One thing to keep in mind is that the bikes move very quickly, and it was very rare to see the same bike listed for two consecutive weeks. It looks cluttered, but Apex Moto is actually pretty well organized. Having access to this additional resource, as well as the opinion of a licensed mechanic in Japan, really bridged the gap between the fantasy of owning a rare bike in Japan and actually getting one. Nevertheless, they were pointed out and brought to my attention. I was sent pictures from John of minor scratches on the tank that I would have otherwise overlooked given the bikes I was bidding on were at least 10 or even 20 years old.
One thing I appreciated was that nothing was overlooked when it came to the condition of the bike. In some cases, the additional pictures showed a small dent in the tank, in others, there would be a massive hole in one of the fairings. But because Apex was a member of the auctions, they usually had additional pictures and videos to share. In some cases, it was difficult to tell what condition the bike was in based on those two or three pictures. I was sold on the idea and wired Apex the 120,000 yen ($1,440 Cdn.) deposit via PayPal.Įach week, I’d see probably five NSRs that I was interested in, which were usually accompanied by the basics: two or three pictures, a rating of the condition of the body and engine, and the mileage. Browsing the site over the next month, I did a bit of research on Apex Moto and the Internet basically exploded before my eyes with glowing reviews of the business and John’s work. The first step is to set up an account on the auction site that allows you to view all of the motorcycles coming up for auction across Japan each week this is done by Apex Moto as soon as you express an interest in this service. Because of its dealer status, Apex Moto has access to the two largest motorcycle auctions in Japan, BDS and AUCNET, meaning if there’s a rare Japanese bike you are searching for, this is your best chance of finding it. The unique thing about this shop is that it will also assist with licensing and insurance to set you up on the road if you are an expat, or someone like myself who is just visiting but wants to explore the country by motorcycle. Apex Moto works with all brands of motorcycle. The shop, which is run by John Gavin, an Australian native, is located about 120 kilometres from Tokyo in Yamanashi and offers rental and auction agent services. Immediately, I received multiple recommendations to contact Apex Motoin Japan. Ready to give up, I decided to seek wisdom from the Internet and joined a foreign rider group on Reddit to throw the question out there.
#Crazy choppers in japan how to
I had no clue how to bridge the gap between a fantasy and reality - I was thousands of kilometres away in a different time zone. This was starting to feel like a silly idea that was just swallowing up a big chunk of my time. I would find listings for comparable NSRs that varied in price by thousands of dollars and I had no idea why, based on the limited information and pictures that accompanied each listing. Purchasing a bike this way would clearly be difficult to do, though, as I was unable to fully engage in the process. Even so, for the months leading up to my trip, I sought out the NSR250 on the Japanese bike classifieds site GooBike. The original Honda NSR 250 is still a sought-after motorcycle.Īlthough I read and speak some Japanese, communicating with sellers online presented a challenge.
The NSR was sold in Japan for more than 20 years until 2009, and its cult following left me intrigued. Although the maximum output of 45 hp at 9500 rpm was set by Honda to meet Japanese regulations, the NSR is the easiest of the bikes in its class to de-restrict, which has undoubtedly contributed to their popularity. I was pretty influenced by the countless videos and reviews I had read online, with each reviewer gushing about these high revving machines and their impressive power to weight ratio. Of particular interest was the Honda NSR250. Since two-stroke street bikes are largely unavailable in North America, this also may be my only chance to explore for myself what all the long-lived hype is about.
I wanted a bike nimble enough to navigate the infamous Tokyo congestion, but powerful enough to keep me from feeling bored. I really wanted a two-stroke street bike. It began when I started planning to visit Japan, but wanted a motorcycle to ride while I was there. But here I am, neither rich nor crazy, making arrangements to have my new-to-me two-stroke Japanese sport bike shipped home to Canada. YAMANASHI, JAPAN-If you had told me two years ago that you were leaving for Japan to pick up a motorcycle that you purchased from someone on the other side of the world, I would probably think you were either rich or crazy.
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