Japan by Motorcycle

[Japholic]

Ok so i got this idea. Next year i would like to travel to every goddamn corner of this country on a 2006 Kawasaki ZX-6R motorcycle. What are the options of renting such racebike in Japan? And if it's not possible can i ship it there? If i want to spend one month on this trip would a budget of $17.000 USD be enough for dining, lodging and general things like petrol and entrance fees to various places and whatever costs money.

The only requirement for me would be that it has to be a newer model racebike as it is the only type of bikes i enjoy riding.

 

[nice gaijin]

I don't know about the availability of race bikes for rent in Japan (though I doubt 18 is old enough to get one), but I believe there are very high tolls just for driving on the freeway. I'd expect it's less for a motorcycle, but if you wish to explore every corner of Japan, 17,000 might not be enough to cover everything.

 

[Japholic]

I don't know about the availability of race bikes for rent in Japan (though I doubt 18 is old enough to get one), but I believe there are very high tolls just for driving on the freeway. I'd expect it's less for a motorcycle, but if you wish to explore every corner of Japan, 17,000 might not be enough to cover everything.

well not every corner, but zigzag driving from one end to another and back. I do have a motorcycle drivers license, although a racebike like that has to be limited to a certain bhp which is a fairly easy process then it is legal to drive.

 

[nice gaijin]

Are you certain that your license is valid in Japan, or have you looked into getting a license there or an international license to cover you for your time there? Have you actually looked into any rental companies, or is this just a fleeting fancy at this point?

 

[Mike Cash]

I believe there are very high tolls just for driving on the freeway. I'd expect it's less for a motorcycle,

J-Google is our friend and frees us from needless conjecture:

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[nice gaijin]

Ahh Mike, I was hoping you would come along, but with something more than pointing out how lazy I am!

http://www9.plala.or.jp/hiyotrio/newpage017.htm the second table with the purple header says that motorcycles (ﾅ馳ﾅｽﾂｩ窶慊ｮﾅｽﾃ? pay 80% of a normal car's tolls. Also be aware that the tolls vary depending on where you are. What's your take on this, Mike? I'd like hear from someone so familiar with Japan's roadways.

 

[RockLee]

I doubt you'd be able to drive a car there, let alone a bike ! 18 ain't old enough to drive such a bike anyways. I think 20-21 is the legal age? I guess you can go back to dreaming ☝

 

[Japholic]

umm i read about this guy who did it so i guess it is possible? any motorcycle can be drivin on when you are under 21 as long as it is limited in bhp. But i mean you can go to the US with a drivers license from the european union and drive around but you need a special license for Japan`? i doubt it. Anywho it's just an idea for now and i wanted to know what the estimated cost of one month travelling from place to place would cost. And what you should expect to pay for renting a motorcycle for a month..
btw that specific kawa bike also has a factory limited version for under 21 people so it is very possible to drive such thing.
but i mean don't tourists rent vehicles in Japan? or do they just go by foot/bus/train/subway?

 

[RockLee]

Last time I checked Japan wasn't the same as America They also drive on the other side of the road. I think MikeCash or others could give you more info on it.

 

[Mike Cash]

Ahh Mike, I was hoping you would come along, but with something more than pointing out how lazy I am!

I did. I provided a link to toll charges.

Also be aware that the tolls vary depending on where you are.

Hence the link....

What's your take on this, Mike? I'd like hear from someone so familiar with Japan's roadways.

I would also love to tour Japan by motorcycle. I wouldn't want to make much use of the toll roads, but that's just my personal preference and nothing to do with the pros or cons of the expressways themselves.

 

[Mike Cash]

I doubt you'd be able to drive a car there, let alone a bike !

Why do you doubt he'd be able to drive a car here?

18 ain't old enough to drive such a bike anyways. I think 20-21 is the legal age?

Once again, J-Google frees us from needless conjecture:

教習所のエリア別検索サイト！運転免許＆教習所ガイド

18 is fine.

I guess you can go back to dreaming ☝

Based on inaccurate conjecture?

 

[Mike Cash]

From this shop: http://www.msl-japan.com/rental/rental.html

the ZX-6R is 21,000 yen for two days (and one night, of course) and 9,450 yen for each additional day. That works out to just under 290,000 for one month's rental.

Personally, I'd go for buying a smaller, used bike and then selling it for whatever I could get for it at the end of the trip. There are dealers who specialize in purchasing used vehicles (some which do only bikes), so getting rid of a bike shouldn't be a problem. You just won't be in much of a position to haggle over price. But you should be able to recoup a large portion of what you paid for it. At any rate, it would be better than a 290,000 payout with zero return on it.

 

[Japholic]

thanks cash, just what i needed to know. Now I have an estimate of how much I have to spend. I'm not into getting a smaller bike and I will be getting that kawa.. $2500 USD and about $300 for a kit to make it legal is fine. I dont really enjoy the cheaper/smaller bikes they are boring and possibly dangerous for me and if i buy and end up with a bike that will cause problems it will cost. Also if i crash or anything it will cost again. Rentals are insured and they will replace it if there's a problem with it. if the money is tight it might only be 3 weeks.

 

[RockLee]

Why do you doubt he'd be able to drive a car here?

Mere speculation Watson, guess I was wrong!

I found this too: Driving a car

Japan has concluded agreements with more than twenty countries to ease the process of converting a valid foreign driving license into a Japanese one. Among these countries are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

If you hold a valid driving license from one of these countries, you can get a Japanese license without taking a written or practical exam. All you need to do is go to the local license center with an official translation of your license, take an eye test and prove that, after obtaining your license, you have lived at least three months in the country where your license had been issued.

If you have a driving license from a country, which has not concluded an agreement with Japan yet, such as the United States, China or Brazil, you will have to take a written and practical exam in order to obtain a Japanese driving license, a process which typically takes several attempts even in case of experienced drivers.

Is that true? Are American drivers that bad?

Once again, J-Google frees us from needless conjecture:
教習所のエリア別検索サイト！運転免許＆教習所ガイド
18 is fine.

I know 18 is old enough, but under a certain bhp as Japholic pointed out. Oh well, I learned something new again today

I dont really enjoy the cheaper/smaller bikes they are boring and possibly dangerous for me

How the hell can they be possibly dangerous?? They have less hp and less speed than the other ones. Why do you think they let you drive those things from age 21 anyways

 

[Mike Cash]

Is that true? Are American drivers that bad?

The source of the problem is that there is no such thing as an "American driver's license". Licenses are issued by the individual states. There would need to be individual reciprocity agreements between Japan and each of the states. That has yet to happen, hence the different treatment.

I know 18 is old enough, but under a certain bhp as Japholic pointed out.

In Japan bhp has nothing to do with it. License classes are based strictly upon engine displacement. In Japan, that 600cc bike he wants to ride is considered a "large" bike and he will need an unrestricted license to ride it.

Whether he is able to ride the bike in Japan or not is going to revolve around the specific stipulations on his international driver's license. Those things can be odd. He may find that the IDL enables him to drive things that his normal license class doesn't actually cover. For example: When I got one many years ago, I found that my having a large truck and tractor-trailer license in Japan actually qualified me on the IDL for driving buses and taxis. Interesting, since those are different license categories in Japan and I have neither of those licenses.

 

[RockLee]

Thanks for the info Mike! Learned something new again

 

[Mike Cash]

I have a question for the OP:

Have you considered the amount of stuff you're going to pack onto this "racebike", how you're going to secure it, and how that will affect the handling?

If you have (or have access to) a bike like the one you want to use in Japan where you are, you might want to consider a dry run with packing, securing, and riding. It would be awful if you got here and only then suddenly discovered either a logistical impracticality or that the baggage adversely affected handling to the point that you were unable to fully enjoy the ride in the way you envisioned it.

 

[yamada]

motorbikes sound both over 250cc motorbike and 50cc mini motorbike. Japan traffic law bans 50cc motorbike to run at an over 30km/h.

 

[Mike Cash]

motorbikes sound both over 250cc motorbike and 50cc mini motorbike. Japan traffic law bans 50cc motorbike to run at an over 30km/h.

I don't think the OP would be caught dead on a 50cc bike.

 

[RockLee]

Well, I was thinking about that too Mike. A racebike + carriage...If you'd have to pack all that stuff in a backpack I think you'd have a major backache in no time.

And another thing was on my mind, namely "Can you speak/read Japanese?" :?

 

[DoctorP]

Well, aside from carrying gear...his body would be worn out after a few long days anyway. Those bikes aren't made for touring. The shocks, gear ratios, all would contribute to a major bodyache after say day 4??? But it is what he wants to do.

I personally would try to find a nice touring bike, say a silver or gold wing, or a BMW. It would make for a much nicer trip.

 

[RockLee]

Also, he couldn't race with it anyways So why need a racebike in the first place :?

 

[Japholic]

yeah I figured carrying stuff would be a problem. But I can easily pack one week worth of clothes in a backpack and wear it comfortably.. cloth and toothbrush is all you really need. The rest I can always buy along the way and they sell clothes everywhere so if I run out it can be bought. I dont really get why say you can't ride a racebike comfortably? And I do believe it is a load of crock to say you would get major bodyache?? I drive these things every day for a couple of hours and I have drivin a long period of time with no such thing happening. I mean you ride for a few hours and stay somewhere for a few days then ride to the next place.. it's not like im going to be riding this for 24hours 30days straight

You basically sit the same way on a touring bike as you do with a racebike.. they even look the same the only difference is the power.

and yes it is true that the kawa is a 600cc bike and considered a "large" bike which you need a large license for. But the "large" is define in bhp/weight ratio and they can be limited so they are nolonger defined "large" but "small" which means it can be drivin with a license for small bikes.

again i have seen people tour all over europe for weeks and then come back on these.. And europe is a shitload bigger than Japan.
what i ment by saying it would be dangerous for me was that I am not used to riding crappy bikes.

 

[DoctorP]

You basically sit the same way on a touring bike as you do with a racebike.. they even look the same the only difference is the power.

No, you sit leaning more forward on a race bike, putting more strain/pressure on your lower back and legs. It will wear on you over time...I've ridden enough to know that. I had my first bike at age 6 and have ridden all styles...you may not notice it at first, but it will show over time. It is the same as driving a 400 vs. a 1000. The vibration from the 400 driving at highway speeds will really make a difference compared to the 1000!

But by all means, this is your trip, I really wasn't trying to talk you out of it, but more offering my perspective.

 

[Japholic]

by all means, this is your trip, I really wasn't trying to talk you out of it, but more offering my perspective.

umm.. maybe you're right, think ill consider getting a Suzuki SV650S K4,K5,K6.. thats a pretty comfortable touring bike and it's not too powerful. And it still has that race look.