Comments on: Ideal biker: Koichi Iwaki riding a black Honda http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/04/28/ideal-biker-koichi-iwaki-riding-a-black-honda/ From kimono to keitai; research Japanese facts and figures through translated opinion polls and surveys. Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:27:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Anne C http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/04/28/ideal-biker-koichi-iwaki-riding-a-black-honda/#comment-83707 Anne C Mon, 05 May 2008 13:59:32 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/04/28/ideal-biker-koichi-iwaki-riding-a-black-honda/#comment-83707 Ken, why are some of the names in orange ink? Ken, why are some of the names in orange ink?

]]> By: Ken Y-N http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/04/28/ideal-biker-koichi-iwaki-riding-a-black-honda/#comment-82301 Ken Y-N Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:52:20 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/04/28/ideal-biker-koichi-iwaki-riding-a-black-honda/#comment-82301 Janne, thanks for the comment, and I know where you're coming from! Janne, thanks for the comment, and I know where you’re coming from!

]]> By: Janne http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/04/28/ideal-biker-koichi-iwaki-riding-a-black-honda/#comment-82176 Janne Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:39:24 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/04/28/ideal-biker-koichi-iwaki-riding-a-black-honda/#comment-82176 I, too, had a bike before coming here, and it, too, was a BMW. In my case, however, it was a 1981 R/S 80 GS - Boxer engine offroad bike, consumer cousin to the BMW Paris/Dakar team bike. I kept her in storage for a year before I came to the difficult decision of not bringing it to Japan, so I sold her to another enthusiast. But four years on I still only have to close my eyes to hear and feel the pulsing of the boxer engine at idle, and the smell of charred oil leaking from the cylinder heads. I miss the way she would pull to the right when hitting the accelerator; how the frame would begin to snake above 130km/h; how the cylinders would start to burn my legs if idling at a stoplight for too long in the summer. I love my life here, but I do miss her sometimes. I, too, had a bike before coming here, and it, too, was a BMW. In my case, however, it was a 1981 R/S 80 GS - Boxer engine offroad bike, consumer cousin to the BMW Paris/Dakar team bike.

I kept her in storage for a year before I came to the difficult decision of not bringing it to Japan, so I sold her to another enthusiast. But four years on I still only have to close my eyes to hear and feel the pulsing of the boxer engine at idle, and the smell of charred oil leaking from the cylinder heads. I miss the way she would pull to the right when hitting the accelerator; how the frame would begin to snake above 130km/h; how the cylinders would start to burn my legs if idling at a stoplight for too long in the summer.

I love my life here, but I do miss her sometimes.

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