On the back of the previous post, I thought I should actually explain which scooter I ended up going for – the Honda Zoomer in black – a sturdy ride, which I should be picking up next week – all insured and ready to go.
We ended up going down Kannana dori last week, to one of the 5 or 6 bike shops down there, and found a small shop where the staff were really helpful, and they had a couple of Zoomers in stock so we could check them out up close (again).
Whereas a few shops had been unwilling to order one for us (I really have no idea why), these guys were on the Honda ordering system straight away and gave us a straight order date. I know sometimes you can order something, and be told it’ll be a week, only to get a call during the week to say it’s going to be late, whereas these guys were straight up and said it would take a few weeks, which is fine, as I had to sort the helmet and everything out.
The insurance turns out to be in two parts – one is basic insurance limited on you and any other person in an accident, not covering vehicle damage. The second insurance is optional and covers (in my case) unlimited amounts on any people and vehicles in an accident.
Why go for more expense above and beyond the legal requirement? Well mainly as most of my friends who have bikes said that the first insurance is almost worthless, and that vehicle repairs can cost a fortune as the concept of fault in Japan is different from many other countries, so even if you feel you weren’t at fault, you could still find yourself with a fairly large bill to pay.