Recommend me a bike to rent in Japan?

[bpw]

Driving on the left is not too be taken lightly, it is really hard to train your brain to act properly in an evasive maneuver.

I spent 6 months driving on the left in New Zealand a few years ago, but even with that experience I wouldn't hop on bike with my GF somewhere that drove on the left until I had been there for a while and cruised around on my own a bit.

 

[moto-rama]

Driving on the left is not too be taken lightly, it is really hard to train your brain to act properly in an evasive maneuver.

I spent 6 months driving on the left in New Zealand a few years ago, but even with that experience I wouldn't hop on bike with my GF somewhere that drove on the left until I had been there for a while and cruised around on my own a bit.

No problem, we are married. So that issue isn't a thing. Once she's on, the 25 years of riding 2up makes us more like one heavy rider, not 2 individuals.

I will say that...
The instinctual tendency to seek safety on the right shoulder is a serious concern, and one you want to be mindful of.
In Scotland, many roads have no center line, and you need to be aware that cars will hog the whole road, leaving you little room to squeeze through.

We took a ferry to Shetland and once out on the roads, it got dicey when a lorry was coming the opposing way. The country roads there often are SuperNarrow, so someone has to give way when there are passing vehicles.

It teaches people to be polite,, I guess.

 

[tuxumino]

but seriously the public transport in Japan is something to experience, unless you ride bart regularly, it'll make you hate bart.

 

[Aware]

Driving on the left is not too be taken lightly, it is really hard to train your brain to act properly in an evasive maneuver.

I spent 6 months driving on the left in New Zealand a few years ago, but even with that experience I wouldn't hop on bike with my GF somewhere that drove on the left until I had been there for a while and cruised around on my own a bit.

I grew up in Britain. Moved to USA when i was close to 40. The transition to driving on the right was a mind fuck..

But I bought a bike before I had been here 2 months. I had no traumas and no missteps on 2 wheels ever. I had a lot of trauma and a handful of missteps in the car.

Now, i visit Britain here or there and spend the first hour or so retraining myself,then I settle right in. I still find it much easier changing gear with my left hand.

 

[HadesOmega]

I don't know if you left already but...

Do you have your IDP? You'll need that to ride/rent a bike in Japan. Where will you be riding? If it is Tokyo dude don't even bother, its like riding in SF the train is a much better way to explore Tokyo. It is so much better riding once you get out of the city.

Get lots of cash because thats all they use there and get a coin purse, believe me after a while you pockets will be full of yen and not the paper kind.

ALSO the reason I don't rent from many places is because my Japanese is very poor, do you know any Japanese because it says this on their website:
OUR POLICY
Customers have to understand Japanese language, or be accompanied by a Japanese speaker during the rental depending on the shops they want to rent from. This is because unfortunately not all the staff at our shops is able to communicate in English. To rent a motorcycle the rental shop and the customer need to communicate fluently and understand the agreement conditions well to make the transaction smooth.

If you speak Japanese or if you can bring a Japanese speaking companion with you when renting the motorcycle, there is no problem to rent from any of our shops. If you do not speak Japanese or cannot bring a Japanese speaking companion along , please use one of our many shops listed below that have English speaking staff or are used to attending customers from overseas:



Also I notice the page is in Odaiba, from there you can pretty much head straight to Chiba on the the Aqua-Line there some cool stuff to see in Chiba, you can probably take the ferry to Yokohama also. Check out this ride report for my Chiba ride I did first.
http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488542

Oh also Ricoland is in Odaiba check that out, its a really nice motorcycle store kind of like a super autobacs but for motorcycles.

I was suppose to go to Hokkaido and ride last year but I ran out of money =(

 

[NeverSayDie]

Scooters are king in Asia, that would be my vote.

 

[HadesOmega]

Scooters are king in Asia, that would be my vote.

You'll be a lot more kakkoii on a motorcycle. In he city the scooters might be better but the Japanese love to ride motorcycles, there was no shortage of cool bikes to oogle.