After all the dead ends I have encountered, I have finally found a way to bring my bike back to Canada! Although it is not currently in transit, the wheels have been set in motion to have the process begin at the end of the month.
Category: NSR250
Bad at Goodbyes
My time with the bike came to an abrupt end after the municipal office in Yamanashi would not issue me a temporary license plate.
Ultimate Hairpin challenge
One of the first things that I had planned for my trip to Japan- before even buying a plane ticket- was a trip to Irohazaka in Tochigi prefecture. It was pretty much right up there with the Mount Fuji summit climb.
“Two cycle oil”
Touring in Japan on a two stroke sport bike has been quite the experience! However, between the premium gas and the amount of oil this bike burns through, it has not been cheap. Gas in Japan is expensive (usually around 1.4/L) as are the toll roads (I spent around ¥5000 going from Tokyo to Nagano!!)
The race to Niigata
My day was off to a late start yesterday after struggling to start up the bike. Sometimes I’m not sure if it is a finicky bike, my lack of experience with it or the combination of the two. Usually I can start her up fine but sometimes I just can’t get it going, and then it takes a lot of time and effort and I hit the road feeling demoralized, annoyed and sweaty!
Destination: Unknown
Now that the Fujisan hike has been accomplished, I feel like I can spend more time enjoying my new bike. No longer constrained by bus schedules or proximity to the train stations, I can now focus my efforts on planning more detailed routes. I can also remove about 30 pounds of hiking equipment from my bike which I am really excited about!
NSR first ride
Today did not start out very well for me, and if there is such a thing as getting your ass kicked by a bike, I’m pretty sure I endured it today! Spending nearly an hour on banking, struggling to pack a 40 litre backpack for my Fujisan hike, running off of 4 hours of sleep and having logistical frustrations, I showed up to pick up my bike nearly an hour later than I had planned.
Auction 5158
I woke up to a very pleasant email this morning that read: “Congrats!! You got the black NSR Auction 5158”.
Highs and Lows
The past 3 weeks since I have started participating in the auctions have been a roller coaster of excitement and disappointment. I have been getting outbid on every single bike and I am seriously starting to wonder if I can find an MC21 for under $8,000 Canadian dollars. This is pretty stressful, especially since I fly out to Japan in less than 4 weeks. My expectations have shifted drastically. Originally, I was after the last generation NSR (MC28). However, those have been going for well over ¥800,000. After doing more research on the different models, this actually turned out to not be a big deal since I came to prefer the generation before, the MC21.
So it turns out I am buying a motorcycle in Japan…
All of my most extravagant ideas and plans usually start the same way; a daydream with no concrete path to reality. In this case, it was visiting my cousins and my Aunt and Uncle in Japan. I long entertained the thought of renting a motorcycle and touring around the country. That plan soon morphed into buying a motorcycle while I am there and flipping it before I left the country, which morphed even further into the behemoth of buying a rare Japanese bike and importing it back into Canada upon my return. I never anticipated that I would be the type to own a vintage sport bike, but as you probably tell, it is easy for me to get carried away by my passions.
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