Tokyo A Go-Go

Now we’ve got to run away.
We’re turning green.
-“Tokyo A go-go” by The Magnetic Fields

Japan. Land of the Rising Sun. And vending machines. Millions of them, offering everything from hot and cold coffee and sake, to ice cream, beer, cigarettes and even a sports drink called Pocari Sweat, which seems destined for the annals of Engrish.com.

But Japan is also home to the Big Four of motorcycling: Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. These heavy hitters, plus those from the automotive and aftermarket worlds, put their latest and greatest on display at the bi-annual Tokyo Motor Show, which held its 41 gathering in October 2009. I represented Rider as a guest of Honda, which officially unveiled its 2010 VFR1200F during our week-long press junket.

Customer service at Tokyo Airport.

The 12-hour flight to Japan was made mercifully pleasant thanks to business-class accommodations on All Nippon Airways. Being the under-paid and perpetually hungry/thirsty hack that I am, I loaded up on several plates of shrimp noodles and cans of Kirin beer in the biz lounge before we left LAX. Once aboard, I was dutifully doted upon by attractive, ever-smiling Japanese flight attendants. I’ve flown business-class only three times in my life—once on honeymoon with my ex-wife, and twice on trips to Japan (the first to attend the Kawasaki ZX6R intro in 2008)—and the experience is highly civilized. Attentive service, gourmet food and drink (love the real-deal Japanese menu!) and comfortable accommodations.

Miyumi

(Sorry for the digression. I like to eat, drink and be comfortable, so I tend to gush about such things.)

On the bus ride from central Tokyo to Makuhari Messe in Chiba City, where the Motor Show is held, we were entertained and informed by our chipper tour guide and local handler, Miyumi. For our entire week-long tour of Japan, which included the Motor Show, a tour of the Honda factory in Kumamoto, a full day of riding the VFR1200F at Sportsland SUGO, a day at Twin Ring Motegi and the Honda Collection Hall and a free day in Tokyo, Miyumi herded more than a dozen cocksure American motojournalists, photographers and PR guys like so many cats, and she did so with an upbeat spirit, endless patience and a great sense of humor. And nobody knows how to shabu shabu like Miyumi….

After scarfing our free Japanese box lunches along with several hundred other under-paid, perpetually hungry/thirsty journalists, we wandered the floor of the cavernous Makuhari Messe convention center. Car stuff on one side, motorcycle stuff on the other, with some cross-over for car/motorcycle manufacturers like Honda and Suzuki. Notably absent this year were the European OEMs. No Ducati. No Triumph. No BMW. And Kawasaki was a no-show at a home turf event. Tough times, these.

Honda EV-Cub

The theme for the 41 Tokyo Motor Show was “Fun Driving for Us. Eco Driving for Earth.” And Honda’s was “Creating the never before!” Both are awkwardly worded in English, but the spirit of both are clear. As important as the internal-combustion engine is to all things motorsport, alternative means of propulsion are on the rise. Honda’s pavilion included the HELLO! (Honda ELectric mobility LOop) Zone, which featured the FCX Clarity, a fuel cell electric vehicle that is powered by the electricity it obtains from hydrogen; the EV-N battery electric vehicle; the EV-Cub, an electric version of Honda’s venerable Super Cub step-through (which is, incidentally, the most widely produced internal-combustion vehicle in the world, with over 60 million units sold since 1958); the EV-MONPAL electric personal mobility device; the U3-X, a one-wheel personal mobility device that uses balance control technology developed for the ASIMO bipedal humanoid robot; and LOOP, a portable communication tool that allows people and mobility devices to communicate with each other.

All that stuff is fascinating and no doubt well-engineered, and it is always neat to see blue-sky concepts on display, but my loins didn’t start to twitch until I saw the dual clutch transmission-equipped VFR1200F and the neo-old-school, air-cooled CB1100 under the bright lights. These sleek machines use good old fashioned dino-fuel to create booming power strokes. Humming electric bikes are nifty, and I look forward to seeing them develop into truly viable alternatives, but I’m not ready to give up the rumble of gas-powered engines.

Takanobu Ito, with the CB1100 and VFR1200F.

We were treated to an exclusive press conference with Honda President and CEO Takanobu Ito. Although Ito-san comes from the car side of Honda, he’s an avid motorcyclist and he regularly rides a Japan-only Honda 250 dual-sport. Having been at the helm of Honda for less than six months, Ito-san assumed control during the worst recession the 50-year-old global manufacturing company has faced. He expressed optimism about the future, in terms of both “fun” (recreational) and utility sales throughout the world. Honda has the resources to weather the current economic storm, and its steadfast commitment to engineering quality and innovation may very well see the company emerge in a position of even greater strength than its competition.

In addition to Honda, their were displays by Yamaha, Suzuki, Harley-Davidson, Can-Am and Kymco, as well as various aftermarket vendors, featuring the latest doodads and gizmos. No report on the Tokyo Motor Show would be complete without at least a passing mention of the doll-like Japanese girls modeling with the various motorcycles, cars and gear. Yes, there were many of them. Hemlines were short, patent leather boots were tall and demure smiles were plentiful. As Forrest Gump said, that’s all I have to say about that.

The Tokyo Motor Show was a cool event for anyone with an interest in things on wheels, even if the size and scope was down significantly in 2009 from years past.

To see the two-part Rider 360 report on the Honda VFR1200F with footage from Japan, follow the links below:
Click HERE to view Part 1
Click HERE to view Part 2

Sounding Off

Even after 25 years at the mag I still get excited about stuff. It’s actually kind of worrisome, like I never really grew up or something. This time it’s about (believe it or don’t) the new MIC/SAE motorcycle sound standard (see below) that just came out, which will hopefully put a stop to the arbitrary enforcement that’s going on in cities and municipalities around the country, as well as (I hope) encourage the aftermarket exhaust manufacturers to make pipes that meet the standard. We’re getting ready to test one such system that just came out for the new Honda Fury chopper (see the road test in the October issue), which is supposed to give the bike a nice “tone” vs. the flatulent puffing sound it makes now, and throw in 4-5 more horsepower for good measure. [Read more]