Tokyo Motorcycle Show

Founded in 1963 after splitting from Honda, KYMCO or Kwang Yang Motor Co, Ltd is a Taiwanese company that manufactures motor scooters, motorcycles, and ATVs for worldwide distribution. Known for its scooters majorly, KYMCO showcased a new breed of electric scooter platform at the recently concluded Tokyo International Motor Show.

Addressing the current issues faced by all electric two-wheelers, KYMCO has launched the Ionex Many EV that goes with their idea of modern support systems that include upgrading the infrastructure and battery management solutions. This eco-system will sustain the possibilities of having swappable battery management solutions that enhance the range and practicality of owning an electric scooter.

This year’s show was interesting in more than the usual, mundane ways, to say the least. First off, Yamaha than Valentino Rossi. Ambitious? You could say that. You could also say outmatched, at least for the time being. Second, the self-balancing technology exhibited in the MOTOROID is worthy of attention and put me in mind of some Nightrider stuff as it responded to commands and physical contact and all that. Then, we have some new electrics on......well, let’s just look at some of the yummy-goodness in the after-show glow.

Continue reading for my look back at TMS.

So after the Tokyo Motor Show opened its doors for what it called “preview day,” with the general public, I hoped you checked out the motorcycle section, specifically, the Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasaki displays. Much to everyone’s delight, Honda had a pair of offerings with a Gold Wing that looks like it just got back from fat camp, and an all-new cafe’-tastic standard that brings a modern interpretation of the popular, and newly repopular, cafe’ racer design. Yamaha unveiled its Niken (literally; “two swords”) that basically turns its FZ-09 into a trike. Not just any old trike either, but a Delta-config trike with dual leaning front wheels that deliver a motorcycle-like ride with twice the traction up front. Kawasaki tops it off with a new Ninja 400 that represents a new era in emissions compliance while pressing for an advantage in the fight to curry favor with the increasingly-important Millennial buyers. Excited yet? You should be. Let’s take a deeper look at these machines and you’ll see why.

Continue reading for more on my picks from the show.

There is no denial in the fact that people will eventually stop filling their vehicles with liquefied dinosaurs and shift to electric. Not because they’ll like it but because there won’t be an option in the future.

So automotive manufacturers have already begun the race to be at the top when that happens, and have kept their workforce busy in spinning out vehicles for that future.

Honda, with a fanbase of 28 million customers all around the world, is just doing that and have showcased their take on this challenge at the ongoing Tokyo Motor Show which includes the Honda PCX Electric, the Honda PCX Hybrid and the Honda Riding Assist-e.

If there was ever any inkling about Honda not making the best looking motorcycles, here is your opportunity for redemption.

Showcased at the ongoing Tokyo International Motor Show, Honda officially unwrapped their brand new concept of the Project NSC (Neo Sport Cafe) which has caught every motorcycle aphrodisiac’s attention ever since it was teased earlier this month in two separate videos.

The Ninja 400 is not a badge you’ll see for the first time on a Kawasaki machine. The Japanese used to make the ‘Ninja 400R’ in 2011 for Asian, Canada and New Zealand markets. But was culled from the showroom floors within a couple of years of its launch.

The news of the new 2018 Ninja 400 has been doing the rounds on the internet ever since a Milwaukee television news broadcast gave us a glimpse of the 399 cc green machines while they were parked on the streets for a commercial shoot. Then, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) documents published indicated that the motorcycle would be coming to US shores soon.

All of this gave us the kicks, and it was only time before it was confirmed. Well, it’s now officially arrived as expected.

There is two-wheeler, and then there is three-wheeler. But Yamaha says that their new motorcycle or whatever the heck it is, is a Leaning Multi-Wheeler (LMW).

A fancy marketing acronym for sure used first at the 2016 Tokyo Motor Show when the brand had put up the leaning three-wheel version of the Yamaha FZ-09 on display.

Launched at the ongoing 45th Tokyo International Motor show, the Japanese brand set the pace with this stunning three-wheeled machine called the Niken (probably formed by the diminution of ‘Ni’ which means ’two’ and ‘Ken’ which means ‘sword’ in Japanese).

It is a three-wheeled motorcycle based on the hugely popular MT-09 platform that gets double the grip on the front and heightened ride stability for carving corners with minimal effort.

From improvements to existing rides to concept bikes that look to be pulled from the pages of a science fiction novel and even a motorcycle-riding robot, this was an exciting year in Tokyo. All the big names were present and accounted for, and it was interesting to see what the major players have in store for us in the foreseeable future. While I am certainly looking forward to having all the specs and pertinent info on hand for some review action, I can scarcely contain myself for the teasers and tidbits we have so far.

Continue reading for my look at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show 2015 motorcycles.

Yamaha has taken the wraps off it new green concept at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. The new concept represents a small step into the future of motorcycles and features a compact design which makes it perfectly suited for riding through the city.

The new sport motorcycle is built on a monocoque frame and is packed with an electric brushless DC smart Power Module motor powered by a set of removable Lithium-ion batteries. The electric motor is paired with an automatic transmission which can be also used as a manual gearbox.

The motorcycle was built with lightness in mind and it weighs less than 100 kg.

Talking about its new concept Yamaha said: “The PES1 electric motorcycle offers both environmental friendliness and sporty performance that conveys Yamaha’s passion for riding. It off ers great drivability and maneuverability sure to please any motorcycle fan thanks to its lightweight design and motor torque control. Slip out on weekend mornings, without waking the family, for a private hour of communion with your electric ride. Eminently quiet motor is guaranteed to deliver you from the din of your everyday life. Future of electric sports bikes is fast approaching.”

Hit the jump for the official video.

Kawasaki revealed a completely new concept at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. Perhaps it goes without saying, that the new concept looks absolutely fabulous. However, apart from its unique design language the new concept also hosts a series of eco-friendly technologies, namely an electric motor powered by a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack.

The most intriguing part of the concept is the fact that is fitted with three wheels which makes it blur the line between motorcycles and four wheelers. Its three wheels configuration give it unique riding abilities and the technology used by Kawasaki to make all wheels work in tandem is pretty similar with the one found at Yamaha’s Tesseract - a hybrid concept presented back in 2007.

Apart from the three wheel configuration the concept is also able to transform according to the rider’s needs. And by “transform” we mean that it can become either short and wide in Comfort Mode or long and narrow in Sport Mode. In this way, you can get maximum performances both in the city and on the open road.

We also get a pretty strange handlebar with separate handles for each hand… so you’ll have to be a pretty good rider to be able to ride one of these.

Hit the jump for more pictures!

As we announced, Suzuki came to the 2009 Tokyo show with a mini version of the Gladius. Called Suzuki Gladius 400, this is simply powered by a smaller, 400cc version of the 650cc V-twin behind the affordable naked Japanese motorcycle currently selling with success in Europe. The new Gladius will also come with ABS and aims at the Japanese market too.

The 2009 Tokyo Motor Show saw Yamaha unveiling no less than five world premieres among which the HV-X Hybrid motorcycle has drawn the most attention for being the modern interpretation of the Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM). This means it offers an upright riding position and relies on a versatile character in order to turn out being everything from a commuter to a canyon carver.

Disposing of a hybrid powerplant working closely together with a scooter-like automatic transmission, the Yamaha HV-X knows a thing or two about fuel efficiency, eco and user-friendliness, while its TMax 500 chassis is the best thing in between a motorcycle and a scooter that Yamaha could pull off. The thing is built like a veritable all-rounder and can work in full-electric and combined gas/electric modes, as shown by the video attached after the jump.

If Yamaha gets positive feedback regarding this model, they might just have it mass produced. So, what do you think about the new Yamaha HV-X Hybrid?

Yamaha has unveiled the Super Ténéré concept yesterday at the Tokyo Motor Show with the most diverse public reactions ever generated by the fact that the concept is nothing more than a mechanical skeletal wrapped up in cloth. It apparently recreates the look of Touareg desert nomads, but it also looks like a very detailed preview of what Yamaha plans on launching next year.

The Yamaha Super Ténéré 1200 production bike will be Japan’s first real opponent for the BMW R 1200 GS and it all comes down to the 1200cc parallel twin engine that will use a 270° crank in the attempt to replicate a V-twin’s firing order. Hmm, this is a lot of stuff indicated by a pair of wheels, some metal tubes and clothes.

Yamaha released five world premieres at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show 2009 on October 21.

This Special Exhibition Model of the SR400 adopts a fuel-injected engine for outstanding environmental performance while maintaining its traditional lightweight, slim and compact design ideal plus the sense of pulse and the styling that have always defined the SR models. Also, a new retro-modern styled meter panel and newly designed side covers and Yamaha emblem add new touches of quality.

EC-f/EC-fs are electric commuter vehicles designed to make motorcycle riding easy and familiar for many people of all ages regardless of riding experience. They feature simplicity of operation that only an electric vehicle can provide, plus futuristic styling. Their ease of use, quietness and smoothness make riding a joy.

The EC-f features a color scheme accentuating its cleanness as a commuter vehicle, while the EC-fs coloring accentuate stylishness.

The FLHTCUSE5 pushes the term "fully loaded" to the edge. From satellite radio and heated handgrips to exclusive custom paint schemes and a 1,801cc Scream in Eagle V-Twin engine, this ride is truly top-of-the-line.

The FXDF2-CVO has its show-stopping style with lavish custom details and adrenaline-pumping performance from a Twincam96 V-Twin engine.

The FXDWG Dyna Wide Glide has got old-school chopper looks with the comfort of a modem ride.

Suzuki released BURGMAN FUEL CELL SCOOTER, GLADIUS400 ABS and BOULEVARD400 as its world premieres at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show 2009 on October 21.

The fuel cell of BURGMAN FUEL CELL SCOOTER is air-cooled and concomitantly light, compact, and structurally simple. A 70MPa hydrogen tank (the highest-pressure tank used on a bike thus far) allows a usable riding range. And the tank is mounted within a robust frame for safety.

The Gladius 400 ABS is a stylish naked bike with a 400cm3 V-twin engine. It features a truss frame that combines rigidity with great looks. And its newly designed V-twin engine delivers plenty of power in a rider-friendly way.

The Boulevard 400 is a performance cruiser with aggressive bikini-cowled looks and a 400cm3 engine. Low, flowing body lines that give an unmistakable sense of performance are combined with inverted front forks and stylish cast wheels. The engine is a narrow-angle (45°), liquid-cooled V-twin with fuel injection.

Honda Motorcycle unveiled eight world premieres at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show 2009 on October 21.

The CB1100 was developed for discriminating adults as a new standard Naked model featuring an aircooled inline four-cylinder engine. "Generosity" was a keyword of this model’s development, and rather than aiming strictly for high-spec performance, its riding feel and eye-catching styling, both at stop and on the move, were also all carefully considered.

The CB1300 BOL D’OR features a more upright riding position and a newly redesigned rear cowl adorned with new left and right side split grab rails. A Combined-ABS version is also available.

The EV-CUB delivers ample power through the electric motors integrated into both its wheels and the batteries mounted in its aluminum frame.

The EVE-neo is an EV concept model designed for business use, such as post and delivery services. Its symbolic design combines a clean, modern New Value image and rugged, reliable styling.

Read the press release after the break.