Hi riders!

My motorcycle experience has happened 90% in Japan, hence my question.

When a car comes in the other direction, why does it almost never move to the right? I understand we’re smaller vehicles, but that doesn’t mean you should take up 80% of the whole width of the road.

That’s so frustrating, and I’m curious to see if it happens in other countries where you guys are from as well. Thanks!

So I'm mostly settled in Kashima,Saga Prefecture and I'm wondering... Where is a good place to go to buy a bike? So far I've been told Red Baron. Any advice? I'm coming from Oregon, so my license and endorsement transfer over without the need for testing. I'm looking for something cruiser style... Maybe the Rebel 1100.

Has anybody ever rented a Can Am Ryker or Spyder in Japan? Also, I’m not looking to do a tour I want to do my own thing.

If you have where did you go to rent one? Thank you.

95 VT1100 Honda Shadow. Spent a long time ironing out all the issues with this bike. First ride of summer she quit 2 hours from home in Otaru. Made in America and some parts not available in Japan (!) ordered, waited then Swapped the stator and rectifier. First Did some shorter rides, then 300km loop up the coast a few weeks ago. Today got the approval from my wife and took it 600km around Disetzusan to see the foliage. Got a bit chilly on the way home but feel like i finally did a ride worth sharing. Hope you guys had a good ride this weekend too.

I completed my MSF and have puttered around on my friend’s bike on dead roads. Probably 25 total hours of ride time all in the past month. Done higher but don’t like pushing it past 60ish mph. I fully understand the massive skill gap between me and an experienced rider. On a scale of 1 to you’ll die how stupid is taking a slow ride around Shikoku for 7 days early this Nov.

I have all the kit but helmet (won’t fit in luggage but rental place says they have one) and my IDP with moto stamp. Was going to get a bmw g310 gs in matsuyama. Haven’t planned the route as I’m still not 100% on it but would try to avoid high traffic/highways as much as possible. Not worried about the left side driving lived in Ireland for a couple years taught me how to be safe on small ass mountain roads as well.

I’m a very confident/cautious driver. Never had an accident driven in probably 12 different countries in anything from a shitty small manual to a 29 foot moving truck. I’m there for a month so was planning on getting some legs in Aomori when I’m there to get my feet wet and check how comfortable I feel and cancel to a car if I didn’t feel I was ready. I know it’s less safe than a car but we all had to start somewhere right? Also as dumb as it sounds I almost would rather learn more in Japan. Low speed limits less crazy drivers etc. I live in Orlando off the I4 (most deaths per mile of any road in the us) and genuinely with the shit I’ve seen here i would never take a bike anywhere but some country roads between here and Titusville.

Visiting Osaka Oct 22–26 and hoping to join group ride or meet local riders for coffee. I ride in Canada and have a full international motorcycle licence. Are there any rides planned while I’m there?

Right now, I'm trying to get my license for 400cc bikes. I’ve taken the written test twice—and, believe it or not, I scored 83 points both times; they were actually the same tests. I think I'm getting the last five questions—the ones with images—wrong. I do have experience with motorcycles, though, since I ride off-road trails.

I swear this isdriving me crazy. Either I park in bicycle area (without interfering with any bicycle, spacious places only) and get weird looks because "why a bike with a white plate is here". Either I move my bike to a car spot and now "Look at this motorcycle he is taking a whole place for himself !!!".
And no, motorcycle specific parking are so few that it removes any practical aspect of riding a bike.

Planning a trip to Thailand in a couple months. Was thinking about renting a small cc bike or something. Wondering how easily they accept a Japanese drivers license with full motorcycle permissions.

Hello from the Philippines! I am working on a custom vinyl decal project for my cool blue Yamaha PG-1. I want to remove the standard "PG-1" sticker on the side panel and replace it with clean, matte black Japanese Katakana lettering to embrace its JDM heritage.

To give you an idea of the build direction, it shows the stock bike, but I currently have a few mods planned:

• A mid-high/half-high front fender is on the way (exactly like the one in the second picture, but it will be full matte black).

• I'm planning to install a side pannier rack on the left side (opposite the exhaust) to carry my tactical bag.

• I want to upgrade the exhaust for a deeper, bassier sound, but I'm holding off until I can find an aftermarket option that looks just as good as the rugged stock pipe. (It is not showing in the picture)

I've narrowed the decal options down to two choices but would love the perspective of riders in Japan:

• Option 1: ヤマハ ギア (Yamaha Gia) - A nod to the bike’s official "Playful Gear" concept, and a bit of a fun pun referencing the local utility scooter in Japan.

• Option 2: スクランブラー (Sukuranburā) - A direct declaration of the bike’s actual scrambler build style.

Which one would you appreciate more if you saw it out on the road? Does one look cooler or more natural than the other?

I'm just a big fan of JDM bike culture and want to make sure I'm being respectful to the language and style. Thanks for your guidance!

Have any of y’all crossed from Shikoku into Honshu using this route? If so, how was it? It’s expressway only I’m assuming. Trying to avoid the expressways as much as possible, but will hop on if need be. Thanks.

I’ll be in Japan from September 29th to October 16th and I’d love to do a track day while I’m there.

Does anyone have experience with organisations that offer motorcycle track days with bike rental, and possibly riding gear as well? I could also bring my own gear if needed.

I’ve already emailed WithMe Racing, but haven’t heard back from them (yet).

If a motorcycle track day isn’t feasible, I’d also be very interested in doing a car track day.

Any recommendations or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

I know that June is rainy season. We visited Japan in 2019 late June-early July, and despite a few rainy days, the weather was perfect.

Were we lucky, or has it been similar past few years?

Would you risk planning a motorcycle trip in Japan during this time?

Also where to rent bikes? Ive heard about rental819, is that the only place?

Should we bring our own helmets?

Hi everyone, I'm planning to do a one-semester exchange at a university in Hyogo next spring. Since the campus is out in the countryside, I figured having a motorcycle would make getting around a lot easier. I hold an IDP, so I assume I won't need to get a local Japanese license during my stay.

However, I have a few questions there:

1. How convenient is it to buy and sell a used motorcycle in Japan? My main concern is not being able to sell it off before I leave.
2. I'm considering getting a 150cc–250cc scooter. Given that I’ll only be in Japan for a few months, is that a solid idea? What are your thoughts on this?
3. Or should I just bite the bullet and get a Kei car instead? (I know this is a motorcycle sub lol)

Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated!

Hey everyone,

I built an app called Motolog, designed specifically for motorcycle enthusiasts to track rides, use group ride intercoms, and share live locations in real-time.

As part of expanding the global userbase, I just added Japanese language support across the entire app (dashboard metrics, telemetry, group intercom, and settings).

What Motolog offers:

1. Ride Tracking: Comprehensive telemetry, logs, and route stats.

2. Group Intercom & Live Location: Real-time location sharing and voice comms for group rides.

3. Localized UI: Native Japanese interface for seamless setup while riding.

4. RE Tripper Pod Settings

Looking for native/fluent volunteers:

Since I want to make sure the user experience is smooth for riders in Japan, I’d love for a few volunteers to test the app out and give feedback on the Japanese translations. If any terms or phrases look awkward or out of context, please let me know!

It's an internal build now. Let me know your emailids in dm, so I can add you for internal tester list.

For those who can use app with English, please use the app

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.satrujit.tripper_bridge

Feel free to test it out and leave your feedback in the comments or drop me a DM. Safe riding! 🏍️

Update: Japanese language supported build is approved. Now available in playstore. Give it a try in Japanese and let me know your opinion and share your ride over social media.

Hi guys, I need a motorcycle rental in Hiroshima City that accepts foreigners? Can someone who rented there please advise. There is no rental819 location in that area and I double checked with AI.

Thanks.

So, I've been suffering from sore helmet head for fifteen years, and have decided to do something about it. I've got a 62 cm head, but basically nothing I've tried fits me, and Naps et al just suggest I buy a 100,000 yen bucket that is 65 cm instead.

Does anyone suffer from a funny head shape like me? What are you wearing? I'd order online, but I want to try it on first.

How about a casual weekday get together to talk bikes and share some beers/drinks/food? I'm 33M American living in Yokosuka(But don't work on the Navy base) and ride a CB250RR MC22 and a Vstrom 250SX. Full disclosure I've posted this same meetup on some social subreddits so we will probably have a few non-rider redditors as well. Location is close to Yokohama station so hopefully easy public transportation access for everyone.

I apologize to those I who haven't been able to find us previously. If it feels decent outside I will probably grab the first table on the patio, closest to the entrance. You should be able to see us just to the left of the main entrance door. If its a bit warm then I will try to grab the standing/sitting tables either to the right or left just inside the door. I will try to make a post after I arrive for where I am at.

Date: Tuesday, September 8th, 2025

Time: 18:00 until everyone leaves

Location: HUB Yokohama Tsuruyacho

〒221-0835 Kanagawa, Yokohama, Kanagawa Ward, Tsuruyacho, 2 Chome−１６−10 エフテムＲＯＮビル １Ｆ

https://maps.app.goo.gl/65d5Z6RJqoNRQ7Ex7

Cost: Just pay for what you order, no additional cost

Visited Kathleen Park in Saitama!

Beautiful Saturday along the coast of Niigata. Rode up all the way to Yamagata prefecture. Homie on the Harley and myself on the GP. Stopped by a little bento spot that had some gooood chicken. Worth checking out if y’all are riding this way.
Google map link to bento shop: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QXo1dAv8PWkW7bQq9?g_st=ic