Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Motorbikes are a popular vehicle among Asian people. Statista release (2023) states that more than 50% of households in countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and China can be guaranteed to own a motorbike. In Thailand, for example, 87% of households own a motorbike. Meanwhile in Indonesia, BPS data further states that the number of motorbikes has reached 125 million units.
A number of motorbike manufacturers which are said to be the largest manufacturers in the world include Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda. And, these three companies come from Japan. And in 2022, Japan will be listed as the third largest motorbike producing country in the world.
Please note, motorbikes were originally not something common in Asia. Since its creation in 1885, motorbikes have been a typical vehicle for Europe and the United States. Meanwhile, Asian people don't attach importance to motorbikes. They choose to walk or use animal-powered transportation. However, that all changed when Narazo Shimazu made Japanese-made motorbikes at cheap and affordable prices.
Narazo's interest in motorbikes first occurred in 1903. At that time, he received a motorbike as a 15th birthday present from New York. Even though he had a small engine and had difficulty riding, Narazo immediately had the idea to make his own motorbike in his homeland, Japan.
This idea was ultimately not wishful thinking. As he grew up, Narazo learned hard about motorbikes. He regularly imports automotive books. In addition, he also chose to study at an engineering school, rather than a law, science, or economics school.
When he graduated from school, he was invited to work at a textile company. There, writes Jeffrey W. Alexander in Japan's Motorcycle Wars (2008), Narazo often spends research funds to create new mechanical devices. The company, seeing his tenacity, immediately gave him a scholarship to study engineering in the US.
Who knows what he learned in the US, when he arrived in Japan, Narazo, who was still 20 years old, immediately made it prototype motorbike at the textile factory where he worked.
“In a corner of the factory, I made motorbike engines and founded the Shimazu Motor Research Institute,” he said.
Everything Narazo does is known to the boss and parents. Instead of a ban, Narazo was given financial support to make motorbike engines. As a result, in 1908, Narazo succeeded in creating the first 'Made in Japan' motorbike with a 400 cc two-stroke engine.
Even so, the motorbike still has many shortcomings. The machines are wasteful and produce more pollution. A year later, there were major improvements. He rearranged the specifications of the engine, motorbike frame and body.
In 1909, the second motorbike created by Narazo was born and given the name NS which came from his initials. This motorbike was the first to be marketed to the Japanese public at a price of 200-250 Yen per unit. However, in the early years the motorbike did not sell well because Japanese people still had low incomes.
Even so, Jeffrey W. Alexander said, Narazo's cool hands are proof that Asians can also create two-wheeled vehicles, which are cheap and easy to maintain, which in the future will change people's transportation habits.
Slowly but surely, Japanese citizens who started to have large incomes began to flock to buy motorbikes made by Narazo. There was a change. From the beginning of riding using animal power to motorbikes. Apart from that, the presence of the motorbike industry initiated by Narazo sparked the birth of other motorbike factories. Just say, like Kawasaki, Honda, and so on.
The peak of the revival of the motor industry occurred in the 1950s. The low Yen against foreign currencies means that motorbikes can be produced quickly and purchased at low prices. Since then, motorbikes have been produced on a large scale and exported throughout the world. The results of this export then opened the eyes of many people that motorbikes are a must-have form of transportation that can bulldoze the bad roads of Asia.
At this point, demand for motorbikes increased drastically until now. And it all happened thanks to the efforts of Narazo Shimazu.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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