Buying a Motorcycle in Japan
So you got your license, now it’s time to buy a bike!!!
Like most places in the world, your two options are to go to a dealer or to buy from a private seller. This article will focus on buying from a dealer. There are so many reasons to buy from a dealer. Maybe in the future, I will go through the process of buying from a private seller.
Necessities
What do you need?
License
Money
Jyuuminhyou
Inkan / Hanko
The first two are self explanatory. The second two are specific to Japan. Let’s break them down though.
At most shops I asked, they will not let you buy a bike that it outside of your license class. It was not clear to me if that was the law or the store policy. My advice is to stick to what you are legally able to ride. If you plan to upgrade your license but you haven’t completed the process yet, work that out with the shop staff. I am sure they will be happy to make the sale.
When it comes to payment, cash is still king in Japan. Prices range from “Yeah, I can swing that!” to “Holy cow? Motorcycles cost that much these days?” Therefore, you may be interested in financing your new treasure. I visited about 6 shops in my local area and all of them had some in-store financing. It was usually done through a third party loan company such as Orico or Jaccs. A few had actual in-house credit. You will need to work out those details with your dealership. I asked about the criteria for getting approved and the dealers said that it was in the hands of the credit company and they do not give reasons for denying. You do not need any special visa status or anything. A “Permanent Resident” visa is usually required to get a credit card but loans like this do not. On the topic of credit cards, not one shop I visited will let you pay with one.
Next up! Jyuuminhyou! I guess it would be translated as a “Proof of Residency”certificate. This is a a document that is issued by the city office. When you move into a new place, you need to register with the local government. When your information is on the record, you can request this document. It usually costs 300 yen and takes a few minutes to get, depending on how busy your city office is. If you go to the city office and they can not provide you with the document, you will need to register your address with that city office. If you will stay in Japan without a semi-permanent address, it may be impossible to buy a bike from a dealer. I don’t know all the ins-and-outs but when I asked what I need to buy a bike, the first answer out of every dealers mouth was “Jyuuminhyou”!
Finally, Inkan or Hanko. This is a personal stamp. They are used instead of a signature in Japan. There are several types and they can be registered with the city office or not. The ones you buy at the dollar store are called “Mitome-in”. You don’t register these at the city office because they are mass produced. All the dealers I talked to said that they are acceptable. If you have your own hanko, it’s probably better.
Choosing a Bike
There are some things that you should think about when choosing your new beauty. Do you want a new bike or a used bike? How many CCs? I am not talking about the displacement to see how much adrenaline or Monster Energy is running through your veins.
It matters when it comes to insurance and inspection. Keep in mind that anything over a 250 will require inspection every two years. That may sound fine on the surface but it can be a stressful and expensive ordeal. I’ve heard the average cost is around 80,000 yen for a dealer to do it and around 40,000 yen if you do it yourself. Also, add the cost to replace parts that may not pass such as brakes, tires and so on. There are also issues with passing inspection if you have a lot of aftermarket parts. This is beyond the scope of this article but they are good to keep in mind.
Why a Dealer
Navigating the world of private selling can be daunting, especially if you don’t speak Japanese at a high level. Dealers will, generally, be there to help you. The bigger chains have their name and reputation on the line so they tend not to rip people off. They do charge higher prices as a result.
Most dealers offer at minimum, a 3 month warranty. They provide all the services that may be difficult to do on your own, like maintenance and insurance renewal. Finally, dealers have a wider selection of bikes available. If you go to the bigger chains, they have a large inventory or bikes in various conditions and prices. If the shop has accessories or other things for sale, you can try bundling them together and asking for a discount.
There are brand dealerships for specific brands like KTM, Harley Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and so one. As there are multi-brand shops that generally buy and sell new and used bikes from almost all makers. If you are a loyal customer at a shop, they may be able to give you a better deal on a trade in, or on buying your next bike.
Buying from a dealer will give you the piece of mind you need to enjoy riding in Japan.
Expectations
Great! You chose the bike that you want and it’s in your budget. You seem to be building rapport with the sales person. All is going well! What should we expect? There are a few last things to consider: inspection, insurance, and delivery.
As I said before, inspection is only necessary on bikes over 250 cc so if your new machine is 250 or smaller, you don’t need to worry about this. New bikes will be given an initial inspection for 3 years and should be included in the cost of the bike. After that, you will need to have you bike inspected every two years. If you buy a used bike that still has some time remaining on it’s inspection, you do not need to have it inspected until that runs out. If the used bike is due for inspection, you will need to pay for it.
Insurance is required. There are two kinds. “Ji bai seki” (Compulsory Insurance) and “nin i hoken” (sounds like “ninny” - Optional Insurance). For Compulsory insurance, the cost depends on the class. The classes are up to 124 cc, 125 - 249 cc, 250 and over. The price difference between classes is not that big. You can get a better deal if you choose a longer term. Jibaiseki can be between 1 year and 5 years in term. It is always paid for in cash. Optional insurance is based on the riders age and motorcycle class. Generally, younger people are higher risk so they pay more. As you get older, the price goes down. There are also a lot of levels of coverage and options available. Again, this is out of the scope of this video but it is something you will need to be prepared for. As an example, I am in my mid forties, I ride a CRF 250L and I pay 2000 yen a month for the most basic optional coverage.
Last but not least, delivery. If you walked in a dealer and threw down cash you would not be walking out on the same day. They will need to register the bike for you, prep the bike, give it a final inspection and cleaning before turning it over. They will get the license plate for you and get all your documents together. Make sure you ask how long it will take. In general, you are looking at between a few days and 2 weeks.
Getting Some Ideas
If you want to know what the landscape of the Japanese motorcycle buying market is like, You can check out all the manufacturers websites for new bike prices. You can also check out goobike.com to get an idea of what kind of bikes are available and what they go for. There is an English page too, although it has a little less functionality.
Feedback!
If you bought a motorcycle in Japan and have anything to add, please leave a comment on this page or on the above YouTube video.
If you have any questions, also, please don:t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to help you out!
