Riding in Japan | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Riding in Japan

"I'll post more pics later, and videos when I get done watching them and formatting them"
thanks for referencing the locations of the pics along side the routes you took. Thinking of google mapping (street view) your motorcycle trip.
 
"I'll post more pics later, and videos when I get done watching them and formatting them"
thanks for referencing the locations of the pics along side the routes you took. Thinking of google mapping (street view) your motorcycle trip.

I added the names of the places to the 3 pictures I posted. I'll show a basic route of the places I traveled on google maps if I can.
 
I guess I'll start with the rental process.

You gotta have an unrestricted license in your originating country. (So a full M here in Canada) and then you mosey on down to CAA and give them a Passport like photo and they make you a little International Drivers License.

I rented from Japan Bike rentals. It seemed the most hassle free with the best options for GPS, luggage, etc. It wasn't cheap....but neither was the flight. I knew this wasn't going to be a budget vacation.

Anyways. I left Toronto Thursday Sept 1st late afternoon. Arrived in Japan Friday the 2nd Late afternoon. Spent the evening and the next 2 days exploring Yokohama and Tokyo like a normal tourist. Walking and taking public transport. I spent a lot of the time that weekend checking the forecast too. The area was getting hammered by Typhoon after typhoon and it was calling for rain in most places. I had to plan my route to get the best roads on the driest days.

I arrive at the Bike rental place about 20 mins early. I realize this place is a really small business run by an English bloke and a young french kid working for him. It seems disorganized from the start. French kid is alone for some reason and asks me to maybe wander around for an hour while he gets a couple already there sorted. I tell him I got plans and a timeline to keep. Come back in an hour isn't acceptable. Luckily the English bloke shows up and we get started.
"Orientation" is a 5 minute video that covers things like break downs and Toll highways but otherwise very little prep on how to ride in Japan.

While I'm filling out the paperwork I can hear the CB400 turning over outside but not starting. Eventually it catches and starts. When the French Kid comes in I ask him what the deal was and he says it's been sitting a long time and no one rents the CB400. I tell the English guy that this is unacceptable and he ask the french kid why he said that cause it's not true, and the French kid is like "yes it is. It hasn't been ridden in awhile."

...well lets skip that part to the "English GPS" where you cannot enter in the address you would like to go to because it can only be entered into the GPS in Japanese. Again, tell the guys that's pretty ******. French kid programs that nights Hotel into it for me and says it's good to go. (Foreshadowing)

So lets fast forward to riding. CB400 loaded with Side and Top hard bags and a tank bag and a 140lb rider. Handles fine and moves alright when you wind it out. Traffic out of Tokyo is thick and it's 31 degrees out with about 90% humidity so anytime the bike was stopped I'd be dying.
Motorists in Japan seem courteous and calm and I leave the city without issue.

My first stop is 2 hours north to the Twin Ring Motegi racetrack to visit the Honda Collection hall. There was a small fee at the gate and I made my way into the grounds and found some nice convenient parking for the bike.
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Japan is great.


The Honda Collection hall is like a Gear head/Petrol heads dream. It's a car/bike/robot/engine museum with a super classy feel and a slight odor of rubber and oil in the air...and very faint classical music playing in the background. I took tons of pictures but here are some:



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I also got to see a presentation with Asimo the robot! It was amazing. It jumped and hopped and ran around and even kicked a ball at a staff member who caught it.

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I recorded the entire presentation. It was great

So I leave the Museum after having left drool and other bodily fluids on all the rare machines. I set the GPS to my hotel for the night (That the French kid set for me) and the ETA time appears to be the same as what my Iphone said when I had WiFi in the Museum so I go with it. It starts taking me back the way I came. I think maybe it's taking me back to the highway...well when I get on the highway it starts taking me south and I realize this isn't right. I select the location the french guy saved and hit "show map" and it's taking me back to the rental place.

I pull over and set the GPS to take me to the town of Nikko where my hotel is but the exact address I can't punch in cause it's in Japanese. Eventually I pull over and some sweet ladies that speak as much English as I do Japanese punch in the address, that I luckily took a screen shot on my phone, into the GPS. I thank them profusely in English and Japanese and ride through the night to my hotel. There I had a great Japanese dinner and met some locals around the corner that invited me into their BBQ and fed me food and beer till 1am.

Day 1:
 
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Oh yeah! I almost forgot.

Hotel staff asked me to park my bike in the lobby because it "may rain tonight."

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Pretty awesome of them.
 
Day 2: Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture to Iiyama, Nagano Prefecture


I had a great Japanese style breakfast and headed out just before 11am. I hit route 120 right away and rode up the gorgeous Nihon Romantic Highway. Its the Spaghetti like road on the right.

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It splits into 2 separate roads. 1 going east and 1 going west so you now have 2 lanes to pass any slow moving vehicles. The odd thing with the Japanese roads is that they sometimes have these grooves in them which I think is to channel rain. It feels sometimes like a road that has been ground up for new pavement. That and sometimes they have Grippy bump strips on the turns to help with traction and to deter the drifters.
Even still the roads were great.

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At the top is Lake Chuzenji. It was a nice breezy 23 degrees up there and by the lake, with a coffee was just perfect!

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If you look closely on the bench near the left of the picture you can see a giant wasp. They are HUGE in Japan!

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Hotel to the Lake/Coffe Stop:
 
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I made my way west and unfortunately down closer to sea-level and the 30+ degrees of heat and crazy humidity. I eventually stopped again at a 7Eleven in Numata to re-hydrate, cool down in the shade and have an ice cream.
In case you didn't know, the convenience stores in Japan (Or Konbinis) are amazing. They have great food and service. Not like ours here.


After that break I made my way west till I hit 292 and wound my way up it. I had no clue how high it went till I started seeing the shear drops over the edge.


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292 goes over Mt Kusatsu-Shirane which is an active volcano known for having green lakes of sulfur. Most of that stuff was closed off because the Sulfur was too strong and even just riding through it was getting pretty strong at times. Occasionally plumes of steam/sulfur could be seen flowing up into the air and even once at the side of the road. Most of the road near the top had "No stopping/No parking" signs every so often.

After a short break near the summit I made my way west and back down to see level and eventually into Liyama and the Hostel I was staying at. There I enjoyed my new favorite Japanese treat.

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Soooo good.

Day 2 route:
 
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What did you think of the CB400 performance??


The performance? meh. lol

I'm used to my VFR so I wasn't accustomed to having to click down so many gears to pass or to twist the throttle so much.

To be really honest though, ignoring the niggly bits that were probably because it was a rental (i.e. weak and squeak front breaks, lots of rattles and stuff, sometimes it wouldn't start (HISS related I think)), I never once during the trip said to myself "I wish this bike was faster." or "handled better", or "stopped better".

It did seem to have really short gearing though. When cruising at 80-100kph it felt like it needed another gear....and on the highways it was always in vtec so it would go through gas rather quickly for a 400cc bike.

I'd also like some fairings because in traffic when the fan kicked in it would wash the heat all over my legs.

Otherwise I liked it. I think it would make a great bike for everyday use if you didn't have too much highway slabbing to do. It was comfortable too. (for my 5'9" frame anyways)
 
Thanks - always keeping my eye out in Australia where they are still in the line-up....came close a couple years ago to snagging one ....but the KLR keeps me amused and always starts.
 
Great thread, Slowbird. I'm enjoying your posts and pictures. Reminds me of my Japan trip (not motorbiking unfortunately). I loved eating at the 7-11s, the hotdogs were amazing and there were these rice triangles which would fill you up. And the beer vending machines were awesome.

Looking forward to the next post
 
Great thread, Slowbird. I'm enjoying your posts and pictures. Reminds me of my Japan trip (not motorbiking unfortunately). I loved eating at the 7-11s, the hotdogs were amazing and there were these rice triangles which would fill you up.

Onigiri :) Yeah I had a bunch of those too. They're great.

You can get them at the TnT supermarkets here but they're not the same.

...and thanks for enjoying the thread. I'll do my best to post as much as I can.
 
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That bike is cool as ****. The twin shocks make me wonder how old the design is, I know Japan likes to keep models alive for a long time. Also wonder how it compares to a Bandit 400. If it wasn't a popular rental, do you know what *was*?

Also also I am interested in hearing about as much of the food as you are willing to write about.
 
It's still a current machine in Japan and Australia and the retro look is very much in style these days

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Very much in the tradition of the RD400 back in the day.

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The Vtech lets the CB400 punch above its class while staying in learner class. Inline 400 from Honda ...sweet as it comes.
 
That bike is cool as ****. The twin shocks make me wonder how old the design is, I know Japan likes to keep models alive for a long time. Also wonder how it compares to a Bandit 400. If it wasn't a popular rental, do you know what *was*?

Yeah I liked the bike. If they sold it here I'd consider one....though I'd want the Bold'or half fairing version.
It was comfortable and I got used to the upright riding position. Made my VFR feel like a Supersport when I got home. lol

With the rental company I went with, the BMW bikes were more popular (F800R and F800GS) as well as the Yamaha MT-07 and the MT-09 Tracer. The Tracer seemed very popular.
I originally wanted to rent the BMW G650GS but they told me it had overheating issues.

Also also I am interested in hearing about as much of the food as you are willing to write about.

Food huh? Well you're talking to the wrong guy. Though I like to eat I don't eat alot. Especially when I'm touring on a bike. I tend to feel like I'm wasting good weather when I'm sitting inside eating food. (and the Japanese don't eat outside much unless its like a patio)...and by that I mean you don't really see people get food to go and eat sitting on a bench or walking and eating or something.

Basically everything I tried I loved. I'm not a fan of the raw fish here but in Japan it was another world and it just melted in your mouth. I loved it there.

I'll share some of my food stuff for ya Kes ;)

My first "true" Japanese meal was the night of my first day on the bike. I stayed at a Ryokan in Nikko. (Ryokan are traditional Japanese style rooms where you gotta take off your shoes and sleep on the floor etc etc) When I got there I quickly put my stuff in my room and went for dinner. They had this spread waiting for me and everything I tried I remember thinking "Omg this is sooo goddamn good!" :toothy8:

Japanese style dinner:
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Japanese style Breakfast:
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The breakfast was really good as well. I don't usually eat a meal at breakfast....I prefer just a Coffee or a shake in the morning, but this was all really light and it hit the spot.

I rode by a Dennys at one point and though: "I gotta try a Dennys in Japan!" So I turned around and went in. Luckily their menu has lots of pictures.

Japanese Denny's:
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This was a "set" (basically what they call Combos in Japan) Salad with slices of raw fish and a scoop of Potato Salad (I dunnoh). pancakes, which seem to be really popular in Japan, and a Coffee. All for about $6.
It was really good.

This next one was at a Fast food chain. It's a set with Pork Cutlet with shaved radish on top, rice, some seaweed and bean salad, Miso Soup.....again...all really delicious.
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I stopped at a really cool Biker/Car hangout called Mazda something near the Izu Skyline. Inside was a cafeteria like place with a restaurant on the top floor. One of the places on the mainfloor was called the Dammtrax Cafe. I got Fish and chips which were great. Still had the skin on the fish which made it really nice and crispy.
(EDIT: Link to this place: https://www.google.ca/maps/place/MA...d67aec931aaa29!8m2!3d35.1843556!4d139.0490574)

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Here are Octopus Balls from the Konbini:
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Revolving Sushi restaurant:
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Some amazing Soba with Herring and a small bowl of Mochi:
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I was told by many locals that most foreigners say the McDonalds in Japan is better....and they were right.
This is a Teriyaki Burger from McDonalds:
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Also you can get 5 Chicken nuggets instead of Fries in your McDonalds combos in Japan.

Here's some great food I had at an Izakaya.

This is some Pork in a Life changing sauce with egg on top:
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This is Japanese Sanma (like mackerel) stuffed with fish eggs and fried in Tempura. To the right is mushrooms in a garlic butter:
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Are we all hungry now?
 
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*says "you're talking to the wrong guy" then follows up with endless stream of food porn*

Awesome thread, not sure how I missed it until now.
 
Thanks a lot for allowing me/us to eat vicariously through you. I would eat all of that. Also breakfast salads are a thing that I was not previously aware of.

The 2nd and 3rd pictures got me wondering, I don't even have the slightest clue of what those things are. The former looks like pimento on top of a brick butter garnished with jelly beans, and the latter looks like a swiss roll made out of Astro Turf.

Are you taking horse vitamins? The burps you get from those are lethal
 
Thanks a lot for allowing me/us to eat vicariously through you. I would eat all of that. Also breakfast salads are a thing that I was not previously aware of.

The 2nd and 3rd pictures got me wondering, I don't even have the slightest clue of what those things are. The former looks like pimento on top of a brick butter garnished with jelly beans, and the latter looks like a swiss roll made out of Astro Turf.

Are you taking horse vitamins? The burps you get from those are lethal

I'm taking a guess that the 'brick butter' is some sort of chilled tofu/egg tofu with a goji berry on top, and the swiss roll is matcha (green tea) flavour.

I miss Japan. They have such awesome food/people and places to go


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The 2nd and 3rd pictures got me wondering, I don't even have the slightest clue of what those things are. The former looks like pimento on top of a brick butter garnished with jelly beans, and the latter looks like a swiss roll made out of Astro Turf.

Are you taking horse vitamins? The burps you get from those are lethal

lol!! Yeah I was makin sure I was taking Vitamins atleast once a day while I was there.

The pimento on Brick butter is actually Tofu with Tapioca beeds if I remember correctly.

The Swiss Roll was a green tea flavored cake and the white stuff was like a sweet radish or something.
 
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Sorry for the lack of updates. been busy packing for a move.

I uploaded this short video of another motorcycle while I was in Japan.

https://youtu.be/-LEBvoEooAg

I could hear him screaming through the mountains maybe about 2-3mins before he came around the bend near me. Nice sound.
Can someone ID the bike for me please?
 

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