10 Great Bikes That Were Privately Imported From Japan

Never officially available but we wish they had been

Back in the 1990s, the Japanese manufacturers built motorcycles specifically to comply with Japanese licensing and taxation laws and, if they were never officially exported to other territories, they made their way through unofficial channels, much to the delight of enthusiasts in Europe and America. These sub-400cc models often featured incredible ‘miniature’ engineering, with jewel-like four-cylinder four-strokes and 250cc, two-stroke Grand Prix replicas. The shelf-life for these wonders of engineering was short, due to stringent Japanese roadworthy laws, which meant a steady supply of three-year-old models to other territories. Here’s a list of the bikes you missed out on.

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To start with, how about a 400cc V4 as well as looks that are a carbon copy of the iconic RC30, the VFR750R built for World Superbike homologation purposes. Although largely a gray import, some were legally imported to the UK, where it cost more than a CBR600F, which would also out-drag the VFR400R, but it was worth it: superb style, impeccable handling courtesy of the aluminum beam frame, fully adjustable suspension and 59 horsepower at 12,800rpm, each and every one of which begged to be used. Oh, and Honda quality throughout. What’s not to like?

Running concurrently with the VFR400R was the Honda CBR400RR and, if you think that the same company fielding two 400cc sports bikes is crazy, well, you have to remember it was the Japanese fighting for larger slices of the domestic market, after all. The CBR900RR Fireblade arrived in 1992, don’t forget, which is why later versions of the CBR400RR looked exactly like its bigger brother, surely a strong selling point. The same power and torque as the VFR400R, slightly lighter at 359 pounds and the same think-and-it-turns handling in a tiny package that will have taller riders wishing they were shorter for once. Surprisingly flexible for a diminutive inline four and stupid amounts of fun.

Oh, to have been alive and riding in the late 1980s/early 1990s! Which young rider wouldn’t have wanted to be riding around on a miniature liter superbike with a screaming four-cylinder engine? One that, in the right hands, could keep up with its bigger brothers? Again, 59 horsepower, this time at 11,000rpm for a dry weight of 352 pounds, inverted forks on later models and a super-stiff aluminum frame. If it was overshadowed by its two-stroke GP stablemate, the RGV500, then it was a lot cheaper to buy and a much more practical proposition for the road. If there could be any issue today - for all the bikes on this list - it is that they are likely to have been thrashed within an inch of their lives by enthusiastic and aspiring Grand Prix riders.

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Unique in that the ZXR400 was officially imported into the UK which, given the popularity of this class of sports motorcycle, is surprising but at least it makes this model more common and, therefore, more readily available and affordable today. Constantly tweaked throughout its lifetime but what didn’t change was a top speed of over 130mph! From a 400cc inline-four cylinder engine! As usual, razor-sharp handling from a tiny wheelbase and overall dimensions and therefore giant-killing performance around a track in the right hands. As with most of these bikes, it runs on carburetors which can be almost endlessly tuned to place the power band exactly where you want it, while the suspension is also adjustable.

While there were officially imported Suzuki RGV250 and Aprilia RS250 two-stroke screamers, neither were as exotic as the MC28 NSR250R. Like the VFR400R, the NSR250R is almost pure Honda Racing Corporation (HCR) in concept and execution, which means a single-sided swing arm and - get this - ‘smart card’ ignition! For even more power, there was also the ‘HRC’ smart card. 40 horsepower from the 249cc, two-stroke v-twin engine might seem tame in comparison with the four-strokes on this list but the fact that it’s a two-stroke means there’s a stunning power-band to play with, and it weighs around 50 pounds less than the others. The MC28 was a limited edition and came with GP sponsor Repsol paint job.

250cc two-stroke or 250cc four-stroke supersports bike? In the 1990s, you had a choice of either: what a time to be alive! The GSX-R250 SP had an inline four-cylinder four-stroke engine pushing out 45 horsepower with a red line of 18,000rpm, pushing a dry weight of 304 pounds! It’s gutless, and you need to stir the gearbox endlessly and use all the revs but the chassis is so good that you can forgive it anything, especially when it teaches you about maintaining corner speed. Divisive front-end styling can’t detract from the brilliance and miniature engineering excellence.

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You could have a Yamaha RD500, complete with a twin-crank V4, two-stroke 500cc engine or you could have the RZV500R, which was full of race-spec goodies, including a hand-built aluminum chassis in place of the steel tube version on the RD. A huge 88 horsepower of peaky two-stroke power giving a top speed of nearly 150mph, despite a slightly heavy 437 pounds of dry weight, despite weight-saving in every element, including magnesium for engine covers: even the fasteners were lightened. It arrived at the time when the OW80 Grand Prix bike was winning on racetracks of the world and the RZV500R was as close as you will ever get to a genuine GP bike for the road.

The Japanese certainly weren’t shy about proclaiming their excellence in racing and celebrating that fact with replica road models. The Yamaha FZR250R looked just like a miniature OW-01 750cc racer but had an 18,000rpm, 250cc inline four cylinder, developing 45 horsepower and a dry weight of 321 pounds. Jump onto it from any liter-superbike - or even a 600cc supersport - and it will feel as if it's all mouth and no trousers - the exhaust note is insane but there isn’t a lot of ‘go’, even if you use all the available revs, but show it a corner, and it will urge you to dive in ever faster and maintain corner speed. You’ll never be going that fast in a straight line, but it will sound as if you are!

And now, for something completely different: a naked two-stroke sports bike. Looking for all the world like an update RD350LC, the engine was the parallel twin two-stroke from the TZR250, slung beneath a steel tube trellis frame, in a general café racer style. Unusual in that it was a naked roadster first and not a de-faired sports bike. 45 horsepower is fine, especially when coupled with the 293 pound weight. There’s more than a hint of Ducati Monster in the design, just a few years earlier than the Italian model. And don’t those twin two-stroke exhaust pipes look so skinny and in proportion?

If you thought 18,000rpm was a lot, then how about the 20,000rpm that this little screamer is capable of? Another inline four-cylinder engine, with 45 horsepower and only 17 foot pounds of torque, which accounts for all the revs - you need them to access any of the power. Started life looking like the CBR600 and ended its days looking like a mini-Fireblade, which only added to its appeal. If it wasn’t all that fast, you could make anyone look disapprovingly as you rode past at 20,000rpm and only 30mph! With the advent of the Kawasaki ZX-25R for the Asian market, we can only hope that a return of these insane, small-displacement four-cylinder engines is something that all manufacturers are looking at.

Harry has been writing and talking about motorcycles for 15 years, although he's been riding them for 45 years! After a long career in music, he turned his hand to writing and television work, concentrating on his passion for all things petrol-powered. Harry has written for all major publications in South Africa, both print and digital and produced and presented his own TV show called, imaginatively, The Bike Show, for seven years. He held the position of editor of South Africa's largest circulation motorcycling magazine before devoting his time to freelance writing on motoring and motorcycling. Born and raised in England, he has lived in South Africa with his family since 2002. Harry has owned examples of Triumph, Norton, BSA, MV Agusta, Honda, BMW, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Kawasaki and Moto Morini motorcycles. He regrets selling all of them.