18 Dec - Tokyo Group Ride - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

Hardware · 12-19-2004, 08:58 PM

Five of us from work met up with a Japanese riding group. Had a good ride and grabbed some lunch together. The weather was good, although a little cold in the morning.

Me, hamming it up waiting for the gang;

My ride;

Some nice bikes;

The group:

Hardware · 12-19-2004, 09:01 PM

We stopped at a spot overlooking the end of the runway at Narita airport:

Hardware · 12-19-2004, 09:05 PM

We rode with an all Japanese group which means we had to take group photos at the outset and there were probably 70,000 pictures taken in total. (My camera was packed in the tail of my bike during the group shots...

)

If I get some more pics in from others I'll add them.

NWEng · 12-19-2004, 11:13 PM

I'll be looking forward to seeing your pictures. I was at Yokota from 89-93 and there are things I definately miss: local noodle shop, the gyoza restaurant off the Tachikawa station, Harajuku on the weekends...

Hardware · 12-20-2004, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NWEng

...Harajuku on the weekends...

Well, if you can fit on the sidewalk the crowds are so heavy - a veritable sea of humanity...

...and then there's Roppongi...

**inspiron** · 12-20-2004, 03:28 AM

Looks like you had fun over there, Hardware. It's suprising that they let you get that close to the airport runway ... I think most countries are too concerned about some fanatic launching a SAM or a mortar from the street, so they have obscured the view of the tarmac and make the area directly under the runway a no-stopping zone with lots of police presence.

LayinLo · 12-20-2004, 01:43 PM

Nice pics.....

Hardware · 12-20-2004, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inspiron

Looks like you had fun over there, Hardware. It's suprising that they let you get that close to the airport runway ... I think most countries are too concerned about some fanatic launching a SAM or a mortar from the street, so they have obscured the view of the tarmac and make the area directly under the runway a no-stopping zone with lots of police presence.

I was thinking that. When I showed the pics to my boss, he said the same thing. Then again, we keep hearing, "Well, this is Japan. Nothing ever happens here..."

Hardware · 12-20-2004, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LayinLo_usmc

Nice pics.....

Thanks, Man!

Gixxerdale · 12-20-2004, 10:24 PM

Cool pictures. Lots of riders in jeans? What are the roads like there? Twisties? Freeway speeds? And if you don't mind me asking, where is home?

Hardware · 12-21-2004, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gixxerdale

Cool pictures...

Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gixxerdale

...Lots of riders in jeans?...

Yeah, I guess. I wore my full leathers (am awaiting photos from other people) but many riders wear jeans here. Textile jackets seem to be more popular than leather as well. I was surprised to see the denim and leather chaps on guys riding Ninjas - looked odd to us Gaijins.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gixxerdale

...What are the roads like there? Twisties? Freeway speeds?...

Well, there's a mix. There are lots of awesome twisties with curves so tight they put convex mirrors up in the apex so you can see if anything is coming. You just have to know where to go to find them. Generally roads are in good condition...but Japan is the land of construction. The expressways are usually clogged but bikes are allowed to split lanes. Unfortunately you're not allowed to carry passengers on any of the toll highways so taking a passenger relegates you to stop and go gridlock on surface streets/roads. Coming back from that ride (two of us split away early due to other commitments) we saw speeds of about 170 km/h (for brief periods) - then we caught up to some gridlock and ended up doing 25 - 30 on the shoulder...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gixxerdale

...And if you don't mind me asking, where is home?

I'm a Canuck.

Hardware · 12-29-2004, 07:17 PM

Some more pics from the ride (from other participants):

Me making friends...

The mandatory Japanese group photo

...

On the road...

Me & my sickle...

c50tiger · 12-29-2004, 10:44 PM

Gee.. had to study a minute to pick you out in that group shot

themeatmanlandry · 12-30-2004, 09:23 AM

I bet you could wip their butts at some B-Ball, eh?

Nice shots. It looks warm there, but it can't be too warm this time of year at that latitude, can it?

Nice 'Busa.

(Ummm . . . Buuuuuuuuu-ssssaaaa)

Ride-or-die · 12-30-2004, 02:22 PM

i know this is suzuki but ZX10, me jealous

Hardware · 12-30-2004, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by themeatmanlandry

I bet you could wip their butts at some B-Ball, eh?...

I'm not really into that ("wip"ing that is...

)

Quote:

Originally Posted by themeatmanlandry

...Nice shots. It looks warm there, but it can't be too warm this time of year at that latitude, can it?...

It was fairly nice that day. It was cool starting off in the morning, I left the house at 0630 to make the first rendezvous point - I had on thin poly thermal wear under my leathers and was warm enough but my hands got cold in my thin leather gloves.

It's much colder now - wore the Ballistic suit with thermal liner and fleece sweater to ride to work today (New Years Eve).

Hardware · 12-30-2004, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ride-or-die

i know this is suzuki but ZX10, me jealous

That is one sharp looking bike, isn't it? It's brand spanking new and the guy only has 2000 klicks on it. (Mine only has about 1200....

)

Ride-or-die · 12-31-2004, 11:43 AM

yeah all my mates ride ZXR's was the first bike i ever sat on the zx10r. they are so light aswell

Adrenalin_Junky · 01-03-2005, 05:01 PM

nice piks, looks like you had a blast! You local there?

finch20th · 01-05-2005, 07:37 PM

seeing pictures like that make me realize that i need to travel alot more

12-19-2004, 08:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
Hardware Sprocket Pilot Joined: Sep 2004 Bike: 2004 Hayabusa Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 843	18 Dec - Tokyo Group Ride Five of us from work met up with a Japanese riding group. Had a good ride and grabbed some lunch together. The weather was good, although a little cold in the morning. Me, hamming it up waiting for the gang; My ride; Some nice bikes; The group: __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of dragons...for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

12-19-2004, 09:01 PM	#2 (permalink)
Hardware Sprocket Pilot Joined: Sep 2004 Bike: 2004 Hayabusa Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 843	We stopped at a spot overlooking the end of the runway at Narita airport: __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of dragons...for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

12-19-2004, 09:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
Hardware Sprocket Pilot Joined: Sep 2004 Bike: 2004 Hayabusa Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 843	We rode with an all Japanese group which means we had to take group photos at the outset and there were probably 70,000 pictures taken in total. (My camera was packed in the tail of my bike during the group shots... ) If I get some more pics in from others I'll add them. __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of dragons...for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

12-20-2004, 03:28 AM	#6 (permalink)
inspiron Muscle Biker Joined: Jul 2004 Bike: Blue Suzuki GSX 1400 (2003) Location: Canton Basel-Land, Switzerland (47.4493, 7.76536) Posts: 12,073	Looks like you had fun over there, Hardware. It's suprising that they let you get that close to the airport runway ... I think most countries are too concerned about some fanatic launching a SAM or a mortar from the street, so they have obscured the view of the tarmac and make the area directly under the runway a no-stopping zone with lots of police presence. __________________ There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe blog: gsx1400

12-20-2004, 10:24 PM	#10 (permalink)
Gixxerdale Forensic Bug Splatter Analyst. Joined: Mar 2004 Bike: 02 GSXR 1k Location: The warm and twisty roads of SoCal Posts: 3,028	Cool pictures. Lots of riders in jeans? What are the roads like there? Twisties? Freeway speeds? And if you don't mind me asking, where is home? __________________ Proud Father of a U S Army Soldier... The key to life is to die young...at a very old age... Ride like you own the road...and...someday the road will own you.. My Favorite Ride? Tomorrows!

12-19-2004, 11:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
NWEng In Training Joined: Oct 2004 Bike: 2001 Bandit 600s Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 118	I'll be looking forward to seeing your pictures. I was at Yokota from 89-93 and there are things I definately miss: local noodle shop, the gyoza restaurant off the Tachikawa station, Harajuku on the weekends...

12-20-2004, 01:43 PM	#7 (permalink)
LayinLo Flipper ( Don't Ask ) Joined: Jul 2004 Bike: Crunchy 02 GSX-R 750 Location: Alabama Posts: 3,936	Nice pics.....

12-29-2004, 07:17 PM	#12 (permalink)
Hardware Sprocket Pilot Joined: Sep 2004 Bike: 2004 Hayabusa Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 843	Some more pics from the ride (from other participants): Me making friends... The mandatory Japanese group photo ... On the road... Me & my sickle... __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of dragons...for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

12-29-2004, 10:44 PM	#13 (permalink)
c50tiger Can Ride And Chew Gum Joined: Aug 2004 Bike: 2005 C50 Location: Selma, Alabama Posts: 2,058	Gee.. had to study a minute to pick you out in that group shot __________________ Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable, let's prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all. - Douglas Adams COGITO EGGO SUM: I think, therefore I am... a waffle

12-30-2004, 09:23 AM	#14 (permalink)
themeatmanlandry Happy-ass Lunatic Joined: Dec 2003 Bike: 2002 Bandit 600S (Black); 2006 GSXR750 (Black) Location: Memphis Posts: 11,423	I bet you could wip their butts at some B-Ball, eh? Nice shots. It looks warm there, but it can't be too warm this time of year at that latitude, can it? Nice 'Busa. (Ummm . . . Buuuuuuuuu-ssssaaaa) __________________ Go to hell

12-30-2004, 02:22 PM	#15 (permalink)
Ride-or-die Petrol Taster Joined: Oct 2004 Bike: 2000 GSXR-600 Location: ESSEX, England Posts: 751	i know this is suzuki but ZX10, me jealous __________________ Both knees are good friends with Mr Road. they play everyday!!

12-31-2004, 11:43 AM	#18 (permalink)
Ride-or-die Petrol Taster Joined: Oct 2004 Bike: 2000 GSXR-600 Location: ESSEX, England Posts: 751	yeah all my mates ride ZXR's was the first bike i ever sat on the zx10r. they are so light aswell __________________ Both knees are good friends with Mr Road. they play everyday!!

01-03-2005, 05:01 PM	#19 (permalink)
Adrenalin_Junky Wants Better Weather Joined: Oct 2004 Bike: 2002 GSXR-750 Location: Langley,Canada Posts: 661	nice piks, looks like you had a blast! You local there? __________________ "Life without Danger and the Need for Adrenalin...is a waste of Oxygen"

01-05-2005, 07:37 PM	#20 (permalink)
finch20th Baiting for a Banning!!!!!! Joined: Jan 2005 Bike: 2005 Gsxr 600 20th Anniversary Edition Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 1,107	seeing pictures like that make me realize that i need to travel alot more __________________ Wisconsin Winters Suck! Miles to date on the 600: 2263.2 #4803!!! The Proud New Owner Of A 2005 Suzuki Gsx-R 600 20th Anniversary Edition!!!

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