2012 Tokyo Motorcycle Show: customs

Private emporiums have stolen the custom limelight at the 2012 Tokyo Motorcycle show, with the mainstream manufacturers – all still in a state of fiscal rehabilitation after the ravages of the GFC – not really in the game at all.

So while the likes of Yamaha, Honda and BMW have simply dressed their bikes with factory accessories – after all, that’s where big money is to be made -- it’s been left to private custom outfits like Sanctuary, Nen, K-II Project and Garage DB – most Tokyo based, and others with tentacles throughout the country -- to transform base models like the Hayabusa, which is already serioulsy potent in stock form, and a slew of Kawasakis stretching from the Z1 to the ZX-14.

And there appears to be a common thread with all of them – Brembo brakes and Ohlins suspension the twin pillars, with the souped-up powerplants the work of the respective in-house gurus.

A Z1 900, the product of Sanctuary, is my pick of the bunch in custom alley – it just looks stunning from aft to fore.

Some of the creations have even made it to the race track in various forms – but not all with success it would seem.  Either that or modesty prevents too much chest beating.

Outside of the custom alley itself, an interesting concept bike is the electric ZecOO, or “low Ride Electric Motorcycle Emotional’. It’s already worn a well trodden path through a number of exhibitions in Tokyo over the last few months, with the green element not doing its ‘A-list’ prospects any harm.

Speaking of green, Suzuki is the only major manufacturer which is profiling any sort of electric theme with the e-Let’s, which was launched just a few months ago – but not in Australia yet. The e-Let’s is a tiny little thing – although the storage basket on the front is a whopper – that can travel at least 30km from a single charge had has regenerative braking

The e-Let’s is sharing the Suzuki stand with its petrol-driven scooter peers, including the long-nosed Gemma (which looks a lot like the Yamaha Maxam) and Shy Wave (400 and 650cc) range, as well as the GSX-R range, DL 650 V-Strom, Gladius 650 and GW250/Inzamuma – the first title used in the Chinese market. Other than that, there’s not a massive helping on the Suzuki stand, let alone world premieres or Japanese debuts

The e-Let’s has its place, but we were disappointed that Honda’s all-electric RC-E race bike wasn’t there, after an appearance at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.