Hello from Japan

Hi guys. I live in Japan, about an hour or so south of Hiroshima. I've owned 3 motorcycles and 2 (50cc) scooters.
I'm now looking into the 250cc Honda Silver Wing scooters. My hobbies are cycling, scootering around the countryside (if we can post pictures, I'll post some), play some guitar, and I enjoy and actually do gorrilla camping and fishing.

Nice to meet you all.


I'll ask questions about the Silverwing that I'm looking at on the forum.

Hi biker and welcome to the best SWing site on the net. Lots of info here with lots of people ready and willing to help.

I have an 08 SWing that I really like.

Dale N. wrote:

Hi biker and welcome to the best SWing site on the net. Lots of info here with lots of people ready and willing to help.

I have an 08 SWing that I really like.

Hi Dale, nice to meet you. I'm a few years younger then you, and well, I do have a 50 cc scooter at the moment, a Suzuki palette. Its the kind you see in the kungfu movies of the seventys. Fun to ride, but now I have my eyes looking at the Silverwing 250. I'm only 5 foot 3 inches and the bike seems a bit big for me, so its all still up in the air. But I thought I'd join this fine forum and do some reading and posting.

Again, nice to meet you.


George

Hi Biker, Welcome to the forum.
I'm also 5' 3" and have a 600 SWing. It is heavy but nicely balanced with a low seat height so I find easy to ride but it is heavy when it comes to pushing it around.
I know there is a 400 version but I didn't know that there was a 250 - is that a Japanese only model?

JB

Jolly Bodger wrote:

Hi Biker, Welcome to the forum.
I'm also 5' 3" and have a 600 SWing. It is heavy but nicely balanced with a low seat height so I find easy to ride but it is heavy when it comes to pushing it around.
I know there is a 400 version but I didn't know that there was a 250 - is that a Japanese only model?

JB

Hi Jolly
Wow! A 600 SWing, you must still be pumping iron. LOL What I like about the bike is, its storage area, but for me it just looks big. I haven't bought the bike yet, but today I just got back from the shop and told him I'd buy it under a few conditions. I bought my Suzuki scooter from him and I store it at his shop, so basically I made a commitment to buy it. I'll post more about it soon.
The 250 is more then likely a Japanese model and the reason is that it is actually a 249cc , they make it that way for the inspection. 250cc and over require an inspection and they are required by law. It's not cheap as I understand it. So yes, it probably is just a Japanese model.

And thank you for the kind welcome.

George

Hello Biker. Thank you for your introduction. Welcome to the forum.

While, as Jolly Bodger mentioned, we were unaware of a Silverwing 250, we are looking forward to seeing pictures of your new scooter. I trust that it is not a traditional (heavy) Silverwing 400/600 scooter with 250cc engine in place of the larger engine.

I am sure that you will enjoy your new ride. Please tell us more about your new Silverwing after you have had time to enjoy it more.

Tim

Cosmic_Jumper wrote:

Hello Biker. Thank you for your introduction. Welcome to the forum.

While, as Jolly Bodger mentioned, we were unaware of a Silverwing 250, we are looking forward to seeing pictures of your new scooter. I trust that it is not a traditional (heavy) Silverwing 400/600 scooter with 250cc engine in place of the larger engine.

I am sure that you will enjoy your new ride. Please tell us more about your new Silverwing after you have had time to enjoy it more.

Tim

Hello Tim, from an American half way around the world.  As I mentioned I'm looking into one, actually today, the owner and I agreed upon a transaction. So he took the for sale sign off and put my name on it.

The Japanese model Siverwing has been a standard here for some time.  This is a used model as a standard 249cc Honda scooter. These are not too small in design, actually for my size, I find it a tad big.  I'll have pictures of it soon.  I'll have many questions about this type of scooter. I've recently purchased my 50cc Suzuki from him in April and all his used bikes are in top condition, well, I would think so anyway and his prices seem to be very reasonable, but the used market here has tons of used bikes. The 250 cc scooter don't really have much resale value , but the 250 cc used motorcycles are really expensive here since we don't have to have an expensive inspection of them, over 250cc yes, inspection (govt) is required.  
I'll update you more soon.

The asking price is about $1600 USD. It comes with the ETC machine (toll booth auto pay). The bike looks like it has been in garage storage which is rare since Japanese really do not have garages, me included.

Again, thank you for the kind welcome.

George  

Welcome from o-HI-o biker.

oldwingguy wrote:

Welcome from o-HI-o biker.

Hello o-Hi-o and thank you for the kind welcome.

I grew up west of you. Perhaps you know the "Quad cities". Illinois.


Best regards,

George

I lived/worked in Japan almost 25 years----90-93 I was safety manager at MCAS Iwakuni, near you.
Bought my first Helix there (Fusion) 1990.

250 is wonderful class in Japan---no inspection, but fast enough for all traffic conditions.

john grinsel wrote:

I lived/worked in Japan almost 25 years----90-93 I was safety manager at MCAS Iwakuni, near you.
Bought my first Helix there (Fusion) 1990.

250 is wonderful class in Japan---no inspection, but fast enough for all traffic conditions.  

Hi John
I was at Iwakuni this spring for the Friendship Day. Maybe I'll post some pictures in the future. It's good thing that we don't have to have the しゃけん. I do believe for my needs the 250 cc will suit me fine. You've probably been to Akiyoshidai (the winding road) a million times. I go out there on my 50cc scooter at the moment and chat with many of guys. They like the idea that they get to speak a little English.
So do you think $1600 is a fair price for it. Seems to be in mint condition. Currently I'm working on getting my chuugata license. I'll just keep going to Ogori till I pass the test. Driving school here now cost about 1400 bucks. Of course, with that you don't have to take the course test at the DMV in Ogori, but I'm just going to take the course test till I pass it, most people take it about 6 times before passing. LOL But it is a heck of a lot cheaper that way.
By the way I was stationed at Kadena and Yokota Air Base.

I spent 27 months at Naha AB, and between Fuchu AS and Yokota AB 12-15 years. I like the food in Japan.

Welcome biker! I just have to ask, what is gorilla camping? My father was stationed at Kadena back in the mid-fifties I was just a kid then but have fond memories of Okinawa. I really remember the day we had 36" of rain in 24 hours. Not to mention a couple of typhoons. I do miss swimming in the East China sea at Ishikawa. The water was so warm and clear.

john grinsel wrote:

I spent 27 months at Naha AB, and between Fuchu AS and Yokota AB 12-15 years.  I like the food in Japan.

Hi John
I first came here I think in 74 and then came back in 93 and have been here since. Japan has changed a lot since 74. But still a nice place to live. At my age now, I don't know how it will be on the health and medical side though to live here. I live in a medical university town (Ube) and taught at the university, so I also experience the health care system , which I have found to be very good.
I, too like the Japanese food, but you can't beat Okinawan fried rice. Need to get back to Okinawa and have some fried rice. LOL


George

Hi Yo wrote:

               

Hello "Hi Yo" and thank you very much for the welcome.  Ah, I see you are in Texas. Oh, my days at Lackland AFB brings back some fond memories.  :lol!:



Best regards,

George  

exavid wrote:

Welcome biker! I just have to ask, what is gorilla camping? My father was stationed at Kadena back in the mid-fifties I was just a kid then but have fond memories of Okinawa. I really remember the day we had 36" of rain in 24 hours. Not to mention a couple of typhoons. I do miss swimming in the East China sea at Ishikawa. The water was so warm and clear.

Good morning exavid   (Japan time here)

Thank you kindly for the welcome.  Gorilla camping is where us bikers just pull over on country roads and camp near or in open spaces for the evening. Very popular among bikers, both foreigners and the Japanese. For the Japanese, they have their favorite places and at times you'll run into 100's of bikers, mainly from Tokyo and Osaka.
I, too, miss Okinawa. There was a street call "BC street". It had a live band night club there. I got  know some of the musicians there. And years later one of the bands "Condition Green" performed at the Whisky A Go Go on Sunset Blvd. Los Angles. I got see them that night and once again had a beer with them.  I remember we had several typhoons and the planes were flown to Taiwan.  Yes, the Okinawan waters are still beautiful.  Would you believe now they have several resort hotels on the island and rooms can run as high as ￥４００００ a night.  Times sure have changed for Okinawa.  I really want to live out my retirement in Okinawa, but now for foreigners, the rentals are expensive because the military personal makes darn good money these days.

Warm regards,

George  

I've seen pictures of Okinawa now and it's amazing. But then I lived there about eight years after the war, lots of reconstruction going on and the people pretty poor. Still had open sewers in the middle of village streets being hauled away during the night with green painted two wheel carts. Shimabuku village was just ouside the gate and we got the serenade from the village movie house. They played the soundtracks on outside speakers (very loudly) as an advertisement.

At my age though I'll stay here in Southern Oregon. The semi-tropic climate there was pretty warm and damp. You couln't get dry after a shower due to sweating. I suppose nowadays AC is pretty common but back then the dependents housing didn't have it. It is a beautiful place if it's not completely overbuilt now.

exavid wrote:

I've seen pictures of Okinawa now and it's amazing. But then I lived there about eight years after the war, lots of reconstruction going on and the people pretty poor. Still had open sewers in the middle of village streets being hauled away during the night with green painted two wheel carts. Shimabuku village was just ouside the gate and we got the serenade from the village movie house. They played the soundtracks on outside speakers (very loudly) as an advertisement.

At my age though I'll stay here in Southern Oregon. The semi-tropic climate there was pretty warm and damp. You couln't get dry after a shower due to sweating. I suppose nowadays AC is pretty common but back then the dependents housing didn't have it. It is a beautiful place if it's not completely overbuilt now.

When I was there in 74, them "bungi ditches" as we called them. (raw sewage) were still common. In the evening you could smell piss everywhere. I bought a 125 Honda at the time and travel all around Okinawa. I like the weather there or I did like the weather there. Here where we live, the summer are too short, fall is overnight and winters are long, yet mild and springtime also last, but I 'm kind of lost for words what to call between springtime and the beginning of summer. Something is really weird about the climate these days. It's changed here over the last 25 years. Used to hot, humid and always sweating in May, now we may still have the winter kerosene heater on at times during the month.

George

Biker, Quad cities, yes we have ridden through that area.
Gorilla camping, I tried that once, way back before the new light weight compact gear was around, we just called it " there's a spot "

Weather<> It's changed here over the last 25 years. Used to hot, humid and always sweating in May, now we may still have the winter kerosene heater on at times during the month. <> that's global warming in action

oldwingguy wrote:

Biker, Quad cities, yes we have ridden through that area.
Gorilla camping, I tried that once, way back before the new light weight compact gear was around, we just called it " there's a spot "

Weather<> It's changed here over the last 25 years. Used to hot, humid and always sweating in May, now we may still have the winter kerosene heater on at times during the month. <> that's global warming in action

In Japan I guess it goes along the "Cool Japan" thing, so that "there's a spot" has got to be a hip name. Maybe that is how "gorilla" camping came about.