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Japanese MX Live
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Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
Need Japanese MX Pit Bits.
That is Offroad Village in Saitama. Maybe hard to tell in the video, but that track is on a tiny patch of land so small that it would probably all fit on the start straight at Glen Helen. The positive is that it is as close to Tokyo as you can get, just over the prefectural line in Saitama. The now closed Honda HARP course is also nearby.. that track was much bigger. Fukumoto, a former Japan national champion, owns the track and I have to give him credit for pulling off a national on that spot for a number of years now. I wouldn't have thought it possible.
I thought about going out there today, but the last weather report I saw said rain, so I decided to sit it out. After watching the last 450 Race, I’m kinda bummed I didn’t go.
The track being literally in the flood zone of the river is its saving grace. The only land in miles that is not suitable for building. But, yes, still pretty amazing in the Tokyo metro area.
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Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
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DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Yeah, but the barriers on the sides of the river are so tall, I can't imagine it ever flooding. You have the river on one side, the small, elevated roadway on another and the Kawagoe Green Cross golf course on another side, only separated by a hedge row. It is so unusually close, you could get hit by a golf ball. The rest of the area is just vegetable gardens and rice fields for the locals. The spot would even be considered tiny for amateurs goofing around on their dirt bikes, and Fukumoto-san had to use up some of the parking area to expand the track for the Nationals. Not much room for spectator parking for a national either. At least it is close to Tokyo for spectators as the other national tracks are so far from major cities.
The track that they should have extended the Japan nationals to is the Shidoki track in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture. The owner, Abe-san, tried for years and put additional investment into the track to make it happen, but he never succeeded.
Jay coming on strong with his Japanese podium speeches !
Sadly, I think Yamaha is the only OEM running an actual factory team anymore. The rest are support projects and I haven't seen an OEM race a "new" or prototype bike there in some time.
How trick are Lopes, JVHB, and Coldenhoffs bikes?
Are the Japanese OEMs mostly testing on private tracks? Honda racing in Europe would seem to be the exception. Not sure if Yamaha or Kawi use MXGP for preproduction testing. Then there is Suzuki… do they even have an MX engineering staff or riders?
Wheres the new yamaha 450 that was mentioned could be rode by tim in mxgp?
I’m going to Tokyo in March or April. Anyone have any idea how hard it is to rent a 450 and ride a track in Japan? Would really like something set up stiffer that stock as well lol. Should I even bother bringing my gear? Would be a cool experience. Also any moto related places I should visit? The Honda museum is definitely on the list!
A 450 would probably be difficult to find as a rental. Offroad village used to do bike and gear rentals, but their rental bikes were usually very old and not in good condition. You would pay and get dressed in the rental gear at their club house on the other side of the river and then have to drive over to the track. The best place to rent a bike and gear is at the Shidoki track in Fukushima. It one of the closest to Tokyo with rentals, but still a 2 to 2.5 hour drive. The track is tricky to find as you have to drive through the woods a bit and the road was unmarked. Not sure of their latest inventory, but they had even some fairly new Yamaha's; YZ250Fs, YZ250 2Ts and YZ125s kept in good condition. They have kids bikes, too, and a track for kids. I don't think you will find a place that will rent out a 450 because of the extra risk.
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