35th Tokyo Motor Show
On the Sports Wing stage, Honda
pointed their spotlights on the "Xaxis"
1OOOcc naked V -twin sport bike created at Honda Research of America,
and previously shown at the Laguna
Seca World Superbike race in July as
well as other venues. Groomsmen on
this side of the stage included the
CBR954RR, which goes on sale in the
home market for the first time in
2002, and the elegant and all-around
VFR. Again, models already seen at
Milan and Paris.
Honda displayed only one new
Japan-only sports bike at Tokyo, an
updated version of the CB400 Super
Four. The little 400 has a revised
VTEC system that switches from twovalve to four-valve-per-cylinder oper(Left) How does a supercharged
Hayabusa sound? The Suzuki B-K1ng
was definitely a head turner at the
recent Tokyo Motor Show.
(Below) Designed for dirt bikers landlocked in the city? Perhaps so.
Anyway, here's the Honda XR250
Supermotard that was on display in
Tokyo.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY TRACY HAGEN
apan's four motorcycle manufacturers attempted to define new
markets for themselves and the
industry at the 35th Tokyo Motor
Show. The manufacturers continue to
face over-capacity and declining
demand issues in the all-important
yet recession-ravaged domestic
Japanese market, and rising political
and economic uncertainty in the rest
of the world. The four major motorcycle makers brought out-of-the-box
ideas to Tokyo in defiance of the
gloomy outlook. Surprisingly, each of
the four manufacturers' new ideas are
on a different side of the box.
HONDA
More than any other manufacturer, Honda recognizes that there are
two types of motorcycle customers:
those who choose motorcycles over
other forms of transportation
because motorcycles are fun to use,
and those who choose motorcycles
over other forms of transportation
because of convenience. One has to
wonder if gender lines correlate with
the two markets; regardless,
Honda's presentation at the Tokyo
Motor Show featured "Sports Wing"
products and "Lifestyle Wing" products - two different markets joined
by Honda's well-known "Wing"
trademark.
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NOVEMBER 14, 2001 •
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