The quintessential luxury-vehicle experience was once defined by leather interiors and comfortable suspension setup. Yet, gradually, a new definition of luxury emerged that looked and felt a little different. Buyers collectively wanted a sedan that felt sophisticated and would remain that way for decades without the ownership experience becoming a financial gamble. This is where
It is a well-known fact that the popularity of adventure bikes has increased tenfold in this decade. Not only do we have many full-fledged luxury ADVs (like the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally), but we also have more middleweight and entry-level examples than ever before. The latter is where Japanese manufacturers dominate European rivals, offering capable
In Tokyo, Otonal has launched a podcast and audio ad localization service to help global brands adapt their English-language content to the Japanese market. The company says literal translations don’t work well in Japan, because of the complex levels of politeness and grammatical structures that mean calls-to-action occur at the end of a
Only in the 70s did Japanese manufacturers begin to be considered a real threat to the status quo. Until then, they were ridiculed by the European and American manufacturers who dominated the motorcycle industry. While small displacement motorcycles, including the famous Honda Super Cub, offered customers cheap, reliable transportation, they were considered capable of doing
Japanese automakers are now selling American-made vehicles in their country. Nissan and Toyota are warning buyers that the quality of these vehicles may not live up to expectations. Both warn buyers about bad paint, misaligned panels, and other potential defects. In an embarrassing twist of fate, American-made vehicles imported into Japan from Toyota and Nissan
Most of the budget motorcycles are considered milestones. Riders buy them to learn, gain confidence, and eventually move on to something faster, more flashy or more expensive. Usually the story goes like this. But every once in a while a motorcycle breaks that pattern completely. Instead of being sold after a few years, it just
The millennial rider was exposed to two very different worlds of motorcycles. This breed of riders is old enough to remember the days of learning to fix a moody carburetor, working the choke lever for a cold morning start, and watching the analog needles spin on the dial. And they’re still young enough to make
Buyers in the market for cruiser motorcycles often believe that they need to spend big bucks on a heavyweight American V-twin to get the look, sound and road presence that defines the segment. After all, some of the most prestigious cruisers ever built come with large-displacement engines, premium badges, and price tags that can easily