Japanese cars are as popular as ever! From the venue of the old French motorcycle show “Salon Moto Légend” | octane.jp | Fuelling the Passion
Bikes gather at the convention center of the Parc floral de Paris in the woods of Vincennes, home of the Old Car Club of Vincennes. The same goes for the motorcycle itself, but accessories such as parts and wear are also sold, so it feels like a retromobile of a motorcycle. Normally there would be a long line to get in, but I went on a Sunday morning. It’s raining too. Thanks to that, I was able to enter smoothly. Still, the inside was filled with enthusiasm, and there is no doubt that it is a hot event.
A booth with a small retro-style motorcycle that catches the eye. Bonneville was written in large letters. This is the machine made by a man fascinated by speed. This is one of those electric bikes.
The headlights of the electric car that challenges the Bonneville are reversed for some reason. This is not a mistake. 1940’s. Racing was forbidden in wartime France. But that didn’t stop him from loving cars and motorcycles. It was not a racer but a regular bike who participated in the grass race that was planned in secret. I headed to the racetrack on that bike, and when the race started, I turned my headlights backwards to reduce air resistance. In fact, rather than the effect of air resistance, he probably felt like a racer with that style. It’s a tribute that inherited that spirit.
In France, Japanese cars are still very popular, such as the Yoshimura club and the club celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Suzuki GT series. For some reason, the BMW specialty store I’m indebted to is Ninja from Top Gun. By the way, Maverick did not become a hot topic in France like it did in Japan. But bike lovers seem to be curious about the bikes that appear there. Another characteristic of motorcycle events in France is that unlike Japan, we rarely see ninjas or swords.
From the booth of the GSX-R club that collected Yoshimura vehicles. The GSX-R750R sold exclusively at that time.
What caught my eye in the exhibition corner was the mobilet, which was once popular among young people. It’s called Hara-chari in Japan. Some of them are custom made, and in a way it can be said that it is one of the French motorcycle cultures.
Like the Japanese scooter, the mobilet was the foot of France. The obligatory use of helmets has quickly declined. Even so, they are the nostalgic bikes engraved in the memory of the visitors as the first bikes young people get.
In the main exhibition space, Yamaha’s successive racers were exhibited. Unfortunately they lost this year, but the Yamaha XZR-M1 driven by Fabio Quartararo, the first Frenchman to win the world championship last year, was on display at the top. However, the visitors who come here like bikes that are a little older than modern ones. He was talking more about Christian Salon’s car than Quartararo.
Exhibition of the machine of Fabio Quartararo, who became the first French world champion.
However, Christian salons are more familiar to visitors.
The French Yamaha booth has the XT500 on display. France is also not SR.
French Yamaha booth. This time, I lined up the XT500.
In addition to the exhibition held in November, this event holds one of France’s largest motorcycle event riding events under the name of “Legend Moto” at the Magny-Cours circuit every May. The organizers keep asking me to come and take pictures, but the timing just doesn’t work out. Let’s go out next May every time we come to the exhibition event this November! I think. Yes, this time as well, I decided to go to Magny-Cours in May and left this place.
Photography and Words: Tomonari SAKURAI
