Japanese Custom Motorcycles

Japanese Custom Motorcycles is the first book to show the evolution of the Japanese cruiser in the ‘metric’ custom scene. The growing trend of customising metric bikes into choppers, bobbers, et al – be they high-end bikes, garage-built beauties, or more recent Japanese cruisers – is superbly illustrated with examples from all over the world. Featuring owner’s stories and technical descriptions, Japanese Custom Motorcycles is guaranteed to interest metric bike fans and members of the custom scene alike. From singles, twins, triples, fours, and sixes – see the custom side of Japanese motorcycles.

Everything you need to know to restore or customize your classic Japanese motorcycle. Whether you want to correctly restore a classic Japanese motorcycle or create a modified, custom build, you need the right information about how to perform the mechanical and cosmetic tasks required to get an old, frequently neglected, and often long-unridden machine back in working order. How to Rebuild and Restore Classic Japanese Motorcycles is your thorough, hands-on manual, covering all the mechanical subsystems that make up a motorcycle. From finding a bike to planning your project to dealing with each mechanical system, How to Rebuild and Restore Classic Japanese Motorcycles includes everything you need to know to get your classic back on the road. Japanese motorcycles have been the best-selling bikes in the world since the mid-1960s, driven by the "big four": Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki. Of course certain bikes have always had a following - Honda CB750, 305 Hawk, CB400-4, Benly; Suzuki GT750, Katana, GS1000S; Yamaha XS650, RD400 Daytona, TZ; Kawaski H1, H2, Z1R - and these have now become the blue-chip Japanese bikes leading collectors to seek out more common (and now more affordable) alternatives. This is the perfect book for anyone interested in classic Japanese motorcycles, as well as prepping a bike to build a cafe racer, street tracker, or other custom build.

For decades the crown jewels of Japan's postwar manufacturing industry, motorcycles remain one of Japan's top exports. Japan's Motorcycle Wars assesses the historical development and societal impact of the motorcycle industry, from the influence of motor sports on vehicle sales in the early 1900s to the postwar developments that led to the massive wave of motorization sweeping the Asia-Pacific region today. Jeffrey Alexander brings a wealth of information to light, providing English translations of transcripts, industry publications, and company histories that have until now been available only in Japanese. By exploring the industry as a whole, he reveals that Japan's motorcycle industry was characterized not by communitarian success but by misplaced loyalties, technical disasters, and brutal competition.

When one thinks of Japanese motorcycles, the names of Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki immediately come to mind. However, Japan's motorcycle industry has a colorful history dating back to the early 1900s, and includes a variety of minor manufacturers. This book tells the complete story in a timeline fashion of the Japanese motorcycle industry and all its key players over the years. Topics include the reconstruction after World War II, world expansion in the 1950s and 1960s, the golden age of Grand Prix racing, the boom and bust of the early 1980s, and the superbike revolution. Very well illustrated with everything from racing scenes to studio advertisements, and documented with production figure charts and graphs. The authoritative text is written by two motorcycle industry insiders who convey the history of Japanese motorcycle design while detailing its relationship with Japanese culture. Hdbd., 10 x 10, 192 pgs., 150 b&w and 250 color ill.

This is the definitive guide to identifying, buying and riding Japanese bikes from the 1960s to the early 1990s, concentrating on mainstream, affordable models from the `big four': Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. Fully illustrated in color throughout, the book provides a brief history of the Japanese motorcycle industry, its post-war rise and displacement of traditional British, European and American marques. Specific bikes are then grouped and discussed in detail, providing an essential reference for buyers and enthusiasts alike.

This is the story of the Japanese motorcycle industry which started from scratch after World War II and grew to make most of the motorcycles in existence today. It is told in a decade-by-decade narrative treatment commencing in the early 1950s and running through to the 1990s.

The full story of one of the first Japanese superbikes.

After World War II, the Japanese motorcycle industry sought to improve competitiveness in the export field against entrenched European marques and racing was seen as the obvious way to improve credibility and gain publicity. Walker looks at the men, the machines and the events.