DirtFlier
Site Supporter
Coyote Chris had a link to a Honda Japan website and he longed to own some of what I'd call the Forbidden Fruit made for the Japanese domestic market.
They have tiered licensing in Japan, with 4 tiers: up to 49 cc, 50 to 125 cc, 126 to 399, and 400 cc and over. All of them have different testing requirements and qualifications. The under-49 is mostly scooters and as I recall getting that license was about as easy as buying a money order from the post office but it gets
increasing stringent from there. The cost for taking a test is minimal but you have to take a day off of work so you can show up at your appointed hour.
The over-400 test starts with you riding your bike to the starting point in a fake town with plywood storefronts - not unlike a Hollywood movie set. At the starting line, the test proctor has you lower your bike to the ground (pad provided), then you are given X-seconds to pick it up using the correct methods. Once you are rolling, another proctor follows you down the course on a scooter. At various points, fake people and cars jump out on mechanical arms and you have to take the correct evasive action. A good pal in Japan rides a 750 so he had the "over 400" license and he bragged to me about how he passed the test in only 7 tries! Apparently the average number of tries is somewhere above 12.
The 250 and 400 bikes are most popular in Japan because of these licensing rules so you see lots of ultra-trick bikes offered by manufacturers at these points. The UK and Europe also have their own form of tiers but it's usually restricted horsepower for the first year or two via something done to the engine or electronic controls.
https://www.michiganautolaw.com/blog/2013/10/11/prevent-supersport-deaths-tiered-motorcycle-licensing/
They have tiered licensing in Japan, with 4 tiers: up to 49 cc, 50 to 125 cc, 126 to 399, and 400 cc and over. All of them have different testing requirements and qualifications. The under-49 is mostly scooters and as I recall getting that license was about as easy as buying a money order from the post office but it gets
increasing stringent from there. The cost for taking a test is minimal but you have to take a day off of work so you can show up at your appointed hour.
The over-400 test starts with you riding your bike to the starting point in a fake town with plywood storefronts - not unlike a Hollywood movie set. At the starting line, the test proctor has you lower your bike to the ground (pad provided), then you are given X-seconds to pick it up using the correct methods. Once you are rolling, another proctor follows you down the course on a scooter. At various points, fake people and cars jump out on mechanical arms and you have to take the correct evasive action. A good pal in Japan rides a 750 so he had the "over 400" license and he bragged to me about how he passed the test in only 7 tries! Apparently the average number of tries is somewhere above 12.
The 250 and 400 bikes are most popular in Japan because of these licensing rules so you see lots of ultra-trick bikes offered by manufacturers at these points. The UK and Europe also have their own form of tiers but it's usually restricted horsepower for the first year or two via something done to the engine or electronic controls.
https://www.michiganautolaw.com/blog/2013/10/11/prevent-supersport-deaths-tiered-motorcycle-licensing/
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