Of the 800,000 miles of thoroughfare winding throughout the islands of Japan, there’s just one 5 mile stretch the place you may drive a automobile on a public seaside (legally, at any price). It’s known as the Chirihama Nagisa Driveway, and for 363 days of the 12 months, it’s a serene little strip of shoreline and a well-liked vacation spot for vacationers and seaside goers.
For 2 very particular days of the 12 months, nonetheless, that serenity is changed by the candy music of straight-piped race bikes, whereas this clean patch of sand is transformed right into a drag strip like no different. We’re speaking concerning the Chirihama Sandflats, after all, which we’re additionally completely happy to announce returned in full drive this 12 months, for the primary time since 2018.
So what’s the Chirihama Sandflats? Put merely, it’s an annual classic motorbike race the place riders come to check their mettle, going full throttle on 70-plus-year-old gear down a 1/tenth mile stretch of seaside. The competition is straightforward: Two bikes line up aspect by aspect, the flag woman offers the sign, and the primary bike to cross the end line strikes on to the subsequent spherical.
This 12 months, roughly 150 vintage two wheelers made the pilgrimage out to the sand in Ishikawa Prefecture. A whole lot extra lovers and race followers lined up alongside to the seaside to look at, and the parade of inflexible frames, half helmets, and classic model that adopted was simply the best factor taking place on the planet for 48 hours.
Riders compete in one among three lessons: The primary is the 45 Championship Class, which consists of Harley Davidsons constructed earlier than 1952, pre-1953 Indians, and pre-1953 Triumphs as much as 500 cc. There’s additionally the 80 Championship Class, which is made up solely of tank-shift H-Ds and Indians, in addition to pre-1954 Triumphs as much as 650 cc.
Lastly, you’ve acquired your Open Class, which is open to all Harleys, Triumphs, and Japanese domestics constructed earlier than 1970. The one guidelines for all three lessons, in response to Chirihama Sandflats officers, are “no paddle tires, no race fuel, and no ‘unsafe modifications’.”
You’d assume that that final bit refers to stereotypical chopper fare, like stretched forks, tall apes, and sissy bars. However trying on the choice of machines current, most of these appear to be truthful recreation.
So how did one of many coolest motorbike gatherings on the planet discover its strategy to a little-known seaside outdoors of Hakui? We’re glad you requested.
See, the Chirihama Sandflats began as a little-known motorbike present again in 2012. For that first assembly, the races at Chirihama have been only a small portion of a bigger motorbike gathering, a drop within the bucket in comparison with the the occasion we all know at this time.
The primary meet was successful general, however the first annual working of the Chirihama Sandflats grew to become an sudden sensation. Photographs of classic bikes racing extensive open down a pristine seaside unfold like wildfire, which is very wild contemplating social media was nonetheless in its infancy on the time.
Inside a couple of months, speak of the races had all however eclipsed the bike present itself. Organizers have been so inundated with inquiries concerning the Chirihama Sandflats, that when it got here time to plan the observe up occasion, the choice was made to make the races themselves the principle focus of the gathering.
Chirihama Sandflats continued to develop from there. And as trendy social media started to hit its stride within the years that adopted, photos of the race’s excessive model and unmistakable classic taste discovered their strategy to rattling close to each builder and fanatic the world over.
The annual get-together continued easily up till 2019, when 48 hours of close to fixed rain pressured the organizers to cancel. We’ll wager we don’t must let you know why the race didn’t run in 2020 (trace: it rhymes with Boronavirus). However after some petitioning of the native authorities, Chirihama Sandflats returned in 2021—albeit with strict security restrictions in place.
It seems that classic bike homeowners have been getting simply as stir loopy as everybody else throughout the pandemic,as a result of the race hit file numbers on its first 12 months again. Over 160 racers got here out to compete for the Chirihama Sandflats’ triumphant return.
2022 marks the primary race since 2018 that the occasion has been held with a full viewers, and no authorities restrictions of any sort. If you happen to’d prefer to rely your self among the many fortunate few who get to race subsequent 12 months, anybody with a certified bike and 20,000 yen to cowl their entry payment is welcome to hitch.
With particular due to our good good friend Tadashi Kono, who provided each the photographs and data for this report.
