A festival for motorcycle fans held in the autumn during “motorcycle season”!
On Saturday, November 16, 2024, the 4th BDS Bike Sensor Autumn Festival was held at the BDS Kashiwanomori venue, the headquarters of BDS Corporation and the largest used motorcycle auction venue in Japan.
As soon as the gates opened at 9:30 in the morning, a large number of motorcycle fans poured into the venue, BDS Kashiwa no Mori.
This event is an annual festival for motorcycle enthusiasts organized by the used car information website “BDS Bike Sensor.” It was a revamp of the “Kashiwa Festival” held in 2017, and has been held annually since 2022 as the “BDS Bike Sensor Midsummer Festival.” However, due to the extreme heat in recent years, it was probably decided that it would be difficult to hold an outdoor event in the scorching sun of August. This year, the date of the event has been moved to autumn.
The car and bicycle parking areas at BDS Kashiwanomori are free to use.
There’s a ton of content, including FMX performances, stage events, and a sale.
This event was packed with content that everyone could enjoy, including freestyle motocross (FMX), which was revived after a two-year hiatus, as well as other interactive attractions such as off-road riding and trial bike experiences, off-road model test rides, a paramoto rider experience for people with physical disabilities, and an electric kids’ bike experience, as well as a children’s festival corner where kids could enjoy yo-yo fishing and super ball scooping, and an exhibition and sale by top bike shops and parts and apparel manufacturers featured in BDS Bike Sensor.
The crowd was thrilled by the powerful performances of Freestyle Motocross (FMX), which was back for the first time in two years since 2022.
The vehicle exhibition area featured the latest models of motorcycles, mainly imported vehicles, including popular brands in Japan such as Harley-Davidson, Ducati, and Triumph, as well as a number of motorcycles from overseas manufacturers that are rarely seen in person, such as Fantic, Caballero, Moto Guzzi, FB Mondial, Benelli, Royal Enfield, BRIXTON, and Hyosung.
This was an exhibition and sale area run by motorcycle shops and parts and apparel manufacturers. Various items were sold at special prices only available at the event, and the latest models, mainly imported bikes, were on display.
The exhibited vehicles were available for visitors to actually sit on and listen to the engine sounds, which attracted the interest of even the riders who usually ride Japanese motorcycles.
Caballeros lined up in the vehicle exhibition space. This is your chance to touch and ride on imported cars that you don’t usually get a chance to see in person.
On stage, there was a special collaboration with Nippon Cultural Broadcasting’s popular radio program “Okashiba” to feature a talk show by Okada Keisuke of “Masuda Okada,” as well as a girls’ rider talk show by Takekawa Yuka, Shibata Naomi, and Hirajima Natsumi, who are well-known on the official BDS Bike Sensor YouTube channel, and talk shows by Yomichi Yuki, who is a multi-talented voice actress, singer, gravure idol, and YouTuber, and Takagi Yumi, a motorcycle-loving idol who is active as a member of “LinQ.”
The 4th BDS Bike Sensor Autumn Festival also had a full lineup of stage events. The photo shows a talk show by motorcycle-loving voice actress, Yomichi Yuki.
Tours of the used motorcycle auction venue are also available.
Furthermore, since this event was held at one of the leading used motorcycle auction venues in the country, a tour was also held, giving attendees a glimpse into the world of used motorcycle auctions, which is not well known to the general public.
Since the event was held at the BDS Kashiwa no Mori venue, a tour of the used motorcycle auction venue, which is normally off-limits to the general public, was also held.
The tour lasts about 45 minutes and includes watching a video explaining how the auction works, followed by a tour of various facilities such as the venue where the auction takes place and the BDS Restoration Shop, where vehicle maintenance and repairs are carried out.Finally, you can freely look around the Premium Auction Exhibition Room, where vintage and rare cars are kept.
During the event, general visitors were prohibited from entering the vehicle exhibition area, but participants in the auction venue tour were allowed to tour some areas.
During the tour, visitors were also able to see a demonstration of vehicle inspection and evaluation by BDS staff at the exhibition hall and inspection booth.
As this is a place that is normally off-limits to the general public, the participants seemed very interested and enjoyed learning about how used car auctions work.
The premium exhibition hall is lined with rare and luxury cars. During the tour, we were able to see these vehicles up close. The photo shows a Honda NR500 equipped with an oval piston engine.
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The bike that really impressed me was the Benelli Tornado 900Tre. It was a flagship sports car released in 2002 by the revived Benelli before it became part of the current Chinese Qianjiang Group. The radiator was placed at the rear, and two fans at the tail forced the air out. This was my first time seeing the actual bike.
The bikes fly through the air and spin! An exciting FMX performance!
Specialized motocross bikes are launched from a catapult (jump ramp) and fly a distance of 25m, the same as a swimming pool, before landing on a slope, during which the riders display their skills in a spectacular display.
Of all the events, the most exciting were the FMX performances. Taking off high from the jump ramp, riders controlled their bikes with ease, letting go of the handlebars in “one-handers” and “no-handers,” and flipping their bikes in mid-air in “whips,” followed by a series of spectacular spinning maneuvers. The finale was an incredible four-car train jump performance. The audience’s eyes were glued to the incredible succession of tricks. The audience erupted in thunderous applause at the extreme thrill and excitement.
All three FMX events were held that day, and each was sold out. The audience erupted in applause for the amazing tricks.
The final performance was a “Train” in which all four motocrossers jumped consecutively, captivating the audience as they performed their aerial performance one after the other.
The FMX performances were held three times, from 10:30 to 11:00, 12:30 to 13:00, and 14:30 to 15:00, and at each performance, the area in front of the FMX stage was bustling with spectators. Just to see the spectacular aerial show with these bikes was worth attending the event.
FMX riders also don’t forget to show their support to their fans.
A dedicated motocross bike used for FMX.
Despite being packed with such rich content, the 4th BDS Bike Sensor Autumn Festival is free to attend!
You can even use the bicycle parking lot for free, so the organizers, BDS Bike Sensor, are nothing short of generous. The date and details of next year’s event have not yet been announced, but with this year’s success, it is almost certain that the event will be held in autumn in good weather. If you weren’t able to attend this year, why not make sure you take part next year?
We’ll introduce you to the event and the bikes on display!
At the Japan Transplant Support Association’s booth, they introduced the racing activities they are carrying out as part of their public relations activities.
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The Green Rider Project (a project to increase the number of riders who express their intention to receive organ transplants and carry donor cards) run by the Japan Transplant Support Association exhibited a custom Kay’s Style bike, which is a part of the project.
The Doremi Collection booth exhibited the Z1000 (Lawson Style) based on the Z900RS.
This titanium fuel tank (right) for the GPZ900RS was produced by Doremi Collection. It is an incredibly light fuel tank. Using their unique know-how, it was manufactured using a mold for an aluminum tank. The difficult welding of titanium was also carried out perfectly, making it a must-have item for motorcycle enthusiasts.
SuperSprox lightweight sprocket with a steel outer periphery and duralumin body. This product is both durable and lightweight.
NITRON’s booth exhibited high-performance suspensions.
ASTONE helmets have been gaining attention recently for their high quality yet reasonably priced products. The carbon helmet, which I personally use, is light and easy to use.
A look at the venue for off-road experience driving, trial bike experience, and off-road model test rides.
Electric kids’ bike experience for children.
At the Paramotor Rider Experience Event for physically disabled people, a blind person tried out riding a motorcycle. After that, with careful guidance and consideration for safety, they tried out riding on their own.
The general incorporated association SSP (Side Stand Project) regularly holds motorcycle experience riding events for people with disabilities.
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Vehicle display at Harley-Davidson Mega Matsudo.
BMW exhibition by authorized dealer Goodwood.
Hyosung Japan exhibited two attractive bobbers.
This time, Chronicle at Moto Shop Matsudo mainly exhibited Royal Enfield and CF MOTO.
A pinstripe demonstration was given by pinstriper Mr. Beaton of Rainbow Shop.
At the Nijiiroya booth, a drawing competition was also held using Posca stickers on motorcycles.
The annual charity auction began at 3 p.m., offering a chance to win expensive items at bargain prices.
The highlight of this charity auction was a Yamaha YZF-R25. The winning bid amount will be kept secret, but it was purchased at a very reasonable price.
