Report From Japan
REPORT FROM JAPAN
W. B. SWIM
POLICE IN FUKUOKA prefecture have secured a promise from each of the 1,600 motorcycle dealers in the area to include a safety helmet with each new motorcycle they sell. The police have specified three styles of helmets, two for men and one for women, which must be "given" to each new motorcycle purchaser. Each is priced at about $7.00, and the dealers are expected to up the prices of their machines by this amount. A helmet must be presented with each sale, even if the buyer already owns a helmet. In addition to this new action by the police of the most populace prefecture (similar to a state in the U.S.) on Japan's southernmost island, a national law makes wearing a helmet compulsory when riding on any street or highway where the speed limit is 37 mph or more.
Honda reportedly is testing a 650cc twin-cylinder street machine. For tests, it is mounted in what appears to be a modi fied CB-450 frame, and from reports of a very brief glimpse of the engine, it looks very much like the 450cc. It is possible that the crankcase is the same, and the cylinders do not appear to be much taller than those on the CB-450. No details on performance of the new dohc machine are available, and whether or not it will be put into production is, of course, not known at this early date. It is known that Honda has not sold as many CB-450 ma chines in the United States as they had hoped, so it seems reasonable that they are working on something to grab a larger share of the big bike market. There have been no recent reports on the four-cylin der dohc Honda were testing some months ago, and whether it has been dropped in favor of the new twin or whether testing is being carried out on both is a matter for speculation. Some reports have it that the new twin is around 620cc instead of a full 650cc. Honda is also reported to be testing something at the Hamamatsu fac tory where the 250cc models are produced. Perhaps it is the rumored dohc 250cc to replace the CB-72, which has remained basically unchanged since 1961. - -
Yamaha is setting up a factory in Mex ico to turn out 10,000 motorcycles yearly. Registrations in Mexico at present only number around 20,000 annually. Yamaha has joined hands in a 10-year contract with the largest maker of bicycles in Mex ico and invested $620,000 to build a new factory and tool up. At first, production will be limited to two models, the 60cc YG-2 and the 125cc YA-6.
With sales off badly not only in the United States and Japan but in England as well, Honda has dropped, for the first time, to second in exports from Japan, be hind Suzuki. Official figures for exports during last September, which have just been released, showed Suzuki on top of the list with 14,211 machines sold abroad. Honda was second with 13,605, followed by Yamaha with 11,466. Completing the list were Kawasaki with 4,774, Bridgestone with 3,663 and Lilac (Marusho) with four. Although dropping to second in ex ports, Honda remained far ahead in pro duction. Official figures for the month were Honda, 98,092; Suzuki, 43,693; Ya maha, 35,092; Bridgestone, 7,671; Kawa saki, 7,117; Lilac, eight and scooter maker Fuji Industries 3,686.
Following the lead of Honda and Ya maha, Bridgestone has cut prices on six 50cc, 60cc and 90cc models. Retail prices were lowered by about $19.50 on three 90cc bikes and from $7.50 to $3.00 on the smaller models. Suzuki is holding the price line, but may bring out future new models with a lower price tag than ex pected, while Kawasaki is not reducing. prices at all. Honda, by now, may be sorry it started the price war in the small er classes, where sales have dropped dras tically in Japan, because the effect seems to have been an even further drop in Hon da sales but a corresponding rise in cus tomers for all the other Japanese brands. It's hard to put your finger on the reason for the drop in new riders of Honda, other than a general feeling that the world's number one brand is becoming "old hat" and the youngsters are now looking for something different.
Honda's new five-speed 50cc sports bike is now being exported to some European and Southeast Asian markets, but there are no plans at present for sale in the U.S. The ohc single sports a T-bone pressed frame and short, straight pipe handlebars, a la European "road racing" style, and would require a bit of swapping of pieces to make it acceptable on the American market. With 9.5 compression, the 49cc ohc churns out 5.1 hp @ 10,500 rpm, with maximum torque of 2.67 ft.-lb. ® 10,000 rpm. Claimed top speed is 56 mph for this 165-pound sportster. A slim 1.8-gal lon gasoline tank, telescopic fork and swinging arm give a sports look to the bike, which mounts 2.75-inch tires on 17 inch wheels front and back. This is Hon da's first production five-speed gearbox.
Meanwhile, Honda has secured govern ment permission (which is required before any model can be registered in Japan) to produce the new 110cc single-cylinder mo torcycle which was expected to be shown at the Tokyo Motor Show last October but wasn't. Reliable reports say it has a sporty look with a slim tapered tank devoid of the usual Honda chrome panels, but no rumors of specifications or performance figures are available. As regulations in Japan throw any bike larger than a 90cc into a higher tax bracket, the Honda 110cc must be primarily for export. It should be announced before too long, although the firm has been known to secure the required government permit as much as four months before announcing a new model.
Bridgestone has begun exporting to England, beginning early this year. A one-year agreement was made with the distributor who helped the firm when they sent some 50cc racers over for the 1966 Isle of Man T.T., which was then postponed. It is expected that sales will be relatively slow during the first year, as the name is not well known in Britain yet; also, that country is going through a most difficult economic period.
There are no reports yet on production of the Suzuki 200cc shown at last year’s motor show. It is a scaled-down version of the six-speed 250cc, but no performance figures have been revealed. It was thought that the new bike would be ready for marketing early in the 1967 season, but this long after the motor show, with no word of it being put on the assembly line, tends to lead the observer to think it may have been a “one off” specially for the show, like Bridgestone’s 200cc Road Racer with lights.
Motorcycling received a great boost in Japan recently when the government television network broadcasted a 30-minute film nationwide. The well-photographed film had a theme of the love of motorcycles by five young members of a small club. It showed the five at work or school, in their cluttered workshop, out practicing, and finally participating in an MCFAJ motocross race, where four finished out of the money and only one, the oldest and most experienced of the group, managed a fifth place. He was approached by a manufacturer’s representative after the race and offered a factory ride, but turned it down so he could continue to look after the four younger club members. Final scene was in a noodle shop on their way home, as they discussed ways to improve their performance the next weekend. Commentary throughout was excellent, and the five clubmen were held up as examples of fine young adults. Some of the most beautiful motorcycle film your correspondent has ever seen was during the titles at the beginning of the program, when machine after machine was shown in slow motion taking a jump, followed immediately by a hard left turn, with the camera shooting up at the machines by a cameraman lying prone on the ground.
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What happens to the Japan Grand Prix this year? This is getting to be a perennial question. Seems as if I ask it every year. And here we go again. It was rumored that the sponsoring Motorcycling Federation of Japan (MFJ) had a difference of opinion with Fuji Speedway officials after last year’s event over ticket sales, which were not as good as had been expected. Then, suddenly, just a few days before the MFJ had the East Japan Motocross Championship event scheduled at the scrambles course inside the FISCO grounds, speedway officials demanded $555 for rental of the site for the day, with the MFJ to get gate receipts. The MFJ had to cancel the motocross race at the last moment. FISCO also set a price of about $2,800 per day for use of their track in the future. This would mount up to a good sum for the two-day GP, along with the normal three to five days for official practice. Until now the Speedway had not charged track rental, taking the gate receipts instead. The other motorcycle sports organization, the MCFAJ, was also given a notice of the new rental requirements by FISCO, and promptly cancelled all its remaining events at the Fuji Speedway.
With the MFJ having taken the 1966 GP away from Honda’s Suzuka Circuit, even at the cost of having Honda boycott the event, it is not certain that Suzuka Circuit will run this year’s GP, even if MFJ officials go to them hat in hand, particularly if Honda decides not to enter a factory team in the GP events this year. If the Fifth Japan GP is held at Suzuka Circuit, there remains the possibility that Suzuki will boycott it because of past grievances there. Funabashi Circuit isn’t up to GP standards and the Tokyo Circuit won’t be finished in time, so here we go again: What happens to the Japan Grand Prix this year?
Honda dropped all factory support for both road racing and scrambles in Japan long ago, but had lent some measure of support to both types of events under the table by giving a helping hand to a club and a dealer. Whether the single club will continue to receive undercover support for scrambles is uncertain, but Honda cut its support of “Pop” Yoshimura for road racing immediately after the 1966 Japan GP. Apparently Pop had been told to boycott the event along with Honda, but he did not and entered his boys, including two Americans, on Honda production racers.
Not many days after the GP, his small shop was practically bare, with all the bits and pieces it was thought he had received from the factory, such as fairings, gone, and Pop, himself, in none too good spirits. He is Japan’s best four-stroke tuner, and if he’s not able to enter the “Yoshimura Hondas” at future races, it will be a loss — particularly for American servicemen at the air base across the street from his shop. Pop got his postwar start as a bike dealer near an American military base on Kyushu, the southern island, where most of his customers were Americans. Although he could now get better Japanese riders, he always saves a couple of machines to give a ride to some Americans to show his appreciation for the start they gave him after the war.
The Third All-Japan Trial, which originally had been announced as a two-day trial open only to registered street machines with lights and mufflers, drew only 22 entries. A tie for first place was decided, by an extra observed section, in favor of Bridgestone 90cc-mounted Masayuki Yamada. He and Masayoshi Kosugi, riding a Suzuki 120cc, were tied with 78 marks lost. Heavy rain ran the scores up the scale, with slippery climbs taking a heavy toll. Third and fourth place riders, both on Kawasaki 90cc machines, were tied with 94 marks lost.
The Fourth Fuji Motocross (which should be the last at the Fuji Speedway scrambles course) drew 284 entries and a team of government television network cameramen who were shooting a film about one of the small amateur clubs. Shock of the day was the Open event, which was won by a rider on a Bridgestone 90cc. Second was another Bridgestone 90cc, followed by a Greeves and a Honda 250cc, shoving the regular winners and high placers on Yamahas and Kawasakis down to fourth place and below. Kazuo Shimizu also rode a Bridgestone to a win in the Senior 50cc race, to take home two first-place trophies that day. The only other double winner was Riichi Suzuki, who won both the novice 90cc and 125cc events, riding a Suzuki, of course. Bridgestone riders won four and so did Suzuki riders, leaving one for a Honda man. Senior race winners were Suzuki’s Kinjiro Yajima in the 250cc and Nobukazu Otsuki in the 125cc, and Bridgestone’s Masaru Akamatsu in the 90cc. A Bridgestone took the novice 50cc and the Honda win was in the novice 250cc. Yamahamounted Jack McCutcheon had the best day among the Americans, with a sixth in the Open and ninth in the novice 250cc. The only other Americans getting trophies were Thomas Palko (Honda), seventh, and George Spellman (Yamaha), eighth, both in the Open Class race.
The Americans drew 193 to an air base for the 38th Yokota Scrambles, despite rain. Yamaha won three, Bridgestone and Honda two each, and Suzuki one of the eight races. Biggest upset of the day, and possibly of the year, was when American riders won two races. Larry Pratte rode a Honda to victory in the Senior 250cc race and Yamaha rider Dale Sturdevant won the Novice 250cc event. Pratte was also second behind Hajime Koizumi’s Yamaha in the Open class race. In all, the Americans garnered 14 of the 61 trophies that day, proving they’re better in the mud (and on their own base course) than the dry.
