Japan's Motorcycle Wars

Author: Jeffrey W. Alexander
Publisher: UBC Press
ISBN: 0774858443
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Book Description
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.

Japanese Production Racing Motorcycles

Author: Mick Walker
Publisher: Redline Books
ISBN: 9780954435707
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 356

Book Description
As this book explains, the Japanese did not suddenly become proficient in the design and development of motorcycles when they first appeared in Europe at the end of the 1950s. Instead, the Japanese had been involved with motorcycles since the beginning of the 20th century. True, early Japanese motorcycles copied Western design - a trend that continued for several years after WWII. But soon they designed a succession of highly innovative machinery, not only to the Grand Prix world's benefit but to the paying 'over-the-counter' customer, too. Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha, plus Bridgestone and Tohatsu, have all built and sold racing motorcycles which the public could also buy and enjoy.

Classic Japanese Motorcycle Guide

Author: Rod Ker
Publisher: Haynes Publishing UK
ISBN: 9781844253357
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
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.

The War on Wheels

Author: Justin McCurry
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1643132814
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Book Description
Experience the thrilling world of Japanese cycling and the keirin, which has evolved from post-war oddity to one of Japan's most popular and lucrative sporting events—and a must-see for the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo. The Keirin, which means "war on wheels," is now a high profile Olympic sport and attracts millions of spectators. But it's origins are humble, even strange. Like the Tour de France was originally conceived to sell newspapers, the keirin was invented in post-war Japan as a way to raise taxes on gambling. Now, over $12 billion a year is wagered on it, and its stars are primed to millions. Unlike a traditional race, a pacemaker leads eight riders up to speeds of 70kph on huge concrete velodromes, then they fight to cross the line first, with riders pushing, shoving, and crashing in the final stretch. Long associated with the working class, even the notorious yakuza crime syndicates, riders today live in blacked-out dorms, with no access to technology, to prevent bet-rigging. Their lives are ruled by ritual and competition, from their rookie days at the Mt. Fuji training camp to elite competitions that are the Japanese equivalent of the Grand National. Foreign riders sometimes compete, but rarely prosper in this intense environment, and the Olympic version is a mere child's play to the fierce environs of the velodromes in Tokyo. and Osaka, where a spectre of danger still looms. The War on Wheels explores a side of Japan we rarely see and it's uniquely fascinating sporting culture.

Bosozoku

Author: Masayuki Yoshinaga
Publisher: Trolley Press
ISBN: 9780954264833
Category : Motorcycle gangs
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
In Bosozoku, Japan's leading maverick photographer reveals a unique vision of the notorious Japanese bike gangs, linked to the underground activities of the Yazuka. They are the reality of Ridley Scott's Black Rain. A former member of the Bosozoku himself, Masayuki Yoshinaga has revealed hidden secrets of Japan's biker gangs.

Classic Japanese Racing Motorcycles

Author: Mick Walker
Publisher: Osprey Publishing Company
ISBN: 9781855321052
Category : Motorcycles
Languages : en
Pages : 192

Book Description
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.

Stealing Speed

Author: Mat Oxley
Publisher: Haynes Publishing
ISBN: 9781844256891
Category : Business intelligence
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
This is the compelling story of how one of Japan's biggest motorcycle manufacturers stole a Nazi rocket scientist's engine secrets from behind the Iron Curtain to conquer the world. In 1961, with the Cold War at its height, East German motorcycle manufacturer MZ was using World War II rocket technology to win Grands Prix, only for rider Ernst Degner to defect and sell the secrets to Suzuki, while his wife and children were drugged and smuggled through the Berlin Wall. The following year Suzuki and Degner made history by winning the world title. Branded a traitor by the communists, Degner suffered horrific injuries in a fiery racing accident and died in mysterious circumstances.

Honda Motorcycles

Author: Aaron P. Frank
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781610609586
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 204

Book Description

Modern Japan, Student Economy Edition

Author: Mikiso Hane
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429961987
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 609

Book Description
This book presents the essential facts of modern Japanese history. It covers a variety of important developments through the 1990s, giving special consideration to how traditional Japanese modes of thought and behavior have affected the recent developments.

Warriors of Japan as Portrayed in the War Tales

Author: Paul Varley
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 9780824816018
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 308

Book Description
A leading cultural historian of premodern Japan draws a rich portrait of the emerging samurai culture as it is portrayed in gunki-mono, or war tales, examining eight major works spanning the mid-tenth to late fourteenth centuries. Although many of the major war tales have been translated into English, Warriors of Japan is the first book-length study of the tales and their place in Japanese history. The war tales are one of the most important sources of knowledge about Japan's premodern warriors, revealing much about the medieval psyche and the evolving perceptions of warriors, warfare, and warrior customs.