Korean Job Discussion Forums

[boogiet]

Sounds great right?!
Any definite idea of whether it's possible?
Has anyone taken their beloved scooter through Japan?
Specifically:
1. Can you take a scooter on any of the ferries or hydrofoils Busan-Kyushu?
2. Will they allow you into Japan?
3. Do you need any special kind of license? ie I read somewhere you can use an IDP, and somewhere else that you can't.
4. How long should I allow to visit at least Osaka, Kobe and Tokyo?
Please help me with accurate info that you've experienced.
Thanks,
BT
ps If anyone REALLY has done it and it's possible, I'll buy you some drinks if you fill me in on your experience. For real!

[RACETRAITOR]

Sounds ambitious, and I'm sure it's technically possible. Just keep in mind how long it would take, and remember to drive on the left in Japan.

[Tokki1]

50cc...be careful; that's a lot of power

[goodgood]

50cc? Let me check my little guidebook....

Looks like it's one million kazillion bajillion hours from fukuoka to tokyo on a 50cc.

No honestly, sounds like a lot of fun. Sorry I don't have any answers for your questions, except that the hydrofoils certainly can not take anything bigger than a golf bag on them. No scooters for sure.

If you find out how to do it, consider trading your bike in for something a little more powerful. 100cc- twice as good, seriously. Any real hills, and you'll be pushing it up. F that.

[pkang0202]

Paint a racing stripe down the middle of your scooter to make it go faster.

[pastis]

Honestly, in practical terms I don't think it can be done... I had a 50cc when I lived in Tokyo, but the furthest I ever went was Kamakura (it took awhile). Basically you won't be able to use any highways (illegal, you'd have to take regular routes the whole way, including a lot of winding country/mountain roads) and I think legally the maximum speed you can travel on a 50cc is 50km/hr... not that you'd be able to go much faster than that anyway. Other than that the obvious limitation would be the sheer distance - I'm guessing it could take up to a month or more, not to mention getting lost or caught in bad weather etc. along the way...

Also regarding licenses, basically the deal is that if you have a motorcycle license in your own country, plus an international license, then you're good to go. But otherwise it's technically illegal (if you just have the international license but no motorcycle permit), even for a 50cc, though I was randomly stopped several times by police in Tokyo who weren't really sure about the rules for a 50cc and just let it go. While highly unlikely, if you were ever stopped in the middle of nowhere by the police without a proper license, you could find yourself in a pickle...

[ABCDAVE]

Sounds like a lot of fun. Wish I had some answers for some of your technical/legal questions. However, I agree with some... 50cc is nice for your daily commute on mostly flat terrain, but once you hit the hills... somersaults would get you up the hill faster.

I use a 50cc Daelim scooter in a pretty mountainous part of Gyeonggi-do, and it does the job. Just really slowly. If I had to spend more than 5-10 minutes on this thing everyday, I would have bought a 125cc scooter/motorcycle a long time ago. You might also want to keep in mind that there will definitely be times when you will need the extra power to keep you safe... especially since you're traveling a long distance.

Either way, I hope you decide to go for it, I bet you'll have a blast. Best of luck.

[Richard Krainium]

The logistics of doing that trip on a 50cc bike seem like it would be more hassle than it's worth. Just driving a 50cc scooter from Seoul to Pusan is out of my league!

The license, insurance, bonding in Japan? Maybe you could buy a scooter in Japan and sell it back to the scooter shop after you're done with your trip?
If you can pull it off, more power to you.

Here's a link for anyone thinking about traveling around Japan by motorcycle. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/country/japan/