FJR drought in japan

[art miller]

Just returned from a two week trip to Japan and only saw two FJR's during that stay. None spotted in Tokyo, one in Shibuya, none in Minato, none in Takayama, none in Kyoto, none in Hiroshima, none in Nara, one in Kobe, and none in Osaka.

I was very surprised to see so few motorcycles in a country so well known for the production of bikes. There were far more scooters than motorcycles. Even sport bikes were not very frequently seen.

Japan has many great roads for motorcycles and contrary to my expectations the roads were not that congested.

 

[BanjoBoy]

Surprised ya saw any FJRs there. Japan has tiered licensing; little bikes iz cheap, big bikes cost time 'n money.Way it's always bean.

 

[jammess]

I recall an old saying: "Americans build motorcycles for Americans Germans build motorcycles for Germans and Japanese build motorcycles for Americans."

 

[mcatrophy]

The Japanese motorcycle licence requires you to be able to pick up a fallen bike. Many would be unable to do this with an FJR. Including me.

 

[Bugnatr]

Anytime I am at one of the big National Parks in the west Chinese tourists flock around my Goldwing. I asked one of them why they show such interest in a Hondabago? The answer was they aren't allowed to license a bike that big so they never see one.

 

[art miller]

Interesting replies. I was told by the locals the registration costs are very high for large cc bikes. I suppose the several guys riding Harleys are wealthy. Saw a couple Gold Wings as well. Perhaps the 5 year rule applies to motorcycles as well. In Japan the registration fee for vehicles over 5 years old ramp up each year thereafter.

 

[hppants]

I've never been to Asia, but I'm not surprised at your discovery, Art. Over here, riders use the liter at the delineation line between "big bike and small bike", IMO.

I don't think it is that way anywhere else.

 

[jammess]

We spent a month in Ireland and this guy asked me (in a bar over a Guinness) what kind of car I drove. I told him I had a Mustang GT/CS with a V8 5.0L engine. He said I would have real difficulty registering it let alone even being able to bring it into the country. I later checked for what passed for the DMV and confirmed it. I think you could do it but you would have to be loaded.

 

[Bounce]

Tiered licensing (with additional training and testing for each tier) is the norm in most of the developed world. From what I've heard, getting unlimited HP and Autobahn full access can be a very expensive (and time consuming process) in Germany.

 

[art miller]

We spent a month in Ireland and this guy asked me (in a bar over a Guinness) what kind of car I drove. I told him I had a Mustang GT/CS with a V8 5.0L engine. He said I would have real difficulty registering it let alone even being able to bring it into the country. I later checked for what passed for the DMV and confirmed it. I think you could do it but you would have to be loaded.

Do you mean loaded with Guinness or money??

 

[russperry]

In Japan there is a very strenuous test to get a license for anything above 750cc (I think) so there are very few big bore motorcycles in the country. I haven't looked recently, but I remember a story on it that said something like 3% of the participants actually pass the test.

 

[Nanahanman]

In Japan there is a very strenuous test to get a license for anything above 750cc (I think) so there are very few big bore motorcycles in the country. I haven't looked recently, but I remember a story on it that said something like 3% of the participants actually pass the test.

We could certainly use more serious driver training and testing in the US and Canada!

 

[BakerBoy]

Circa 2014: https://www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/en/e/archives/4524 A bullet near the bottom: "People with large motorbikes must show that they can pick up and drag their bikes prior to taking the regular test(s). If one does not pass this test, they cannot continue to the regular test(s)."

When I was in Japan on a series of business trips in the mid 2000's, it was interesting to see how few motorcycles there were. In Tokyo, there were mostly ~125cc-250cc scooters, a small share of 400-600cc scooters, and once in a while a full sized Harley (which grabbed the attention of most folks when one would go by). The humorous part to me was seeing the blinged-out 400-600cc scooters--much like some over-chromed or over-farkled Harley here, so it was with some of the larger scooters there. Those blinged-out scooters usually had after-market exhausts, sounding something like a poorly-running chain saw (the noise echoing around all the buildings). They loved revving the engine at stop signs, and then they produced LOTS of noise (just like some cruisers here) when they accelerated.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

They just may have something there. There are a lot of riders here in the states that have no business on a big motorcycle. But this is America, you can't stop them from buying a motorcycle they can't operate, you can just scrape them off the pavement after they've figured that out for themselves.

 

[jammess]

Do you mean loaded with Guinness or money??

Take your pick

Actually I was into the Guinness every night and actually lost 15 pounds, go figure.

Exchange rate wasn't bad because it was just before Ireland converted to the Euro from the Irish Punt.

 

[2ducs]

While I lived in Japan in the '70s, Japanese citizens could not purchase domestic motorcycles over 750cc by law. However, they could purchase a Japanese brand bike over 750cc if it had been imported into Japan.

I.e. it had been exported to the USA for example for the US market and later imported from the USA to Japan. Now any size HD, Ducati, BMW, KTM or Triumph was fair game but did require a higher level license to operate.

I still travel to Japan and never see a domestic motorbike over 750cc at a dealership.