| Author | Message | ||
     Okinawaxb12s |
met a guy on base today that brought his firebolt with him from the states.all he can do is sit and look at it 'cause the japanese gov't wants a s@^tload of money to get it certified to ride here.that has got to suck. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww | ||
| Chainsaw |
Tell the locals that "Buell" is Dutch for "Honda".  | ||
| 1313 |
There can't be too many differences between the US homologation version and the Japanese homologation version of the Firebolt. There are especially fewer differences than with the old tube framed bikes. Is the Japanese government run by the Yakuza (Japanese mafia)? 1313 | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Good to know. I was going to take mine over... I guess I'll just buy a Jap model when I get there... | ||
| Tatsu |
You know in Oki.. you have to be certified in each of the lower class cc bikes. At least that's how it was when I was there in 94. You had to start at 125 cc, then move up. Which would explain why a lot of Okinawan guys ride NOS 125cc, bikes. | ||
| Tatsu |
Charlieboy, I would check with customs before I buy a bike over there. The price for importing is steep. A few of my friends got around it by, mailing the bike home in parts, then putting it together. A friend of mine brought a Fatboy and hide it on a C5 return flight. Was fine until he got it off the plane and fired it up on the flight line. Then he was busted. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Lol Tatsu, so what happened to him after getting caught. Gotta say, that was probably the one moment he wished he had quite pipes. | ||
| Starter |
Bikes in Japan are so cheap it ain't funny. One of the trends that is happening over here is wreckers are buying second hand bikes with stuff all miles on them and re-selling them as race bikes. A wrecker near my place was telling me that the freight costs more than the bike. The law in Aust stops these bikes from ever being able to be registered if the model is sold in Aust so they are only good for race bikes or parts. | ||
| Anonymous |
two biggest differences are the muffler (different outlet) and headlights (right dip, they drive on the "other" side), in addition to speedo | ||
| Tatsu |
Cataract2... My buddy got forced to "resign". I think he was able to keep the bike. (Message edited by Tatsu on March 06, 2005) | ||
| Okinawaxb12s |
if you have never ridden before,the largest cc's you can have is 600.if you have a stateside mc endorsement and over 1 year riding experience,you can ride what you want.that is for sofa status personnel.the jap's must be more strict because i see them on a lot of little bitty bikes.the only things that got changed on my bike was the exhaust and the lights.they put a whole new assembly on it.i have the u.s. version in a box along with the u.s. muffler.goes straight out the back instead of to the side. | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Tatsu... I didn't mean to bring back. I meant just to ride while I'm over there... I almost bought one my first four years over there.  Oki, Yea, but a lot of those guys on the smaller bikes have riding skills that would put most to shame. I loved seeing all of the 80's big CC Kawi's screaming down the street. It was the bike of choice for the Japanese biker gangs. You have to watch out for them, they carry pipes and will stick them in your wheel. Boy could they ride though. Usually screaming between lanes with a girl on the back. Japans got it right though... When the gangs try to evade the police, they put a net across the road. I saw a guy get clothslined at the bottom of the hill at Futenma by the Police. He slid about 100 yds. I always liked to laugh at the gangs though cuz they'd have a bout 10-20 beautifully restored streeters and then trailing behind is some jackarse on a larger CC moped. I don't know about you but the moped detracts from the bad boy feel of the group. I always had a chuckle.... | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Quick story. I was on my way to Camp Kinser from Futenma and I was stopped by the big surplus store on the right where the walking bridge is (if you've been there, you know where I'm talking about) anyway, this guys comes down the hill on a Busa and is not slowing. I'm thinking, "This is going to hurt." He was approaching a T intersection. Well, at the last minute he braked hard and then on the gas hard again to the right. Pulled the most beautiful right turn power slide I've ever seen and as the bike was straitening pulled the wheel to the sky and out of my view. I still think about that a lot. What skill... | ||
| Tatsu |
Charlieboy, I bet if you guys pitched in to buy a bike you guys could sell it to the next incoming group. I got a friend that works for the US government over there. That would be the way to do it. Ship it with a PCS move. Also if your with USAA, you may be able to buy a bike and they might be able to deliver it over there. I don't know.. sounds a little more complicated, than it's worth, but it would be fun. | ||
| Okinawaxb12s |
mine is coming home with me in '07. |
