2019 Mooneyes Hot Rod and Custom Show Yokohama

Winter is coming, but there are still events here in Japan. One of the biggest is the Mooneyes Hot Rod and Custom show in Yokohama. I managed to get out the Sunday of the Thanksgiving weekend to roll around the rows of cars, bikes and art that made up the show. There was a ton of flannel and leather that I bumped shoulders with. The jingle of wallet chains and the smell of pomade filled the air in tune to the rock-a-billy music on the live stage. It was a pretty cool and weird experience. Read on to see my thoughts of the day!

Yokohama is one of my favorite cities in Japan. It is, for me at least, the perfect combination of big city and small town. A bit more inviting than Tokyo and there are a good number of cool bike shops. There are many events that happen at the hotels and convention centers. There are also tons of awesome restaurants. An easy walk from the train station got me to the front door. $40 dollars for a same day ticket (ouch!) got me in the show. Once inside, I scouted my route, set my attack plan and went to work seeing as much as I could see before my feet gave up.

Flat trackers were well represented at the show. Vintage to modern. Big to small. One of the first I saw was the classic Yamaha 2 stroke in the timeless Yellow and Black Speed Block paint. A promising sign. I also enjoyed the vintage leathers and helmet. The guys from "Have Fun, Flat Track" were also well represented. They had a whole section full of neat flat track bikes including this little Honda 125cc beast. I really want to ride one of these little bikes. It looks like it would be a great time and shouldn't cost you and arm and a leg. 

'Hardly Driveable', but I'd like to throw a leg over it! The Have Fun guys sure know how to have a good time. The very next day after the show they had a multi-day flat track party at the one flat track that is somewhat near me. The track at Kawagoe Off-Road Village is a little over two hours away from my house. If I can get an appropriate bike, I'd like to give it a try. The pics from the party looked outstanding. I was so very jealous.

Being Japan, there were a nice bunch of custom mini bikes in the show. The Honda Cub is one of the most versatile bikes I have ever seen. Here is one done up like a nice, old school digger. The chopper version also looks like a hoot. I am in the process of getting my first bike. A 'Little Cub' would be a nice around town second bike. 50cc only gets you so far, but I have seen people touring all over Japan on them. One couple even built a trailer and tour two-up. They did put in a Chinese Honda clone 125cc engine. I don't think the Cub would do too well touring like like that in its stock form.

There were a decent number of 'scramblers' at the show. These two were some of my favorites. I really dig the older, #999, AMF one. There were a bunch of the 'show scramblers' where the builder puts knobby tires on an otherwise street bike and calls it a scrambler. These two actually looked like they'd handle some serious dirt. At least for a short time. The older bike actually looks like you could take it off a few sweet jumps too!

Having done a track day or two, the XS650 and Harley Sportster track bikes caught my eye. The guy that built the Sportster had a video playing in the background of him riding and wrecking the bike at a track! Both of these bikes were true track/race bikes with the subsequent dents, dings and scratches. They also had the proper safety wiring. Having done that with my old Ninja Track Bike I can appreciate a tidy safety wiring job. The XS650 was as much show as it was go. The polished engine cases might distract the others racers out on the circuit. Both of them would be very welcome in my stable.

Choppers! Sooo many choppers. I am not a fan of Harley engined choppers. For me, once I've seen one, I've seen them all. Overall I am not a chopper guy, but I do love a good Japanese or British chopper done right. These two were just solid bikes. Both very rideable and fashionable. The narrow bars on both of these would allow some traffic beating lane splitting in the tight confines of the Japan. The one on the right is an SR400. These small single cylinder bikes are commonly made into all forms of custom from full chop to sweet cafe racer. They still command a decent price on the used market which tells you something. Again, either of these would find a warm spot in my garage, if I had one that is!

A great show and a great time feeling the Mooneyes scene. There were a bunch of other things that I saw while there, but this post is already a bit picture heavy. If you ever get the chance, it is a good time. Buy your tickets ahead of time and save a nice chunk of money unlike what I did. Other cool things are in the works as I type this. I may have very important announcement in a day or two. If the weather is good where you are, get out and ride. If not, I feel for you. Take it easy. Ride safe friends.

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