Angelina 1/3, the “Reiwa era radio star,” loves motorcycles! Her favorite bike is a Yamaha TW225E Street Tracker!? [Vol. 1]

The “Reiwa Radio Star” is a motorcycle girl who loves the TW225E

Angelina 1/3 (hereafter referred to as Angie) is a microphone performer for the girl band Gacharic Spin and a regular on multiple radio shows on TBS Radio, TOKYO FM, and more. Drawing attention as the “Reiwa era’s radio star,” she will be launching a solo project under the name “ailly” this fall. The first release will be the digital single “Radiory,” which will be released on Wednesday, September 17th.

“Radiory” will be released digitally on Wednesday, September 17th. It is the first of a solo project launched this fall under the name “ailly.” Co-written with recording member and guitarist Ayata Kato, it is a solo debut song that expresses her days delivering words as a radio personality, her feelings for her listeners, and her own inner thoughts.

aily “Radiory” Official Music Video

Angie is active in many fields, including Gacharic Spin, radio, and her solo work as Aillly. However, she is currently obsessed with motorcycles. It has been a year since she got her license last summer. She is enjoying the motorcycle life to the fullest, with her first bike being the Yamaha TW225E.

**Angelina 1/3**
was born on December 25, 2001. Her name comes from her mixed Japanese, Spanish, and Filipino ancestry. She is the mic performer in the all-girl band “Gacharic Spin.” Her motto is the words of her late father: “Speak your dreams and they will come true!!” As a high school student, she dreamed of making a living through music. She was scouted by the band leader while singing and playing guitar at a school festival, and joined Gacharic Spin in 2019 as a second-year high school student. She has appeared on multiple radio programs on TBS Radio and TOKYO FM, and was also selected as a guest commentator on TBS’s “Sunday Japon.” This fall, she launched a solo project under the name “ailly.” The first release is the digital single “Radiory,” due for release on September 17th. A multi-talented dream girl.

Angie showed off her beloved bike for Motorfan Bikes, so we spoke to her about her TW225E and how she got her motorcycle license.

His beloved car is a nostalgic street tracker style

One day at the end of August, Angie appeared at our meeting point, near Azumabashi Bridge in Asakusa, with her beloved bike, the crisp thud of her air-cooled single-cylinder engine blaring, and greeted us with a cheerful “Good morning!” She took off her helmet, her bright, shocking pink hair dancing softly in the air with a glistening sweat, and revealed a beaming smile. It was an overcast day, a stark contrast to the scorching heat of the previous days, but her presence made the surrounding scenery sparkle so brightly that it was as if the midsummer sun had returned.

Angelina 1/3 has had her driver’s license for exactly one year. She says that her current concern is that she is too busy to go on long trips. Whenever she finds a little free time, she drives her beloved car around her house.

Taking a closer look at her beloved car, it has been finished in the so-called “Ska Tune” street tracker style that was popular in the 1990s and 2000s. Although the muffler has been replaced with an aftermarket short muffler, it has not been customised in any extreme ways, such as being battery-less or fitted with a long-swivel mechanism, perhaps because she prioritises practicality.

Angelina 1/3’s favorite bike is the Yamaha TW225E. Even the final model is a trail bike that’s 18 years old. Her bike is finished in the tracker style that was popular from the late 1990s to the 2000s.

Above all, despite being an old bike, it appears to have been well maintained, the chain is in good condition, there are no noticeable scratches, and the body is shiny. The stylish street style TW suits Angie well.

It’s a so-called “Ska-tune” model, but a KIJIMA battery box has been installed to keep the battery in for everyday use. The customization was done by the previous owner’s older brother.

However, even the final model of the TW225 is a 2007 model, meaning that even the newest bikes are 18 years old. Despite its age, it is shiny and in excellent condition, without a single scratch. However, this leads me to wonder: when this bike was at the height of its popularity, she would have still been an elementary school student carrying a school bag to school.

Due to my job, I have had the opportunity to see bikes owned by many different owners, but the choice of model and the excellent state of vehicle maintenance make it hard to imagine that this is a bike that a girl of the Reiwa generation who has just gotten her driver’s license would ride…

Influenced by his late father and older brother, he became interested in motorcycles…was getting his license a delayed rebellious phase?

“My older brother, who is four years older than me (the second of three siblings), gave me this bike. He also does all of the maintenance.”

I see. I couldn’t help but slap my knee, thinking that’s what it was. So, was it your brother’s influence that led you to get your motorcycle license?

“Of course, my older brother influenced me, but I was also influenced by my late father. Ever since I was a child, I used to ride on the back of my father’s motorcycle. By the time I was old enough to understand, he had switched to a scooter, but apparently he used to ride a CBX400F. After that, my brother got his motorcycle license as soon as he started high school. So I, who was in elementary school at the time, said, ‘When I turn 16, I’ll get my motorcycle license just like you and your brother!’ But my father said, ‘You’re the youngest of three siblings, and your precious only daughter, so you absolutely can’t.’ When I asked him why, he said, ‘On a motorcycle, there’s a chance you could get into an accident even if it’s not your fault. You can ride tandem with your brother, but please, please give up riding a motorcycle.’ I felt a bit annoyed when I heard that, but I guess it can’t be helped since I’m a girl… so I accepted it.”

Angelina 1/3’s late father rode a CBX400F. She says she became a motorcycle lover thanks to her father and older brother. It seems motorcycle enthusiasts run in her blood. (PHOTO: HONDA)

But then your father passed away?

“It was when I was in the first year of junior high school. My father had been telling me, ‘You shouldn’t ride a motorcycle,’ up until just before he passed away, but last year, exactly 10 years after he passed away, I thought, ‘Maybe it’s time.’ Up until then, I had been living with conflicting feelings: ‘I shouldn’t ride a motorcycle,’ and ‘Why shouldn’t I ride a motorcycle?’ But with the anniversary of his death approaching, I felt I had reached an age where I could take responsibility for anything that happened, and I also felt that it wasn’t right to continue being bound by the words my father left behind, so although I had always tried to be a good girl and listen to what my father said, I thought maybe it was time to be a bit of a bad boy. In other words, it was a belated rebellious phase (laughs). It was partly because of this rebellious feeling towards my late father that I decided to take the plunge and get a standard motorcycle license last year!”

With the support of motorcycle enthusiasts in the entertainment industry, he decided to get his license.

He treasures the TW225E he inherited from his older brother. He doesn’t plan on customizing it any further, but he wants to keep riding it for a long time to come.

There are a lot of motorcycle enthusiasts in the entertainment industry, so I’m sure they reacted well when you told them you were going to get a motorcycle license, right?

“Actually, it was Unicorn’s Okuda Tamio who first encouraged me to get my motorcycle license. My late father was a big Unicorn fan, and Tamio, the vocalist and guitarist, looks similar to my father, and we have a similar aura. Also, Unicorn was the band that got me started in music. So, when I look back on my life up to now, I’d say it was always at the starting point, or rather, Unicorn was the band that always gave me the push I needed. I would say Tamio was like a ‘second father’ to me.”

She usually starts the engine using a starter, but kickstarting is also a piece of cake for her. Her older brother keeps the engine in good condition, so the engine started right up.

“So, just as I was starting to think about getting my motorcycle license again, I happened to have a chance to go out to dinner with Tamio, and so I decided to take the plunge and talk to him and drummer Kawanishi Koichi about it. They both told me, ‘Motorcycles are fun, once you get your license let’s go out somewhere together’. Those words made me really happy, so I declared, ‘Okay, I’ll go get my license.'”

With the street tracker boom having passed, the TW225E is rarely seen on the streets these days, but this tastefully customized bike still looks cool even after all these years.

Come to think of it, Yahagi Ken from Ogiyahagi also encouraged you to get a license, right?

“I became close with Yahagi-san when we appeared on the show together. At first we were talking about cars, but before I knew it we were talking about motorcycles. At the time I was wondering whether to get a medium-sized or large-sized motorcycle license, and since Yahagi-san owns a Harley, I asked him, ‘Are large motorcycles fun?’ He responded with kind words, ‘Either way is fine, just get one quickly. Let’s go for a ride together.’ I guess Yahagi-san gave me the courage to get my license too.”

My older brother, who is a good friend of mine, went to driving school with me and gave me his beloved TW225E!

A standard customization for street trackers is to extend the swingarm to make it “long-swing arm,” but this one is left as stock, prioritizing practicality. However, he says he is still attracted to the idea of making it a long-swing arm.

By the way, did your brother say anything about getting your license?

“June 16th is the anniversary of my father’s death, and on this day last year, as if by divine revelation, I woke up in the morning and suddenly decided, ‘Oh, I’m going to get my driver’s license today.’ So I called my brother at about 6am to tell him, and he said, ‘Actually, I was also thinking of going to driving school today to get my large vehicle license.’ I was a little surprised by this, and of course my brother asked me, ‘Why did you decide to get a motorcycle license?’ So I told him everything I had been thinking up until then.”

The area around the handlebars is basically stock, with the mirrors relocated under the handlebars.

” My brother showed understanding and said, ‘I started riding motorcycles because of our dad, and just like you, I always try to drive safely. I believe that riding without causing accidents or causing trouble to those around you is what makes a cool rider. I fully understand how you feel. We’re both dad’s sons, so I’m sure even if you get your license, you’ll drive carefully just like me. Okay, let’s go to driving school together!'”

The muffler has been replaced with a standard short pipe. The bandage on the mid-pipe gives it a racy look. The thermo bandage wrapped around the exhaust manifold was a personal preference of the previous owner.

He’s a really nice guy. When I showed him a photo, I could tell he was very handsome, and to be honest, a very handsome man. When I asked Angie if he was also working in the entertainment industry, she was surprised to hear him say, “No, I’m just an ordinary office worker.” He has handsome features that would make him a good fit in the entertainment industry, but she said, “My brother seems to enjoy watching me do well, rather than worrying about what he does.” It’s likely that this beautiful brotherly love is why he gave his beloved car to Angie.

When it comes to street tracker ska tunes, battery-less is the norm, but this bike comes with an aftermarket battery case that hides the battery without sacrificing practicality.

The power filter is also a standard customization. It only has a guard on the outside (left side) of the vehicle, so at first glance it doesn’t look like an air cleaner.

“So when I got my motorcycle license, he gave me the TW225 he had been riding. That’s why that TW is a really important bike to me. It was a bike I inherited from my beloved brother, and it was in the coolest condition ever. So I want to keep it that way. I think that even if I get my large motorcycle license in the future, I probably won’t let go of that TW.”

The TW’s iconic design is its fat tires, which are Dunlop K180s in 180/80-14 size with white lettering.

The front wheel is also equipped with a K180, and the tire size is 130/80-18.

The seat has been replaced with a Tuck & Roll long seat, a one-off made by a motorcycle shop run by a former car manufacturer engineer.

Are you riding a different bike now?

“My brother has a large motorcycle license, so I think he’s planning to buy a large motorcycle someday. But right now he seems to be obsessed with customizing his beloved Skyline, so I think it will be a while before he buys his next motorcycle. But, I really want to go on tours with him (laughs).”

(Continued in Part 2)