Report From Japan
REPORT FROM JAPAN
W. B. SWIM
WITH EXPORTS OF Japanese motorcycles spurting around the world, it is nice to see the makers branch out into aspectsof the sport other than Grand Prix racing, where most of the budget has been spent up to now. Honda started it all by sending a team to the Isle of Man years ago and then later heavily advertising its World Championship crowns in Japan, boosting sales locally. Suzuki and then Yamaha followed the same path. All of this may have been good in its day, and certainly was for Honda at least, but with the major motorcycle market in the United States where interest in G.P. racing is less than white hot, to say the least, this correspondent has for years been wondering why the makers did not support other aspects of the sport which would contribute more to export sales. Recently evidence of this is appearing. Yamaha International in the United States is devoting much effort to fielding winning machines in such events as the Daytona AMA 250cc Amateur/Expert 100 Mile Race, Laconia and even Novice track events. You can expect to see more factory support rather than less in the future, as the companies are learning that wins boost sales.
Now Suzuki has sent Japan's top scrambler to Europe this year for two International Moto-Cross races, and they are also entering six machines in two classes in the International Six Days Trial being held at the Isle of Man. Suzuki has a large British market.
Production figures continue to soar, with those for July (the latest available) showing all-time highs. Japan's six makers produced 202,1 14 motorcycles that month and exported 85, 658. Japan's scooter maker sold 646 abroad out of the 3,153 it turned out in July. Of these totals the United States got 59,197 motorcycles and 550 scooters.
Yamaha is increasing its capital by more than 50 percent. The company is putting $1,330,000 worth of new stocks on the market to bring total capitalization up to $3,530,000 from the former $2,200,000. Part of the new capital goes to pay for an expansion of the factory to bring monthly capacity up to 28,000 motorcycles.
Soichiro Honda, president of Honda Motor, was recently honored with an award from Japan's Prime Minister Sato as one of the men most responsible for increasing Japan's exports.
Yamaha Mate is the winning name in a contest the firm held to name its new model U5 and model U5D step-through 50cc machines. The person who submitted the winning name received a motorcycle and more than $800 in cash. The new machine is rotary valve and has 4.3 horsepower at 6,500 rpm. It is kick started and incorporates the Autolube oil injection system. Speed is approximately 50 mph.
Honda, which like other motorcycle makers has until now slacked off production during the winter months, apparently does not intend to this year. According to information filtering in from parts makers from whom Honda buys items for original equipment, the firm will roll out around 125,000 machines monthly right through the winter, as well as some 6,000 cars.
Kawasaki is putting more and more effort into selling motorcycles in the United States. The country is divided into five areas with an importer/distributor for each. Latest development is the opening of a factory representative's office in Chicago, manned initially by Toshiaki Watanabe, who is already on the scene. He will give mid-U.S. support to Fred Suginuma, the company's Los Angeles-based representative, who recently returned to his post after a two-month visit to the factory and offices in Japan. Kawasaki sold 1.800 motorcycles in the United States in June and 2,400 in July.
Yamaha has come through with minor changes on two of its smaller models. The 50cc YF-1 now has a telescopic front fork and Autolube oil injection, so now it becomes the model YF-1 A. The 55cc YJ-1 has been bored out to 58cc and is now the YJ-2. It also is now equipped with telescopic forks and Autolube. Power is up to 5 hp @ 7,000 rpm and torque to 3.97 ft-lb. @ 6,000 rpm .
Kawasaki has another new machine in the works it seems. Word is leaking out that engineers are working on a four-stroke 250cc but other details are lacking. It was reported earlier that the firm will shortly be coming out with a 170cc two-stroke single and hope to get out a 650cc 4-stroke twin early next year. The 250cc as well as the 650cc are aimed at the American rider.
Rumors aren't exactly flying but they are beginning to sneak out that Honda will contest the Grand Prix road racing World Championships in the 500cc class next year now that they have the Honda 450cc on the market. The word is that they will not enter the full racing schedule but rather concentrate on races where they have a good market such as Daytona in the U.S. and the Isle of Man T.T. in England and quit after they get just enough wins to nab the manufacturer's title. It's just a quiet rumor so far, however, and may not turn out that way at all. Tt seems to your correspondent that the firm would gain very little for the expense, as most potential 450cc buyers are already convinced of the company's technical ability by their wins in the smaller classes. Still, knowing the president of the company, it's quite possible Honda will turn out a couple of 500cc racers to challenge Mike Hailwood's MV Agusta.
Kawasaki recently tested their 125cc road racer at Suzuka Circuit, turning in lap times in the 2 minute, 40-50 second bracket. Observers who got a glimpse of the G.P. machine at the track were apt to mistake it for a 250cc as the engine looks about that big and heavy. Fastest lap by a 125 at Suzuka last year was 2 minutes, 35.1 seconds by Suzuki's Hugh Anderson, which is the track record in that class. Tt is thought that Kawasaki intends to enter this year's Japan G.P., the last on the Classic calendar.
Bridgestone, as well, is aiming to be there at the Japan G.P., with a 50cc entry. The two-stroke maker has been working on a 50cc racer for several months, it is reported, and Suzuki's former top Japanese G.P. star, Isao Morishita, is now on the Bridgestone payroll. Either or' both makers could miss this year's G.P. at Suzuka, however, if development efforts fall behind schedule, as they often do when working on exotic speed demons like G.P. racing machines, particularly for companies having their first go at this specialized sport.
Twenty-seven motorcycles blasted off at Suzuka Circuit recently and 24 hours later 17 of them were still going around and around and around. This was Japan's first 24 Hour Endurance Race for production street machines. Honda won all classes, but one of the four Yamahas entered nabbed a second place in the 250cc class. All other entries were Hondas. Overall and over 251cc class winner was the threerider team entered by Takeji Kobayashi on a Honda 305cc. The machine covered 432 laps, a little over 1,620 miles at an average of 67.5 mph, even though the motorcycle had to stop many times for gasoline and at least once every two hours to change riders. As in the 18 hour endurance race last year, every one of the favorites in all classes failed to finish, most being knocked out by holed pistons. Winner of the 250cc class was the Masahiro Inukai team with 424 laps at an average of 64.8 mph while Hiroya Kasai's Honda covered 412 laps at 63.5 mph to take the 125cc trophy. For a change, the Motorcycling Federation of Japan (MFJ) and Suzuka Circuit got a break with good weather for the 24 hour event.
A couple of weeks later, however, the weather slapped the MFJ with a vengeance, threatening to knock out the 1st Tokyo Road Race at the new Funabashi Circuit with a typhoon which swept across Tokyo scant hours after the program was finished. Although the MFJ reported more than 70 entries,there were only 57 starters as many failed to show because of the weather forecast, which at first had the typhoon slated to hit Tokyo about the time the day's program started. This also kept spectators down to not many over 5,000. Five classes were run, with Yamaha winning two, Bridgestone two and Honda one. The Honda winner was an American, Frank Sidelar, and another American of the five entered, C. T. Christman, placed fourth in the 250cc event. Sidelar won the 350cc race, shortened to 15 laps from the planned 30 by the weather, by covering the 29 miles in 41 minutes, 34.29 sec. for an average of 42.01 mph, which sounds pretty bad until you remember he was running in blinding, driving rain and gale force winds steadily building up to typhoon strength. Second and third were also won by Honda riders, with third place Masaharu Ogata setting a lap record at 2 min., 34.92 sec. averaging 45 mph. All lap records are course records, as this is the first time the new circuit has been used by motorcycles. The 250cc winner was Yamaha rider Shigeyoshi Mimuro doing 15 laps (also shortened from 30) in 38 min., 12.23 sec. at 45.5 mph. Hondas were second and third and Christman's Yamaha fourth. Lap record of 2 min., 27.47 sec. (47.3 mph) was by Takashi Matsunaga, who took second. Yamaha rider Junichiro Uno won the 125cc class 25-lap race in 1 hr., 1 min., 49.4 sec. at 47 mph. Lap record of 2 min., 16.34 sec. at 51.2 mph was set on a Yamaha by second place Shigeyoshi Mimuro, the winner of the 250cc race. Hondamounted Matsunaga was third. Tsutomu Murakami pushed his 90cc Bridgestone to the checkered flag first after 25 laps in 58 min., 6.44 sec. at an average of 50 mph, and also set the lap record at 2 min., 11.9 sec. for 53 mph on the first lap. Just 31.04 seconds behind him was Kawasaki-mounted Hideo Kanaya while another Bridgestone rider was third. The 50cc event went to Akira Sakagnchi, who raced 20 laps in 49 min., 55.98 sec. at 47.2 mph on a Bridgestone. This was the closest race of the day, with Bridgestone-mounted Yasuho Shigeno just 3.32 seconds behind.
The same typhoon wiped out the Motorcycle Club Federation of All Japan (MCFAJ) sponsored 13th All Japan Moto-Cross slated Saturday and Sunday of the same week, 4 hours south of Tokyo. Heavy rain falling from Friday night made the course impossible, and the event was postponed one week. You'll get a report on it next month, as New Zealand scrambles champion Tim Gibbes and his winning 250cc Greeves are in Japan to compete in this one.
The 7th Motorcyclist Rally, sponsored by Japan's leading motorcycle magazine, drew 240 entries for the 100 mile long overnight event, with an observed trial thrown in the second morning for good measure. The 50cc class was won by Akira Yamamoto, who lost only 14 marks riding a Honda. Second place rider lost 19 and 3rd dropped 20. In the Over 50cc class the competition was closer, with the winner losing only six marks, 2nd and 3rd dropping just seven, 4th eight, 5th and 6th nine, 7th and 8th ten, 9th twelve and 10th fourteen. Winner was Tsuneo Miyazaki riding a Honda. •
