[Webike Editorial Office]

The 43rd Tokyo Motorcycle Show was held from Friday 25th of March this year. We’d like to inform you with spot lights and excitement that took place in the venue.

The Venue was Crowded from Day 1!

The 43rd Tokyo Motorcycle Show was held from Friday 25th March to Sunday 27th March at East 1 Hall, East 2 Hall, Outdoor Exhibition Hall and Atrium Space of the Tokyo Big Sight.

HONDA

The spotlight at the HONDA exhibition booth was definitely the ”Concept CB Type II”, a model that is expected to give a new direction to the air-cooled CB series. The vehicle is mounted with a fuel tank with marks made during cutting process and 17 inch tires on front and rear side. It is also mounted with OVER dual exhaust and brembo radial mount brake caliper. And cafe racer style single seat and bar end mirror to give it customized features.

The Concept VTR is a VTR250, also customized in café racer style. It is mounted with buckskin leather seat and bar end mirrors that have good taste.

At the HONDA booth both ”Concept CB Type II” and ”Concept VTR” gave an approach to neo classic custom.

Prototype of ”CRF250Rally”

”CRF250Rally” that was a concept model at last years motorcycle show was exhibited as prototype. That means we might be able to purchase it in the near future.

Covered with cowl on front and side and mounted with large windshield, it features a full-scale rally model amazingly finished in each section. Together with the popular new ”CRF1000L Africa Twin”, ”CRF250Rally” will offer the racing style of HONDA. Can’t wait for it to be released!

Meanwhile, the bright tricolored ”GROM Racing Base Model” is scheduled to be released from HRC. As you already know, GROM is popular in south-east Asia and is gathering attention from around the world and it just might take the place of NSF100 as a sports model in entry level. The GROM used as base model has also been renewed.

YAMAHA

At the YAMAHA booth, XSR900 was exhibited. It is scheduled to be released in April. The XSR900 is mounted with same parts used for the MT-09, and additional parts such as hand processed aluminum cover and lightened meter brackets. It is the one and only model that features YAMAHA’s persistence. So if you take a close look, you may find new discoveries.

The XSR900, colored with YAMAHA’s 60th Anniversary color and customized model resembling the famous RZ exhibited in the YSP booth were also spotlights. It’s fascinating that you can change the appearance of the vehicle just by changing the fuel tank cover.

YAMAHA has announced new TRICITY 155, renewed version of 2 front wheel model. The TRICITY has high remarks for its stability with pillion rides and TRICITY 155 will expand its capabilities with its ability to drive on highways.

It’s scheduled to be released this year so you might be seeing pillion riders more often this year when you’re out cruising.

SUZUKI

At the SUZUKI booth, GSX-R1000 Prototype model that was announced at EICMA last year was on exhibition. The GSX-R1000 Prototype model is said to be a 2017 Year model. It’s definitely compact compared to the former model and is expected to offer improved driving performance.

Revival of SV’s. ”SV650 Rally Concept” First public exhibition in Japan.

Another machine you shouldn’t miss out on is the ”SV650 Rally Concept”. It is an aggressively customized SV650, like the GSX-R1000 Prototype that was announced last year. The headlight guard gives the vehicle a rally style, however it is customized with neo classic parts such as single seat, clip-on handles and bar end mirror that give it an eye-catching appearance.

At the SUZUKI booth, there was space where visitors could actually get on the vehicle and take pictures. It was a great chance to get a picture taken on a GSX-RR with the vehicle inclined at bank angle; the angle that the vehicle actually inclines during races.

KAWASAKI

At the KAWASAKI booth, lime green colored Ninja series, from Ninja 250 SL to ZX-10R, queued up in a line. Behind them, new ZX-10R winter test spec. was exhibited. It shows overwhelming performance at competitions such as WSBK championship in 2015 and 4 win in 4 races in 2016.

At the KAWASAKI booth, the youngest brother of the Z series, the Z125 which comes next to the one released last year was also exhibited. Street Fighter ”Z” and Supersport ”NINJA” were assembled together. By the way, the Z250SL features lime green as well. Among them all, the Ninja H2, released last year attracted the crowd with its unique colors.

Harley Davidson

At the HARLEY DAVIDSON booth, ”LOW RIDERR S” and ”CVO Pro Street Breakout R” were exhibited to the public for the first time. They are beautiful models with wild powerful designs featuring in pitch black colors.

Ultimately customized bikes including two that won custom contests using ”STREET750” as base model were also exhibited. Each had unique features. At this year’s show, ”CVO”, the top of factory customized model and user-oriented customized models proved the unlimited possibilities of the HARLEY DAVIDSON.

DUCATI

DUCATI is scheduled to release various models during 2016. The DUCATI booth at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show was packed with DUCATI’s new models.

The Multistrada Enduro Model, ”Multistrada 1200 Enduro” is known to perform excellently in any occasion. The ”Multistrada 1200 Pikes Peak” has improved driving performance due to OHLINS suspensions.

The black colors of the ”X Diavel” turns over the red image of DUCATI. It is the first DUCATI cruiser to be equipped with forward step and belt drive. Although it’s a cruiser, we mustn’t forget that it’s a DUCATI. Bank angle is 40 degrees and offers driving performance that other cruisers have never achieved before. No doubt it will collect attention among 2016 models.

DUCATI also introduced from its DUCATI SCRAMBLER series the ”SCRAMBLER Sixty2” , a 400cc model for the Japanese market. It’s a middle class model since MONSTER 400 and will surely increase DUCATI fans.

BMW

At the BMW booth, middle class ”G310R” was exhibited. It is equipped with new single cylinder engine with front intake and rear exhaust. It hasn’t been announced when it will be released in Japan or how much it will be. Although it is a typical aggressive new model, stylishly designed with innovative engine layout.

It is exhibited together with electrical scooter ”C Evolution”, renewed F800G and other BMW models including adventure models and roadstar models.

KTM

At the KTM booth, the new 690DUKE was exhibited. It is scheduled to be released right after the Tokyo Motorcycle Show. The appearance hasn’t changed, however it offers better standing position due to the new seat structure and meter is equipped with multifunctional display. The powerful single cylinder engine has improved 5ps and has more attraction than before.

KTM’s Sports Cruising Motorcycle, ”1290 SUPER DUKE GT” was also exhibited. It is equipped with large windshield and pannier case. It is an attractive cruising model that offers high driving performance. It will perform excellently on highways and on winding roads and will correspond perfectly to street conditions of Japan.

TRIUMPH

TRIUMPH exhibited a wide range of street models, sport models, adventure models. The ”Tiger Explorer” was revealed for the first time in Japan showing off the innovative evolution it has made.

The Bonneville series which is said to be this years highlight was exhibited in the center and attracted the crowd. The vehicle features classic design and is equipped with safety device such as traction control and water-cooled parallel twin engine that also pursues style. The injection unit features aggressive designs.

PIAGGIO Group

PIAGGIO handles 6 motorcycle brands and for this show they exhibited ”MOTO GUZZI V9 BOBBER” and ”Aprilia RSV4 RF”, which is scheduled to be released in May, for the first time. At a glance, it looks as though they’ve only changed the shape of the cowl and designs of the headlight, however the engine and vehicle structure has been modified excessively. It is a flagship model of Aprilia that boasts high performance in WSBK.

MOTO GUZZI V9 BOBBER is a new model equipped with newly developed 853cc transverse V-Twin engine but features neo classical taste with retro seat and fender.

There were other motorcycle and motorcycle parts that were exhibited and we’d like to introduce them to you in our coming articles in Webike News and Webike Gallery.