The Tokyo Motorcycle Show 2018 opened its doors Friday with an international field of manufacturers showcasing a mix of traditional two-wheeler muscle, circuit bikes, and eco-conscious scooters.

2018 marks the 45th outing for the Tokyo Motorcycle Show, the largest of its kind in Japan, which began a three-day stay in the halls of convention and exhibition center Tokyo Big Sight, in the capital’s Koto Ward, with an opening for press in the morning, before opening to the public later in the day.

Event organizers, the Tokyo Motorcycle Show Association, have gathered together some 135 companies and organizations at the event, each displaying their two-wheelers (sometimes three), and motorcycle parts and accessories across what pre-event figures showed to be around 882 booths and displays.

Japan heavyweights such as Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Honda all are present at this year’s show, rubbing shoulders alongside overseas motorcycle manufacturers Royal Enfield, BMW Motorrad, Ducati, and Harley-Davidson among others.  

Amidst all of the two-wheeler muscle and high-performance circuit bikes, a large number of scooters can be seen at this year’s show.

BMW Motorrad, the motorcycle arm of German automobile manufacturer BMW, are at the event showcasing the new C 400 X, the manufacturer’s first foray into the mid-size scooter market with a model that can be ridden in Japan on a regular motorcycle license.

Also among the BMW Motorrad lineup, and given a first airing in Japan at this year’s show, are the new F 750 GS and F 850 GS middleweight adventure bikes, launched in 2018 to the F 700 GS and F 800 GS models respectively.

At a press conference during the show’s opening morning, Lee Nichols, a director at BMS Motorrad, told reporters that the parallel, twin, all-round enduro models are “completely new models. It’s not just that BMW put in a new, upgraded engine into the previous models’ frames.”

Attendance at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show comes on the back of a successful year for BMW Motorrad, having sold more than 5,000 units in Japan, a first for the manufacturer on these shores.

Displaying a greener side of the industry at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show 2018, the booth from Taiwanese manufacturer Kwang Yang Motor Co, Ltd (KYMCO) is creating plenty of buzz. KYMCO are unveiling a new era of electric scooters at the event with their “Ionex” models, scooters that come with an internal core battery which can be used as a power source while the removable battery is being charged.

The manufacturer plans to establish charge networks in 20 countries in the next three years.

Visitors to the Tokyo Motorcycle Show 2018 don’t need to be industry savvy to enjoy the experience, however.  There’s plenty on offer for the motorcycle layman, from Kamen Rider displays to novelty photo ops. (Fans of the Star Wars franchise may get a kick out of the display of custom helmets from HJC.)

The Tokyo Motorcycle Show 2018 runs until Sunday March 25 at Tokyo Big Sight.

Tokyo Motorcycle Show 2018 images:

See more at www.city-cost.com