Aside from the engine, componentry plays a pivotal role in characterizing any given motorcycle and is also a tremendous area that separates today’s most expensive motorcycles from more economical, budget-focused bikes. For this reason, you’ll want to explore the suspension parts and braking hardware, along with other more minor but still important elements such as the rear-sets or foot-pegs, the handlebar (or clip-on) setup, lighting, and wheels. It’s also always worth checking on the seat height of any model you’re considering.Ĭomponentry: While a motorcycle’s engine is responsible for making the thing move, a bike’s braking and cornering abilities boil down to the components that it’s equipped with. It’s also worth noting that weight begets more weight, so a bike with a larger engine will also subsequently require a larger (and heavier) frame, bigger brakes, and more robust suspension - making them even heavier. Heavier bikes will afford greater stability - especially at higher speeds - although the added bulk mitigates agility and handling. Size & Weight: The weight and dimensions of a motorcycle will also help give you a better sense of how it rides and performs. Lastly, horsepower and torque figures will also play an enormous role in a motorcycle’s acceleration and top speed. When coupled with a motorcycle’s curb weight (aka its mass when fueled up and ready-to-ride) these power figures give a much better sense of a bike’s raw performance abilities. Power Output: Bore, stroke, number of cylinders, configuration, and a myriad of other elements all come together to determine an engine’s horsepower and torque output. Fortunately, three-quarters of a century of moto research and development has resulted in a contemporary market comprised of motorcycles with unparalleled reliability and solid performance, making it increasingly difficult to find a modern Japanese-made bike with a subpar engine. When exploring engines, you’ll want to be looking at displacement, the number of cylinders and engine configuration, the type of cam setup, the cooling system, the final drive system, and the fuel delivery system. Powertrain: As the heart of a motorcycle, its power plant is of extreme importance. Using your intended use(s) as a jumping-off point, you can then start to narrow down your search by looking at models with traits and features that are conducive to your specific riding application(s). Nonetheless, in order to help you narrow down your search, we’ve put together this condensed guide of the ten most crucial elements to think about when in the market for a new Japanese motorcycle.Ĭlass & Intended Use: Whether buying a new or used motorcycle, your hunt for a new mount should always begin with considering your intended riding application(s), such as whether you plan on using the scoot for daily commuting, long-distance touring, or on and off-road riding. The factors to consider when purchasing a bike made by a Japanese brand are no different from the aspects that one should take into account when buying any type of motorcycle.
The 10 Most Important Areas To Consider When Buying A Japanese Motorcycle
So, with this in mind, we’ve thoroughly pored over all available models from the island’s four main manufacturers (or “Big Four”) to bring you this guide to the best Japanese motorcycles. And this grand tradition of churning out world-class two-wheelers has by no means wained in recent years, with the country unequivocally standing as one of the top producers of scoots on the planet. Since the introduction of the first production Japanese moto model in 1909, the island has produced an enormous number of utterly game-changing motorcycles such as Honda’s CB750 in 1969 and Suzuki’s GSX-R750 in 1985. Having spent the last 75-years with its best and brightest mechanical minds tirelessly working away on developing chassis, suspension setups, and internal combustion engines, Japan is now able to deliver some of the most advanced and cutting-edge motorcycles on the planet, with extreme performance capabilities rivaled only by their almost otherworldly reliability. By the time the ban was lifted in 1951, Japan’s aviation industry was years behind its competitors, prompting the country to double down on its efforts to be a global powerhouse in the road-going vehicles sector. As a result of Japan’s best mechanics and engineers being prohibited from wrenching or working on airplanes, the country’s sharpest minds focused their attention on the automotive and motorcycle realms. This forced seven-year hiatus would coincide with the rise of the jet engine, which allowed other nations to enter the modern age of air travel. Following the island nation’s defeat in the Second World War, Japan - along with the rest of the Axis nations - was banned from researching, developing, designing, or manufacturing aircraft for the better part of a decade.
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