by Gaijin

It was one of the biggest draws in 2005. After 2 weeks of fascinating automobile and motorcycle extravaganza, the 39th Tokyo Motorshow once again bids farewell to its more than 1,000,000 visitors. Unlike the 38th Motorshow 2 years ago, this year’s show featured cars and motorcycles powered by hybrid engines or pure electricity. It comes as no surprise why all the Japanese automakers and motorcycle manufacturers are out to tease the viewing public on the future of hybrid engines which is fast gaining popularity all over the world.

Nearly 90% of the show was about cars, car parts, and car accessories. The remaining 10% was for motorcycles. Before jumping to any conclusion, the organizers have always had it that way because cars manufacturers do require large amounts of space to showcase their products. The motorcycle section was not to be outdone in terms of presenting the manufactures wares.

The big four (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki), each had their own unique products to draw visitors to their booths. This year, Honda introduced their much talked about hybrid motorcycle and scooter: the DN-01. The bodywork and engine is all motorcycle. The transmission, however, can be switch from manual to fully automatic. On automatic mode, it operates entirely like a maxi-scooter on steroids.

Yamaha’s main showcase, aside from their wide array or new models, is the futuristic looking Gen-Ryu. This experimental motorcycle is powered by an R6 engine and an electric motor. It’s the motorcycle’s version of a Prius Hybrid car. The latest VMax was also featured and looks a lot more aggressive than its predecessor.

The world premier for Suzuki’s exhibition model, the Stratosphere, was a stunning success. Whether or not you were a Suzuki fan, the Stratosphere was simply spell bounding. The Stratosphere’s workhorse is an in-line 6 cylinder engine. Transmission is likewise both in manual and automatic mode. Future motorcycle models are headed in this direction where the rider has the option to shift manually or ride a powerhouse on twist and go.

Kawasaki was a bit boring this year. Aside from their updated models: ZZR1400 and Ninja ZX-10R, the only other attention-getter was their ER-6n which is an adrenaline induced 650cc parallel twin engine with slim diamond-styled trellis frame.

View photos of the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show here.