,000 rpm and a speed of 71 mph through a four-speed gearbox. The pressed T-bone frame is a close relative to the S-90 sports which is selling so well. No plans to export this one to the U.S. have been announced, however, although it will go to other countries. Honda has developed its 160cc series for the U.S. rider, to take the place of the 125cc machines sold in Japan and other export markets.
Postponement of the Isle of Man TT races left a couple of Japanese makers out on a limb. Both Kawasaki (125cc twin) and Bridgestone (50cc twin) already had machines and riders in England for the event, when the shipping strike forced a postponement until fall. Kawasaki's Fujii put in some time on U.K. short circuits ironing out bugs, including having a new frame made, and Bridgestone's Isao Morishita nabbed 6th in the Dutch GP. Both companies will probably keep the machines and riders in Europe for the remainder of the season.
On the scrambles scene, Suzuki's Kazuo Kubo and Matsuhisa Kojima are back in Japan after another unsuccessful go at international motocross in Europe. The 250cc single apparently still needs improvement, although the machines they took with them are much better than the one Kubo had in Europe last year.
It looks as if the two motorcycle sports organizations in Japan may drift into a noholds-barred fight before long. The nineyear-old Motorcycle Club Federation of All Japan (MCFAJ) is the largest in terms of membership and activities, but the younger Motorcycling Federation of Japan (M FJ) is the largest in terms of money. The MCFAJ is basically an asso ciation of sports riders and clubs and the FIM-affiliated MFJ is basically an asso ciation of Japan's five big makers. For the past couple of years they have been scheduling more and more major events to conflict with each other, which is bad for the sports riders, as the same people narticinate in races held by both outfits.
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Last year the MFJ outmaneuvered the MCFAJ and prevented them from getting Funabashi Circuit, near Tokyo, for road racing. The MFJ also had the Honda owned Suzuka Circuit tied up, so the MCFAJ had to go two years without a road race. The MCFAJ scheduled a big motocross near Tokyo, to conflict with MFJ's road race at Funabashi Circuit.
Consequently, less than 50 entries showed up and practically no spectators, the result being that the owners lost so much more money they now refuse to let either outfit use Funabashi Circuit for motorcycle races.
This Spring the new Fuji Speedway was completed near Tokyo and MCFAJ held a road race there. Within a month, MFJ announced that this year's Japan Grand Prix (which has been held at Suzuka Circuit in the past) will be run at Fuji. The straw that looks like it will break the camel's back, however, is scrambling. The MCFAJ built a superb course in the hills inside the Fuji Speedway grounds and held a very exciting national motocross this Spring, and they contracted with Fuji Speedway to hold at least six more moto cross events there this year. Now the MFJ has announced that they are going to sponsor a race on this MCFAJ-prepared course. So look for things to go bust. One or the other organization could very well be folded up and out of business when the dust settles. A -I...f..Z,.. ....11~A iQO
the `IMA district pulled 19~ entries for the MCFAJ national scrambles held in clouds of dust and 92 degree tempera tures. Honda rider Ryusuke Nakahira was the star of the 36th Yokota Scrambles, winning three events - the novice 250cc, Open and senior 250cc. Honda riders also won two other races, leaving just two for Suzuki and one each for Yamaha and Bridgestone. Hidenao Ogawa had a fairly good day, winning the senior 50cc on a Honda, placing 2nd in the senior 250cc with a Yamaha, but dropping to a rather poor (for him) 11th in the open on a brand new Greeves, when he had trouble with the "wrong side" gear shift and wide handlebars.
The Tokyo Auto Crazy Club had a winning day, taking three first places, two seconds, one third and two other tro phies for their eight entries. In addition to Ogawa's senior 50cc win, Toshihiko Saito won the senior 90cc on a Bridgestone and Izumi Sugimoto took the novice 50cc with a Honda. Other winners were: seniol 125cc, Hiroshi Akiya (Suzuki); novicc 125cc, Tatekuni lijima (Yamaha); novicc 90cc, Taichi Nishikawa (Suzuki). Best ol the 44 American entries was Thoma~ Palko (AJMC), who placed 4th on hi~ Honda in the novice 250cc race.
Americans collected 22 trophies, as awards went down to 15th place in the novice races. Two riders accounted for six of them, with James Christopherson (KMC, Honda) having the senior 250cc 4th, novice 250cc 7th and open 8th and Cecil Robison (TAS, Honda) took the senior 250cc 5th, novice 250cc 10th and open 15th.
For a real change, an American won a race at MCFAJ's 16th Atsugi Scrambles. Larry Pratte (KMC) won the novice 250cc on a Honda. Hidenao Ogawa used a Yamaha to win the Open and senior 250cc. Herb Cummings (AJMC) put in a good day, with a 3rd in the novice 250cc on a Yamaha and a 4th in the highly-competitive novice 90cc on a Ka wasaki. Honda riders won the novice 50cc and senior 50cc, Bridgestone the novice 90cc and senior 90cc and Tohatsu, of all things, the novice 125cc. American riders took nine trophies with 30 of the total of 103 entries.
Exactly 185 riders showed up for the 35th Yokota Scrambles, 39 of them Americans. Yamaha riders won four races, Bridgestone and Honda, two each and Suzuki, one. Hidenao Ogawa's Yamaha was good for the open and senior 250cc. Yamaha-mounted Hideji Miyoshi won the senior 125cc, Honda's Tadashi Kamiya, the senior 90cc, Honda's Ryusuke Naka hira, the novice 250cc, Yamaha's Masao lijima, the novice 125cc, Suzuki's Taichi Nishikawa, the novice 90cc and Bridge stone's Hideo Yamamoto, the novice 50cc. Best American rider was James Christo pherson (KMC, Honda) with a second in the novice 250cc and fifth in the senior 250cc. Americans garnered nine trophies.
Only 108 entries were on hand for the 34th Yokota Scrambles and 40 of them were Americans, who won nine trophies. Of the six races, Yamaha won half, leav ing two for Bridgestone and one for Ka wasaki. David Styles had about as good a day as anyone in the mud, winning the novice 250cc with a Yamaha and placing second to Yamaha's junior rider Hidenao Ogawa in the open. Ogawa was second in the senior 250cc to Yamaha's Motoki.
The MFJ's biggest recent event was the [966 Four-Hour Endurance Race. There vere only 52 entries and just 29 finishers. rhis race was held at Suzuka Circuit and imited to amateurs in 125cc, 90cc and 0cc classes. The 50cc race was the best, vith two of the new Honda OHC S-SOs )nly three-tenths of a second apart after our hours. Winner was the machine ridden by Takami Mizutani and Kozo Sugiyama at an average speed of 56 mph. Second was Kiyomi Nomura and Hiroyuki Takano. Times were 4 hours, 1 minute, 23.6 seconds and 23.9 seconds. Honda S-90 riders Masaru Inaba, Tadayoshi
Matsuhashi and Kenji Shiraishi won the 90cc class at a speed of 58.7 mph and Yamaha YA-6 riders Kunihiro Sakai and Yoshio Kawabata averaged 63 mph for the 125cc win.
