Report From Japan
REPORT FROM JAPAN
W. B. SWIM
JAPANESE MAKERS and racing enthusiasts were happy to see this year's FIM Grand Prix racing schedule get underway with a local factory team walking away with two classes at the U.S.G.P. in Daytona. Most everyone was amazed, however, by newspaper reports that there were only 1,500 and 2,500 spectators on the two days and tended to believe the news reports had dropped a zero off of these figures. Local moto-cross and dirt track races pull more paying guests than that every weekend 'in Japan, and last year's Japan G.P. had more than 120,000 enthusiasts attending. Racing bugs here were particularly pleased with the good showings made by Suzuki's Japanese riders. We would like to see a Japanese world champion, the sooner the better, and this year is none too soon.
Yamaha has begun construction of a new $830,000 factory giving it 50 percent more capacity. A 178,000 sq. ft. building is going up on a 240,000 sq. ft. site adjacent to the present plant. When the new building is completed in August it will raise Yamaha's monthly production capacity to 18,000-20,000 immediately. Yamaha intends to increase capacity to 30,000 per month with emphasis on 50cc and 80cc motorcycles. Along with the new factory, Yamaha reorganized to establish a Production Engineering Department in control of the technical and manufacturing departments with the aim of reducing production costs, increasing overseas and local demand and promoting service.
A new Kawasaki 125cc single, model B-8T, went on sale in February. It is an improved version of the B-8, which was designed primarily for city traffic. The new model has more guts and get-up-andgo, with a new cylinder head boosting rpm to 7,000 and turning out better performance. The 2-cycle 123.5cc engine now gets a full 11 hp and has a claimed fuel consumption of 142 mpg. LxWxH is 75 x 26.8 x 38.6 inches.
Kawasaki Aircraft Co. has begun manufacturing Meguro motorcycle engines. Previously, Kawasaki Aircraft designed and tested the engines which were produced by the Kawasaki/Meguro Manufacturing Co. From now on Kawasaki/Meguro will buy complete engines from Kawasaki Aircraft, make frames and assemble Meguro motorcycles. Kawasaki Aircraft also manufactures Kawasaki motorcycles. Meguro, a 4-cycle maker with a long history, was bought by Kawasaki Aircraft interests when in financial difficulties several months ago. The aircraft firm, which began producing 2-cycle motorcycles after the war, has several plans for the rest of the year. In June a two-cylinder Kawasaki will be marketed. This is Kawasaki's first production model twin, and it is based on a scrambler which has done well in rnoto-cross races since last summer. A Kawasaki 80cc will go on sale in August. The Meguro 250cc SGT, first design by Kawasaki Aircraft engineers, will be ready in early June to replace the present Meguro 250cc S-8 model. The Meguro 500cc 2K, an improvement on the present K model, is expected in July, with sales to police uppermost in the company's mind. Also on the slate for this year are a new 125cc scrambler and a Meguro 250cc sports model.
Yamaha's top Japanese road racer, Fumio Ito, is on his way to becoming a hit popular singer, with a recording recently released by the Polydor Record Co. A scout from the record company spotted hot racer Ito when he was singing in a jazz coffee shop not long ago.
Following this column's prediction of a new class of Japanese motorcycles somewhere between the 125cc and 250cc last month, Honda put a 161 cc motorcycle on sale in Japan on Feb. 1. Rumors had it that they were developing a 175cc and, who knows, they may still be. The CB-160 twin cylinder 4-cycle was shown at the Tokio Motor Show last autumn without anything at all announced about it, so nearly all viewers thought it was the 150cc engine in a pipe frame. Not so. It is a completely new design engine and frame. The 4-speed 161cc motorcycle gets a top of 85 mph from the overhead cam engine and 16.5 @ 10,000 rpm. Fuel consumption of 130 mpg is claimed for the 280 pound machine. Other specifications include 5.7 inch road clearance, 50.3 inch wheelbase and LxWxH of 78 x 29.7 x 39 inches.
Honda put a new 125cc on sale in Japan the same day. The CB-125, which was also at the Motor Show, is a 4-cycle OHC twin with 15 hp @ 10,500 rpm. A top speed of 81 mph and fuel consumption of 153 mpg is claimed for the 124cc machine. The pipe frame is the same as the 160cc. Both have telescopic forks, swinging arm rear suspension, twin carbs and twin air cleaners.
Honda has announced it is contesting the automobile Grand Prix in the Formula 1 class in Europe this year. A 600cc sports car has been put on the market in Japan.
Japan's first competition motorcycle shop was opened in Tokyo recently. G.P. Racing Motors deals in all Japanese makes of new and used road racers and scramblers, as well as repairing and tuning for all comers. At least until the business gets on its feet, it will also buy and sell used street machines. Success can be predicted as the owner is Hiroshi Honda, who has been racing for years and took 7th in the 50cc class in the 1962 USMC Grand Prix at Daytona. He is president of the All Japan Grand Prix racing motorcycle club, a Tokyo district chief of the Motorcycle Club Federation of All Japan (MCFAJ) and a frequent, and well liked and respected official at competition events when he is not riding himself.
The Motorcycling Federation of Japan (MFJ) first moto-cross grand prix has been scheduled for April 20 at the Japan Self-Defense Forces firing range at Somagahara, about four hours from Tokyo. Only the top riders in each class from the various districts in Japan are eligible to enter in the four events, 50cc 125cc, 250cc and over 250cc. Along with the Japan Grand Prix road race, MFJ intends to make this moto-cross its second major event each year. MFJ held a discussion of the past, present and future of motocross events in Japan recently, participated in by two MFJ officials, top riders Seiichi Suzuki and Kazuyuki Miyoshi, one younger moto-cross rider and your CYCLE WORLD correspondent, who was called on to fill the youngsters in on the beginnings of the sport in Japan but also took off his gloves and asked some hard questions about the way events are run here.
The Motorcycle Club Federation of All Japan (MCFAJ) is sponsoring competition events up to October. They are the Tenth All Japan Moto-Cross Championships on April 25 and 26-, Second All Japan Dirt Track Championship on May 10, First All Japan Trials on June 7, Eleventh All Japan Moto-Cross Championship on August 22 and 23, and Seventh All Japan Motorcycle Clubmân Race on October 17 and 18.
Ikoma-tech motorcycle sportsland and Suzuka Circuit schedules of competition events for the first half of the season have been announced. Ikoma-tech, near Osaka, will sponsor an open moto-cross which does not count towards its annual championships on Apr. 19, 2nd championship moto-cross May 17, open moto-cross June 21 and 3rd championship moto-cross July 19. Ikoma-tech also held a New Year moto-cross race Jan. 12 and the 1st championship moto-cross Mar. 1. Suzuka Circuit sponsors moto-cross races on Apr. 12, May 24 and June 14, numbered from 14th to 16th. It held its 11th through 13th moto-cross events Jan. 19, Feb. 16 and Mar. 15. •
