A Century of Japanese Motorcycles

A Century of Japanese Motorcycles
Author: Didier Ganneau
Publisher: Motorbooks International
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2001
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 9780760311905

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.

Pictorial History of Japanese Motorcycles

Pictorial History of Japanese Motorcycles
Author: Cornelis Vandenheuvel
Publisher: MBI Publishing Company
Total Pages: 168
Release: 1997
Genre: Motorcycles
ISBN: 9781870979979

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.

Japan's Motorcycle Wars

Japan's Motorcycle Wars
Author: Jeffrey W. Alexander
Publisher: UBC Press
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2009-01-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0774858443

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.

Pictorial History of Japanese Motorcycles

Pictorial History of Japanese Motorcycles
Author: Cornelis Vandenheuvel
Publisher: Motorbooks International
Total Pages: 168
Release: 1997
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 9780760304105

A decade-by-decade look at the Japanese motorcycle industry that started from scratch following WWII and grew to become the dominant motor-cycle manufacturers of the century. By 1980, four manufacturers -- Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha -- collectively offered an astonishing array of models. Today, early Japanese motorcycles are favorites of collectors and enthusiasts who recognize the many technological achievements of earlier performance machines. Illustrated with a combination of archival photos, modern color shots.

Japanese Production Racing Motorcycles

Japanese Production Racing Motorcycles
Author: Mick Walker
Publisher: Redline Books
Total Pages: 356
Release: 2004-09-02
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 9780954435707

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.

The Impact of the Japanese Motorcycle in America

The Impact of the Japanese Motorcycle in America
Author: Mark Bayer, 1st
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2022-07-25
Genre:
ISBN: 9780578371351

The book covers the history of the motorcycle in Japan, how hundreds of companies were reduced to four, and how these companies began selling in the US. I then cover how the Japanese motorcycle grew in sales numbers to such a point that many brands went out of business. I also cover how the Japanese brands became dominant in technology and had a profound influence on other brands. Today, the Japanese brands still have a great influence over the industry and have become the dominant designs world wide.

100 Motorcycles, 100 Years

100 Motorcycles, 100 Years
Author:
Publisher: Booksales
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2003
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 9780785816706

Following the success of the series previously launched with 100 Planes 100 Years, "100 Motorcycles 100 Years" presents the history of the motorcycle with eye-catching images and absorbing stories that set it apart from other merely factual motorcycle books. Compelling photographs of the motorcycle, or "bike" as enthusiasts call them, show the evolution of motorcycling from its dawn to the present day. Unique graphic spreads take the reader through time and travel by highlighting a single key motorcycle for each year in the past century, accompanied by engaging anecdotes about its original design, its intrepid riders, and its final fate. Highly readable and visually exciting, this book is an excellent resource for motorcycle fans and transportation buffs alike.

How to Rebuild and Restore Classic Japanese Motorcycles

How to Rebuild and Restore Classic Japanese Motorcycles
Author: Sid Young
Publisher: Motorbooks
Total Pages: 243
Release: 2015-08-01
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 0760347972

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.

Beta Motorcycles

Beta Motorcycles
Author: Massimo Fiorentino
Publisher: Giorgio Nada Editore Srl
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019-01-08
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 9788879116992

This book covers the long history, from its origins through to the present day, of the historic Italian manufacturer Beta Motorcycles, active in the two-wheeled world for over 100 years, presenting previously unpublished material. A particularly versatile firm, Beta Motorcycles has proved capable of diversifying its products--building all kinds of motorcycles--and satisfying the mutating demands of its clientele. The Florentine marque built its own two- and four-stroke engines in-house, but has always been open to joint ventures with other European or Japanese firms. Founded as a bicycle manufacturer, Beta Motorcycles moved into the moped market in the 1960s, off-road motorcycles in the late 1970s, enduro models in the following decade and then scooters, for over 20 years, not to mentions the Trial sector in which it conquered eight World Championship titles. In more recent years the company has returned to the “classic” Motocross and Enduro categories and in 2016 collected a further two world titles, including the Constructors’ Championship. The book features a comprehensive catalog of every model and every engine produced by Beta Motorcycles over more than a century.