Tokyo Motor Show

TOKYO MOTOR SHOW

W. B. SWIM

THIRTEEN NEW MODELS were shown by Japan's six motorcycle manufacturers displaying at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show. Aimed primarily at the American market are a new 305cc sports twin by Yamaha, a new 250cc aluminum cylinder twin by Suzuki and a double-port single cylinder 125cc sports model, also by Suzuki.

Other new machines on display were a 125cc and a 50cc by Bridgestone, a “Honda Fifty” style 90cc by Honda, a standard version of the twin-port 125cc by Suzuki, a 90cc sports by Bridgestone, new 125cc and 150cc 2-strokes by Kawasaki and a 330cc 66° V-twin. 160cc 180°

opposed twin and 125cc version of the same by Lilac.

Also displayed at the show for the first time were a 90cc scrambles machine by Kawasaki and a Suzuki “Mountain Goat” trail outfit with a rear tractor tire.

Both Silver Pigeon and Rabbit motor scooters showed their goods as well as the six bike makers, but neither had any new models on the floor. Only motorcycle maker in Japan that did not enter the show' was Hodaka. w'hich does not market in Japan, all their production going exclusively to the United States. In fact, nobody outside the company in Japan has ever seen one of their machines.

The show' this year seemed a bit less exciting than the 1963 displays, as there was hardly anything startling, new or terribly unexpected and also the general layout of the displays did not seem as impressive as in past years. Honda, as might be expected had the largest display space, closely followed by Suzuki and Yamaha, w'ho were about even and a bit larger than Bridgestone and Kawasaki, with little Lilac putting on perhaps the most interesting display, with three completely new machines, in the smallest space of all. The scooter men had about the same space as Yamaha and Suzuki.

Honda didn't display any racing equipment. although it is thought they intended to show the new' 6-cylinder 250cc if it had won at Monza. Suzuki showed the three 50cc racers which won them the world title in 1962. 1963 and this year, and another racer in front of a movie screen, while Yamaha had a 250cc racer and a TD-l production racer on display. Both Bridgestone and Kawasaki showed scramblers. Racing seemed de-emphasized all around this year, however.

The six makers showed 94 motorcycles and there were 21 scooters displayed, for a total of 115 machines. Bridgestone led in the numbers game with 20. just one more than Honda showed. Both Yamaha and Suzuki had 17 machines on display, Kawasaki showed 15 and on the scooter side it was II Rabbits vs. 10 Silver Pigeons.

Honda’s display was the noisiest but least informative for the motorcycle enthusiast. Aiming solely at the “nicest people”, only one machine, a Honda 90 Sports, was in a position where you could really look at it. and there wasn’t a single signboard giving technical data of any machine anywhere. All but five of the Hondas were on a undulating track, roaming around their display space with foreign and Japanese models sitting on them. The only new machine shown was merely lined up with the rest without so much as a “New” sign on it to let the uninitiated know that they hadn’t seen it on the streets before. The only informative item at all. in fact, was a cut-away of a 90cc overhead camshaft engine.

Yamaha devoted a large wall space to detailed explanation of its “Autolube” oil injection system, and had signs in front of most models with only the very basic information given, not even listing the number of speeds for the machines. The 250cc racer was the centerpiece of a revolving raised platform.

Suzuki’s three 50cc winners occupied a prominent corner, and two of their three new models were on a revolving platform taking up the center of their space. A racing movie drew crowds, but they could hardly hear the roar for the noisy Honda record next door.

Interest in the Bridgestone display was drawn by the new I25cc turning round and round slowly in one corner and a tiny 50cc prototype "Chibi." unrideable by other than small midgets, which they showed last year too.

Kawasaki's display, including Meguro models, split interest centers between three scramblers lined up on one side and a sparkling white 5()()ce police model in the center, both overwhelming the two new' machines, which were lined up with three old models along the back wall.'

Lilac’s display had six machines lined up in a row with hardly space enough between them to get in and have a close look. Two were the 500cc opposed twins, one stahdard black and the other white.

Both scooter makers had machines and shapely models scattered here and there, with Rabbit offering the 500.000th machine off its line and Silver Pigeon showing a cut-away of an engine and rear wheel unit.

Honda has mounted the 90ec engine from the Honda 90 model C-200 in a “Honda Fifty” type frame and named it the model CM-90, but the only details on performance which have been released are horsepower of 6.5 @ 7.500 rpm. top speed of 55 mph and the fact that it has three speeds with an automatic centrifugal clutch.

Yamaha’s 305cc, the model YM-1. has five speeds. 26 hp @ 7.500 rpm and a top speed of 99 mph. It looks just like the hot-selling 250cc YDS-3 with larger aluminum alloy carburetors mounted on the engine, but a Yamaha spokesman assured CYCLE WORLD there are some changes inside the engine as well, including a beefed-up crankshaft.

Suzuki's new 125cc sports model S-Il aimed at the U. S. rider w'as perhaps the most eye-popping thing at the show, with two exhaust pipes coming out of the front of its single cylinder. The reason the aluminum alloy cylinder has double ports, a spokesman said, is for better breathing and to keep port overlap dow'n to a minimum by making a wide, low port instead of a narrow, high port. Added advantages are larger expansion chamber area resulting in quieter exhaust and less danger of the rings catching on the edges of the port. It has a rotary disc valve and gives 13.8 hp @ 8.000 rpm. but other details of the 123cc machine have not been announced. The standard model S-10 has an iron cylinder.

The new model T-20 Suzuki 250cc is a pipe frame sports model with a racing throttle, double cam front brake, mechanical linkage rear brake and aluminum allov cvlinders. Otherwise, it looks pretty much like the model T-10 on sale in the US. now. Only performance figures that could be learned were 99 mph speed, 4 gears, and 25 hp (a) 8.000 rpm. and that it is lighter than the earlier model, but the spokesman wouldn't tell how much.

Bridgestone's 125cc rotary valve twin won't go into production until some time next year, it was learned. And just from looking at it. it's a pretty good bet it will see several changes before it gets to the production line. As it stands now. it has

12.5 horsepower. 4 speeds with a top of "over 74 mph”, twin carburetors, a monstrous air cleaner and engine that may be made into a 250cc before it is put on sale. It has Japan’s first disc brake, in the front, covered.

The new Bridgestone 90cc sports machine is slated for marketing in December, a spokesman said. This 88cc machine has 8.8 hp (q) 8,000 rpm. top speed of 66 mph and a 4-speed gearbox.

The new Bridgestone 50 will have 3 versions, standard. U.S. and touring. It does not have a cylinder cooling fan like earlier Bridgestone 50cc models. The 2stroke engine has a rotary disc valve, 4 sneeds. a top of 53 mph and gets 5.2 hp (u) 8.500 rpm from the single cylinder.

Kawasaki’s 150cc single cylinder 2-stroke sports model B8S gets 12 hp @ 6,500 rpm out of its 148cc engine for a top speed of 71 mph through 4 gears. The 125 Twin Sports, without a number yet, has 12.5 hp @ around 7,500 rpm and a top speed of 68 mph, a spokesman said. It is as yet a phototype and no data was officially announced, but it was learned that this one will get a pipe frame before going into production to replace the pressed backbone it has now.

Lilac’s 66e V-twin 4-cycle 332cc machine, model M-330, has 28 hp @ 8.000 rpm for a top speed of 93 mph. The C-105 180° opposed baby version of the BMW 500cc comes in at 16 hp @ 10,500 rpm for 83 mph and like the model C-103 125cc model has pushrod operated overhead camshafts. The 124cc gets 14.8 hp (q) 11,000 rpm. Top speed is 80 mph.

That covers all the new' road machines shown. For a complete rundown on everything in the show, let's start with the giant.

Honda's 19 machines included 9 different 4-cycle models. New model CM-90. described above. Model CBM-72, 247cc, 24 hp @ 9.000 rpm, 89 mph, 4 speeds. CB-125 " (CB-93), 124.7cc, 15 hp @

10.500 rpm, 80 mph. 4 speeds. CJII-92. 124cc, 11.5 hp @ 9.500 rpm, 71 mph, 4 speeds. CB-I60 (CB-96), 161 cc, 16.5 hp @ 10.000 rpm. 83 mph, 4 speeds. CS-90, 89.5cc. 8 hp @ 9,500 rpm, 62 mph, 4 speeds. C-200, 87cc. 6.5 hp @ 8,000 rpm, 55 mph. 4 speeds. C-II0, 49cc, 5 hp @

9.500 rpm. 52 mph. 4 speeds. C-100, 49cc.

4.5 hp @ 9.500 rpm, 43 mph. 3 speeds.

Yamaha showed nine 2-cycle models. New 3ü5cc LA/-/. YDS-3, 250cc, 24 hp @ 7.500 rpm. 89 mph, 5 speeds. YA-6, I25cc, 1 1 hp @ 6.700 rpm, 68 mph, 4 speeds. YG-I-T trail, 80cc. 8hp @ 7.000 rpm. 45 mph, 4 speeds. YG1-D, 75cc, 6.5 hp @ 7.000 rpm, 52 mph. 4 speeds. MJ-2, 50cc. 5 hp (a) 7.000 rpm. 44 mph. 3 speeds. YJ-I, 50cc, 4.8 hp @ 8,000 rpm. 50 mph.

4 speeds. YF-1, 50cc, 4.5 hp @ 8,000 rpm. 49 mph, 4 speeds. MF-2, 50cc. 4.5 hp @

7.000 rpm, 43 mph, 3 speeds.

Suzuki had 11 2-cycle models for the market. New were 250cc F-20, I25cc S-lI sports and 125cc S-10. T-10. 246cc, 22 hp @ 8.000 rpm. 86 mph, 4 speeds. S-30, !24cc, 12 hp @ 7,500 rpm, 68 mph, 4 speeds. K-ll sports. 79cc, 7.4 hp @ 7.000 rpm. 58 mph, 4 speeds. K-10, 79cc, 6.5 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 52 mph, 4 speeds. K-15 trail, 79cc. 6.5 hp @ 6,000 rpm. M-12, 50cc, 5 hp @ 8.000 rpm, 52 mph, 4 speeds. M-15, 50cc. 4.2 hp @ 8,000 rpm. 52 mph, 4 speeds. M-30, 50cc, 4 hp @ 6,800 rpm. 43 mph, 3 speeds. And Suzuki showed the 80cc "Mountain Goat” trail machine with a tractor tire on the rear.

Bridgestone displayed nine 2-stroke models. New were the 125cc, 90cc sports and Bridgestone 50. Bridgestone 90, 88cc, 7.8 hp @ 7,000 rpm. 60 mph, 4 speeds. 90 trail, 88cc, 7.8 hp @ 7,000 rpm, 60 mph, 4 speeds. Homer 60, 59cc, 5 hp @ 7,700 rpm, 47 mph, 3 speeds. Bridgestone 7, 50cc. 4.1 hp @ 7.000 rpm, 45 mph. 3 speeds. Homer, 50cc, 4.2 hp @ 7,500 rpm. 45 mph, 3 speeds. Champion 3, 50cc, 4.1 hp @ 7.000 rpm. 45 mph, 3 speeds.

Kawasaki showed nine models, also. New were 150cc B8S and 125cc B-8. Megnro MK-2, 497cc, 33 hp @ 6.000 rpm, 96 mph, 4 speeds, 4-cycle. Megnro KP police, 497cc, 36 hp @ 6.500 rpm, 71 mph, 4 speeds, 4cycle. Megnro SGT, 248cc, 18 hp @ 7.000 rpm, 80 mph, 4 speeds, 4-cycle. Megnro SG, 248cc, 18 hp @ 7,000 rpm, 77 mph. 4 speeds, 4-cycle. B8T, 123.5cc. 11 hp @

7.000 rpm. 69 mph. 4 speeds, 2-cycle. J-l, 85cc, 7.5 hp @ 6,800 rpm, 55 mph, 4 speeds, 2-cycle. B-53, 52cc. 4.7 hp @

8.000 rpm. 47 mph, 3 speeds, 2-cycle. Lilac had five 4-cycle models up for

inspection. Three were new, the M-330, C-105 and C-103. R-92. 493cc, 35.6 hp @ 6.300 rpm, 99 mph, 4 speeds, 180° twin. LS-38, 247cc. 20.3 hp (q) 8,000 rpm, 86 mph. 4 speeds, 66" V-twin.

Rabbit exhibited six 2-stroke models of scooters. S-601, 200cc, 11 hp @ 5,500 rpm. 60 mph. torque converter. S-402, 148cc.

9.5 hp (q) 6,200 rpm. 58 mph, 4 speeds. S-302, 123cc. 8 hp (q) 6,000 rpm, 3 speeds. S-202A, 88cc, 5.5 hp (a) 6,500 rpm. 3 speeds. S-202AE, same with kick starter.