2019 Tokyo Motor Show: The Complete Wrap-up

Kawasaki stole the show with all things green while Honda and Yamaha came out with green products, literally!

Compared to the 2017 edition, the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show witnessed only mild action in terms of enthusiast-oriented two-wheelers. One of the reasons could be the Hagibis typhoon, which wreaked havoc in the country this month. Among the Japanese Big Four, only Kawasaki managed to grab the headlines with exciting motorcycles while Yamaha and Honda had a rather unimpressive lineup, to say the least. Here are some highlights of the show: 

Kawasaki:

Kawasaki’s highly anticipated motorcycles, the Z H2 and the Ninja ZX-25R finally made their debut at the show. The Z H2 is a supercharged streetfighter take on the legendary Ninja H2 whereas the Ninja ZX-25R is a completely new 249cc four-cylinder motorcycle. The Z H2 is powered by a 999cc supercharged engine, which belts out 200PS at 11,000rpm and 137Nm at 8500rpm. The Z H2 is powered by a 999cc supercharged engine, which belts out 200PS at 11,000rpm and 137Nm at 8500rpm.

Coming to the Ninja ZX-25R, Kawasaki hasn’t revealed the output figures yet. But the motorcycle comes with sophisticated electronic aids such as traction control, power modes and even a quickshifter for fast gear shifts. With all these advanced features in place, we wouldn’t be surprised if the bike made around 60PS of power. It also gets underpinnings that you usually find on much more powerful, expensive supersport offerings. 

Kawasaki also unveiled the new W800, which is essentially a more classic iteration of the W800 Street. This motorcycle gets ample chrome all around for a more retro look. It rolls on a bigger 19-inch spoke wheel up front, but apart from this the mechanicals have remained unchanged. Expect this motorcycle to be launched in India next year.

Yamaha:

At this year’s edition of the Tokyo Motor Show, it appears that Yamaha has concentrated mostly on EV technology and the niche LMW (Leaning Multi-Wheel) platform, which comprises vehicles with two front wheels capable of leaning with a conventional rear-wheel drive setup. 

The brand unveiled the E01, which is an electric scooter with an output equivalent to a petrol-powered 125cc scooter. It features a sporty maxi-scooter style design with a battery pack that’s likely to be housed in the mid-section. The overall design of the concept doesn’t look too outlandish and we believe Yamaha could bring out the production version in about a year. Expect the production model to ride on street tyres as opposed to slicks on the concept.

The Japanese brand also unveiled the E02, which is essentially a smaller, more commuter-oriented electric scooter compared to the E01. Its output is equivalent to 50cc petrol scooters, and it comes with a much sleeker bodywork and removable lithium-ion batteries for convenient charging. 

Apart from these two scooters, the brand also unveiled the Tricity 300 based on the LMW platform. Its concept version called 3CT was launched at the 2017 Tokyo Show. While the brand has remained tight-lipped about the details of the scooter, it will reveal all the specifications and features at the 2019 EICMA show in November. The brand also unveiled the Yamaha MW Vision concept, which is also a three-wheeler albeit with a more car-like cabin. And it even gets doors!

Honda:

Honda unveiled two concept electric scooters: Benly e and Gyro e. These two electric scooters are essentially meant for delivery personnel. Interestingly, the petrol-powered counterparts of the two scooters already exist and the production version of these concepts will essentially be an eco-friendly means of doing business. The two scooters come with swappable batteries called Honda mobile power pack. If you can recall, the brand had showcased these at the 2018 Auto Expo in India in the Honda PCX Electric scooter. 

Interestingly, the Gyro e is a three-wheeler with two wheels at the rear and one at the front. On the other hand, the Benly e is a conventional-looking scooter. Honda plans to launch the scooter along with the charging infrastructure in March 2020 in Japan. That said, these scooters will not be launched in our country.

Honda also unveiled the CT125 Concept, which is a trail-friendly take on the Super Cub series. This moped features a scrambler style high-set exhaust, crash guards with a bash plate at the bottom and spoke wheels shod with dual-purpose tyres. Powering the moped is a 124cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine. However, Honda hasn’t revealed the output figures yet. That said, the engine casing looks similar to the one in the Super Cub C125, which produces 9.65PS and 10.4Nm.

Suzuki:

There have been no all-new two-wheelers from Suzuki, instead, we saw the Japanese premiere of the Gixxer 250 and the Gixxer SF 250. These two bikes are made in India and were launched just a few months ago in the country. While there hasn’t been any new bike on display, Suzuki recently dropped a teaser of the new V-Strom 1000, which will be unveiled at this year’s EICMA show in November.