Vintage Hondas At Tokyo's Welcome Plaza
VINTAGE HONDAS AT TOKYO'S WELCOME PLAZA
ROUNDUP
HAD MY DAUGHTER NOT forewarned me what was happening, I might have gone nuts. Threading their way past us through Tokyo’s normal crush of traffic in front of the Honda Welcome Plaza was all manner of Honda two-wheeled history—Benlys, 125cc trials bikes, Super Hawks, Turbos and K0 750 café-racers. My daughter works for a big ad agency near Honda’s headquarters in Aoyama (Tokyo’s Beverly Hills), and had asked if I’d be interested in attending the Honda Classic Bike Meeting 2002 this past May. Let’s see, I believe I can fit that in!
Wandering the bottom floor of the Plaza, visitors can see everything Honda makes in Japan, load up on memorabilia in the gift shop/museum, view recent promotional and race videos on the big screen, grab armfuls of brochures, enjoy a bite to eat and generally wallow around in Honda goodness. I expect, however, access to the upper floors where the CEO resides would take more than enthusiasm and a warm handshake...
As for the show outside, entry was limited to Hondas 25 years old and older, and 110 arrived under their own power. No trailer queens here. The oldest machines in attendance were two 1953 Dream 3Es. All were judged by owners and spectators alike, with a CB750 voted crowd favorite.
It seems late-1940s/early1950s Hondas are extremely rare. Few were made and nobody had room to “push it into the back of the garage and forget it.” Even the early bicycle engines that gave Honda its start and were produced by the thousands are as rare as hen’s teeth. A Japanese restoration expert showed me a 1952 Honda Cub F engine cover, painted red, that he had just fabricated from a sheet of aluminum-an expensive project, indeed.
As we sat there nursing our complimentary beverages and exchanging the normal collector stories, it dawned on me: Save the language barrier, these guys
could slide seamlessly into the Del Mar Concours. It’s a big family, and it was wonderful to share experiences and friendships, however briefly, with like-minded enthusiasts eight time zones from home. -Bruce Armstrong
