People in Japan preserves vintage motorcycles

Sep 24, 2021

Aichi [Japan], September 24 : These vintage motorcycle collectors in Ichinomiya city of Aichi Prefecture are dedicated towards their passion for riding classic motorcycles.
Though they are uncomfortable to ride and less safe than modern bikes, love for these vintage items does not go down a bit.
All the maintenance and repair work of these bikes are done at home garage, largely because majority of these motorcycle manufacturers have already withdrawn from business or have closed down.
As a result of this, replacement parts are no longer available, thus many parts of these bikes are made manually and when the motorcycle needs repair, it may take months to fix it.
"I collect only vintage bikes, now I have four bikes from prewar period, but they are all working fine. I have many friends who collect vintage bikes and they help me because I am not good at fixing bikes. I am only good at riding, and in return, I help them with my expertise so all of us help each other to fix our bikes," said one of the vintage motorcycle collectors.
Only starting an engine involves a variety of operations, and the operation of these motorbikes depends on personal skills.
These motorbikes escaped war requisition and have survived to the present day.
"The most difficult thing is that my bike is made in the US, so I cannot find spare parts in Japan. I search for parts in US and transport them here to fix my bike. It is called Indian model and was made in the 1920's so it is even difficult to finds parts for it in US," said a vintage motorcycle collector.
The collectors of these bikes say driving these bikes requires the use of all five senses, and their vehicles give them a different level of experience.
People are surprised to see these rare motorbikes on the street, which are typically placed in museums.