Japanese shop Bike-O is holding a draw with a rather unique grand prize: a used 2008 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide with a life-sized figure of anime character Fujiko Mine from the long-running anime and manga series “Lupin III“.

We’re not sure whether the motorcycle or the statue is supposed to be the bigger prize here, to be honest. Obviously, we’d rather have an actual road-worthy Harley-Davidson Electra Glide with a custom “champagne pink” paint job.

But you have to figure there’s a segment of the Japanese population that is more interested in the one-of-a-kind Fujiko statue. Continue Reading »

It’s been a little over two years since the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and its ensuing tsunamis devastated the eastern coast of Japan, and the country is still struggling to rebuild from the tragedy that claimed thousands of lives and displaced countless families.

Some areas such as Hamamatsu, an industrial city home to several companies including Suzuki, were not as badly affected as places on the east coast, but they are making efforts to develop anti-tsunami measures to prevent or lessen the damage from future disasters.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Hamamatsu raising 5 billion yen (US$50.2 million) from member companies including 500 million yen (US$5 million) from Suzuki. The money will go to the development of a new seawall to protect Hamamatsu from tsunamis. Continue Reading »

Honda‘s CBR250R has done fairly well for itself since its introduction in 2011, helping to revitalize the entry-level segment of the market in the U.S. What some people may not realize is Honda has been producing a 250cc-class called the VTR250. Available in its current form since 1997, the Honda VTR250 is a naked standard with a Ducati Monster-esque trellis frame offered in the Asia-Pacific region.

Whereas the CBR250R introduced a brand new 249cc single-cylinder engine, the Honda VTR250 is powered by a 249cc 90-degree V-Twin engine. Claiming 29.5 hp at 10,500 rpm and 16.2 ft-lb. at 8500 rpm, the VTR promises more power and torque than the CBR250R which claims 21.9 hp at 8500 and 14.7 ft-lb. at 6750 rpm.

For 2013, Honda is introducing a partially-faired variant called  the VTR-F. Instead of the VTR’s conventional circular headlight, the VTR-F uses a Y-shaped multi-reflector headlight reminiscent of the CBR250R. The VTR-F also gets a new instrument cluster with an analog tachometer and amber-backlit LCD screen while the VTR uses dual analog dials with smaller inset LCD screens. Continue Reading »

Yamaha is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its SR series with a special edition model in Japan. Produced in limited numbers, the 35th Anniversary Edition Yamaha SR400 offers an exclusive leaf green metallic color, special badging and, in an unusual gesture, a lower price than the base model.

The original SR500 was introduced in 1978 as a street-focused version of the Yamaha XT500. At the time, the SR500 was marketed as something of a throwback with its 499cc single-cylinder engine while multi-cylinder bikes were the norm. Once offered in multiple markets, the SR in recent years has been almost exclusively sold in Japan as the SR400, with a shorter stroke to take advantage of the country’s 400cc licensing laws. The SR400 was produced through 2008 and then re-introduced in 2010 with a fuel injection system replacing the previous model’s carburetor. Continue Reading »

Suzuki has suspended production at one of its motorcycle factories in China as Anti-Japanese protests sweep across the Asian nation.

Tensions between China and Japan flared up in late August after the Japanese government announced plans to buy a handful of uninhabited but strategically useful islands. Both nations, as well as Taiwan, claim ownership of the islands, known as the Senkaku Islands to Japan and the Diaoyu Islands to China.

Naturally, the Chinese took umbrage with the estimated 2.05 billion yen (US$26.1 million) bid, sending a pair of patrol ships to the islands in a show of sovereignty. Meanwhile, Chinese citizens began staging demonstrations and boycotts against Japanese products, with reports of Japanese car dealerships being targeted by vandals.

Tempers are especially high with the Sept. 18 marking the anniversary of the start of the Manchurian Incident, where the Japanese military staged a bombing on a Japanese train in China to create a pretext for an ensuing invasion. Continue Reading »

In what may be a first for a Japanese manufacturer, Yamaha will be exporting motorcycles produced in India to its home market.

Yamaha is shipping 300 units the YZF-R15 to Japan to test the market’s appetite for the 150cc sport bike. The R15 is manufactured by India Yamaha Motor at its plant in Surajpur, India. Hiroyuki Suzuki, chief executive officer of India Yamaha Motor, confirmed the news to The Economic Times, saying the company many export more India-produced models such as the naked FZ16. Continue Reading »

The 2004 Harley-Davidson FXSTB Softail Night Train that floated 4,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean from tsunami-wracked Japan will be enshrined at the Harley-Davidson Museum at the request of its owner.

Ikuo Yokoyama lost relatives and his home during the disaster, as well as a box truck containing the Night Train. The storage container was recovered on an island in British Columbia, Canada, by beachcomber Peter Mark, more a year after the 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami, with the motorcycle damaged but mostly intact.

Harley-Davidson had originally offered to restore the lost motorcycle and return it to Yokoyama but the 29-year-old asked instead for the Softail to be preserved in the Harley-Davidson Museum as a memorial to the 15,000 lives lost in the disaster.

“Since the motorcycle was recovered, I have discussed with many people about what to do with it. I would be delighted if it could be preserved in its current condition and exhibited to the many visitors to the Harley Davidson Museum as a memorial to a tragedy that claimed thousands of lives,” says Yokoyama who still lives in temporary housing. Continue Reading »

Harley-Davidson representatives in Japan have identified the owner of the motorcycle lost in last year’s tsunami but later found on a remote beach in Canada.

The 29-year-old owner, Ikuo Yokoyama, lives in Yamamoto, Japan, in Miyagi Prefecture, the region hardest hit by the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Yokoyama survived the disaster but lost three family members and is still living in temporary accommodations.

In an interview with Japanese station NHK, Yokoyama says he is thankful his motorcycle was found by British Columbia, Canada, resident Peter Mark.

“I found out at night from a friend and it kept me wide awake,” Yokoyama tells NHK. “I would like to thank the man who found my bike in person.” Continue Reading »

Yamaha has confirmed the personal information of 607 customers in Japan was leaked to a third party.

According to Yamaha, personal information for recall and product improvement measures was leaked byYamaha Motorcycle Sales Japan Co., the manufacturer’s domestic group company.

The information including names, mailing addresses, vehicle names and VIN, and dealership information for 607 customer accounts in the Aichi, Fukuoka and Kagoshima prefectures were received by an anonymous third party via fax on Nov. 11.

Continue Reading »

Suzuki is considering moving its motorcycle research facility from its current coastal location to its main factory in Hamamatsu, Japan, to decrease the risk of damage from future tsunamis.

According to a report in the Nikkei business daily, Suzuki is acquiring more land in Hamamatsu to house the research center and other facilities. Suzuki CEO Osamu Suzuki first brought up the idea to relocate some of its higher risk coastal properties during its 2011-2012 fiscal year forecast report. Among the technologies Suzuki is current developing is the use of alternative fuels to power vehicles, such as the fuel cell powered Suzuki Bergman scooter pictured above.

According to the Nikkei report, Suzuki is also considering moving its motorcycle engine production from Hamamatsu.

[Source: Nikkei via Reuters]

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