Motorcycles

53 questions

• When riding a large or ordinary motorcycle, you must not carry a passenger who is not wearing a helmet.
• A rider of a general motorized bicycle (moped) only needs to "make an effort" to wear a helmet, so riding without one is not a violation.
• A rider of a specified small motorized bicycle (electric kick scooter) is legally required to wear a helmet.
• With an ordinary motorcycle licence you may carry a passenger on an expressway once you are 18 or older and have held the licence for at least two years in total.
• A rider who obtained an ordinary motorcycle licence only six months ago may still carry a passenger as long as it is on an ordinary road, not an expressway.
• The standards for motorcycle and moped helmets are set nationally by Cabinet Office ordinance.
• When braking a motorcycle, you should keep the bike upright, keep the handlebars straight, and apply the front and rear brakes at the same time.
• On dry roads you should use the rear brake a little more strongly, and on slippery roads the front brake a little more strongly.
• Engine braking is stronger in lower gears, but shifting straight from a high gear down to low can damage the engine or cause a fall.
• On a motorcycle, hard braking will not lock the wheels, so it is best to apply the brakes hard all at once.
• An automatic motorcycle requires no clutch operation, so operating it is that much less demanding.
• Because an automatic motorcycle is easy to ride without clutch work, you may handle it in a casual, relaxed manner.
• Since an automatic motorcycle has no clutch, there is no danger of lurching forward even if you twist the throttle suddenly when starting off.
• On an automatic motorcycle with a continuously variable transmission, closing the throttle completely while riding slowly can cut engine power to the wheel and make the machine unstable.
• Because motorcycles are small and agile, it is acceptable to weave between cars or ride in a zigzag manner.
• You must not ride a motorcycle wearing footwear that interferes with riding, such as wooden clogs or sandals.
• When taking a curve on a motorcycle, you should turn the handlebars sharply to get around it.
• While going through a curve on a motorcycle, you should pull in the clutch so that engine power is not delivered to the wheels.
• On a motorcycle, in the latter half of a curve you should check that the road ahead is safe and then accelerate slightly.
• When riding a motorcycle over mud or gravel roads, use a low gear and reduce your speed.
• On mud or gravel, you should brake hard to slow down and make large steering movements.
• When turning right at an intersection (other than a roundabout) on a large or ordinary motorcycle, you must move as close to the center of the road as possible in advance and pass just inside the center of the intersection at "joko" speed — a speed slow enough to stop immediately (about 10 km/h or less).
• When a general motorized bicycle (moped) makes a two-stage right turn, it signals the turn upon reaching a point 50 meters before the near edge of the intersection.
• A general motorized bicycle (moped) must make a two-stage right turn at an intersection where traffic is controlled (by traffic lights or a police officer) when the road has two or more marked traffic lanes.
• When a general motorized bicycle (moped) is required to make a two-stage right turn, it may not turn right on a green arrow signal.
• When a general motorized bicycle (moped) makes a small (direct) right turn, it may turn right following the green arrow signal.
• You must wear a motorcycle helmet not only on large and standard motorcycles, but also when riding a general motorized bicycle (moped).
• As long as the rider wears a helmet, the passenger does not need to wear one.
• A construction safety helmet can be used in place of a proper motorcycle helmet.
• When choosing a motorcycle, check whether the toes of both feet reach the ground when you sit on it.
• When choosing a motorcycle, there is no need to check whether you can push it in a figure-eight pattern.
• If you are physically strong, it is fine to start out riding a large motorcycle right away.
• A person who has held a large motorcycle licence for less than one year may not, as a rule, carry a passenger on a large or standard motorcycle.
• You may carry a passenger on a standard motorcycle even if you have held your standard motorcycle licence for less than one year.
• Even with a large motorcycle licence, you may not carry a passenger on an expressway while you are under 20.
• Once one year has passed since getting a standard motorcycle licence, a 19-year-old may carry a passenger on an expressway.
• You must not carry a passenger on a motorcycle without a rear seat, or on a general motorized bicycle (moped).
• If carrying a passenger is not prohibited, you may do so right away even before you are used to riding alone.
• At night, it is advisable to wear reflective clothing or a helmet fitted with reflective material.
• Chain slack is checked by pressing the middle of the chain with a finger.
• You must not modify your motorcycle by removing, cutting, or drilling holes in the muffler (exhaust silencer).
• Modified (odd-shaped) handlebars do not interfere with riding, so it is fine to fit them to a motorcycle.
• A pedal-equipped moped is treated as a bicycle as long as you move it using only the pedals with the engine switched off.
• You are still treated as a pedestrian when you push a motorcycle with its engine running.
• When you push a motorcycle with a sidecar, you are not treated as a pedestrian.
• Bus and taxi drivers should avoid sudden braking and sudden starts so as not to jolt their passengers.
• A driver of a passenger-carrying vehicle must report to their employer when illness or fatigue may prevent safe driving.
• If a serious mechanical fault is found while driving a passenger vehicle, the driver may keep driving until reaching the destination.
• If a passenger vehicle breaks down and becomes stranded on a railway crossing, the passengers should be kept inside the vehicle.
• The passenger door of a bus or taxi should be opened only after confirming that the vehicle has stopped.
• A bus driver must always sound the horn before moving off, even when safety has just been confirmed.
• The daily inspection of a passenger-carrying vehicle only needs to be carried out once a week.
• My pillion passenger had no helmet on, so I had them put one on before riding my standard motorcycle.