Report From Japan
REPORT FROM JAPAN
W. B. SWIM
JAPAN’S MANUFACTURERS exported nearly half a million motorcycles to the United States during 1966, according to official statistics just released. Total exports numbered 974,569 motorcycles plus 1,791 scooters, of which 452,715 were sold in the U. S. This is a bit of a drop from 1965 sales of 496,511. The decline is attributed to a letdown in exports by Honda, which was the only Japanese maker to export fewer motorcycles in 1966 than in 1965.
Kawasaki doubled exports and Bridgestone very nearly did, while Suzuki exports spurted strongly and Yamaha gained fairly well. Exports in 1966 by companies (with 1965 exports in parentheses) were: Honda 558,084 (597,293), Suzuki 170,332 (98,800), Yamaha 167,800 (125,338), Bridgestone 50,192 (29,984), Kawasaki 27,959 (13,933) and Lilac 202 (170). Rabbit exported 1,791 (2,841) scooters.
Japanese motorcycles were sent to 148 countries around the globe in 1966. South Vietnam was Japan’s biggest customer following the United States, buying 82,360 machines. Other major markets were Thailand (78,465), Singapore and Malaysia (50,284), Taiwan (46,374), Canada (41,297), Belgium (28,752), Philippines (25,979) and England (22,098). Meanwhile, production continued to rise in 1966, with 2,413,388 motorcycles being built as compared to 2,177,215 the year before.
Honda just failed to top the million and a half mark, with 1,422,949 machines produced during 1966, a drop of 42,813 from the year before. Second largest maker was Suzuki, with 448,128, followed by Yamaha 389,756, Bridgestone 84,379, Kawasaki 67,959 and Lilac 217. Rabbit produced 34,003 scooters in 1966. Unfortunately, the production and export figures are not broken down by models, but it is interesting to spend a few minutes studying the information released. By comparing figures and knowing which companies are making motorcycles in which engine sizes, you can find, for instance, that in 1966 Honda produced 17,757 450cc and 54,055 305cc machines. It appears that Suzuki built about 30,000 of the 250cc X-6s; Yamaha had 23,936 in the over 250cc group, of which probably 500 or 600 were the new 350cc and the rest the 305cc. Bridgestone really went to town with the 175cc, making 18,408 of them and Kawasaki turned out 1,936 of the 650cc and about 11,000 of the 250cc A-l bikes.
Honda has entered the 175cc field, with a street bike already on sale. Development has nearly reached completion on a sports version and a scrambler using the same engine. The engine is basically an overbored version of the 154cc CA-95. Production of the 161cc sports and scrambler bikes has been stopped. The street bike, model CD-175, claims 18 hp @ 10,500 rpm from the single overhead cam twin-cylinder engine and a top speed of 81 mph through a fourspeed gearbox. The bore and stroke is very oversquare, at 2.08 and 1.57 inches for a displacement of 174cc. The compression ratio is 9:1, and the motorcycle weighs in at 257 pounds. Frame is a Tbone pressed affair, with telescopic fork and swinging arm suspension.
Shipments of Suzuki’s 200cc scaleddown version of the popular X-6 Hustler 250cc sportster will begin shortly. The five-speed two-stroke twin claims 23 hp @ 7,500 rpm and speeds up to 87 mph.
Honda has come out with a very light, economical 125cc bike. The model CD-125A weighs only 216 pounds. To cut the weight, Honda has taken off the electric starter and fitted plastic fenders front and rear, plastic headlamp nacelle and plastic side covers. Nylon cord tires are mounted front and rear, both 3.0016, to save more weight. Carburetion is by a single constant vacuum instrument with diaphragm. Speed of 71 mph is claimed for the 12.5 hp @ 10,000 rpm bike. Export intentions have not been announced, but in Japan, the retail price was set exactly $75.00 below the electric-started CD-125 (no longer in production) which is replaced.
Kawasaki’s new 350cc roadster is nearly ready for shipping. The company has not yet released photographs or performance data for publication, but the machine is expected to be in dealer showrooms around April. Its first appearance in the United States will probably be at the Daytona show. Insiders say the performance is a bit above the new Yamaha 350cc. It is a two-stroke twin with dual rotary valves, of course, based on the tubular framed 250cc Samurai. Expect a production road racer version for sale in the U. S. well before AMA 350cc racing begins in 1969.
Suzuki will soon market both 50cc and 250cc production road racers. The 50cc, which will be completed first, is reported to be a twin-cylinder two-stroke, but no performance data is presently available. The 250cc racer is based on the company’s popular X-6 Hustler. Meanwhile, production has begun on Kawasaki’s 250cc road racer based on the A-l Samurai. It is slated to make a debut at the Daytona races.
This year should be another one full of wins for Japanese factories in the Grand Prix circuit. Although it appeared late last season as though Honda might de-emphasize motorcycle racing or drop it altogether, it turned out not to be the case. A factory team will contest the Classic races, Mike Hailwood in the 500cc, 350cc and 250cc events and Luigi Taveri and Ralph Bryans in the 125cc and 50cc races. These three riders are the only ones under contract at present, but Honda is looking for one more foreign rider to support Hailwood in the big classes. Although Honda racing manager Sekiguchi denies they are building any new machines, it is believed that frames and forks are being revamped on all the racers. A new 125cc engine is also reported to be in the works, and the cowling of the 50cc has been narrowed for less frontal area. The three-cylinder 50cc racer apparently will not be used, as Honda is not satisfied with its durability, although the speed is well up on the present twin. The Suzuki 50cc was faster than the Honda late last season. A full team of Honda mechanics will be in Europe, starting with the first race, the Spain GP on April 30.
Suzuki will also contest the full series in the 125cc and 50cc classes, but they are short of riders as of this writing. Long-time Suzuki top rider and four times world champion Hugh Anderson has announced his retirement, as has Frank Perris. This leaves Hans-Georg Anscheit, the 1966 50cc champion, as the firm’s only contracted foreign rider. They also hope for a starring role for Yoshimi Katayama, but no Japanese rider has made it to the top in the GP circuit as yet.
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Assistant race team manager Ishikawa denies that Stuart Graham has been signed or is being given special consideration, as reported in the British press. He intimated, however, that Suzuki will invite several foreign riders to fly over from Europe before the beginning of the season for test rides, with one or two to be picked for the 1967 team. Graham is likely to be among the hopefuls. He wistfully spoke of the possibility of persuading Hugh Anderson to ride again this year, in selected races, if Anderson does not want to contest the full season. This, however, as he admitted, depends on whether Anderson wants to road race again, and reports indicate he does not, although he might be persuaded to enter one or two events such as the Isle of Man TT. The Suzuki team manager denied the firm would enter the 250cc class this year. However, he admitted they are busy at work on new machinery for both the smaller classes, although he wouldn’t say what.
The 125cc is expected to be a fourcylinder two-stroke, but rumors have it that a three-cylinder is also in the mill. The 14-speed 50cc is not expected to be too different from last year’s model. Development work will probably continue right up to the line, with the machines being flown to Spain in order to arrive in time for race practice.
Yamaha may come out with four-cylinder machines in all three classes they will contest this year, 350cc, 250cc and 125cc. The 350cc will be full size, not the overbored 250cc bikes used at last year’s Japan GP. Considerable work is being done on the suspension, particularly the forks, of all machines.
Bill Ivy and Phil Read are again under contract, but the pair is hardly enough to contest three classes. Although the development man would not confirm Japanese magazine reports that Yamaha is in contact with John Cooper, it appears that he has at least been considered. It is almost certain that Yamaha will sign on another foreign rider, or be forced to drop the 350cc class.
Kawasaki has signed Dave Simmonds for 1967, and will furnish him only with machines and parts for the early part of the year. He will start out on the watercooled 125cc twin he rode at FISCO last October, but later in the season expects to get both factory mechanics and new equipment, plus possible backing by a Japanese rider. Kawasaki’s new racer, expected to be ready by the Isle of Man races in June, has four cylinders.
If a Japanese rider is sent over, it will probably be ex-Honda teamster Naomi Taniguchi, who is now working for Kawasaki as a test rider and getting acquainted with two-strokes, although it could be Ken Araoka, who has a rider’s contract with the firm.
Bridgestone is not expected to contest the full GP series, although there is a possibility of some 50cc activity from this quarter at the Isle of Man and possibly in later races. Work is going ahead on the water-cooled 50cc twin two-stroke to get a wider power band, and perhaps cut down on the 14 speeds now in the gearbox, plus better starting. Efforts are being made to lower the weight as well, as the fifty is still too heavy to be really competitive. The company does not have any foreign riders under contract, although they have used Tommy Robb and Jack Findlay in the past, and their best Japanese rider is ex-Suzuki GP man Isao Morishita.
As expected, four American servicemen stationed in Japan were promoted to the junior class, based on their records in motocross racing last year. Twentythird on the list of 133 riders is Cecil Robison (Honda CL-77, Tokyo All Stars Club); number 63 is Jack McCutcheon (Yamaha YDS-2, Kamiseya Tansha club); 64 is James Christopherson (Honda CL-77, Yamaha YA-6, Kanagawa Motorcycle Club) and 72 is Herb Cummings (Yamaha YDS-2, All-Japan Motorcycle Club). These four join Del Carroll, who made junior in 1966.
The MCFAJ has divided motocross riders into five classes this year. One expert, Kawasaki’s Takashi Yamamoto, has been added to the former seven for a total of eight, all riding for manufacturers. Next is the senior class, made up of 55 works team men. Both these classes will be given cash prizes, the first time in Japan that scrambles winners have gotten anything other than trophies. The third class is for riders either on company payrolls or getting partial support from the makers, who will compete against junior riders and be paid in goods such as watches for wins.
The 133 best riders who get no help at all from the factories are put in the junior class, and everyone else is a novice. Both these groups race for trophies only.
The MCFAJ has announced a schedule of 49 events, 24 TT scrambles, 17 motocross events and eight road races. Fourteen of the motocross and two of the TT scrambles are nationals giving points for next year’s rankings, and three of the motocross and one road race are All-Japan events, sponsored by the MCFAJ directly, instead of by a district.
