Word of the Day: Bosozoku

Once a big deal–loud bikes, loud lifestyle, loud everything–the Bosozuku numbers have been falling. This Vice piece (warning, it’s not G-rated) takes a look at the current Bosozuku scene. For added credit on the subject, to check out Japan’s underground in the ’80s and ’90s, read  “Speed Tribes”.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/xMpZLrODd3k

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Good thing my phone can't handle video, I'd be watching this now. Vice has some interesting stuff.

I want a Bosozuku Cresseda. 

In reply to Appleseed :

I want Bosozoku everything. Including things that should probably never ever receive the Boso treatment...

Does this mean a Word Of The Day on shakotan and dekotora is in the works? I'm more of a shakotan guy than bosozoku. And Dekotora is  just some absolutely hilariously awesome stuff.

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to Appleseed :

I want Bosozoku everything. Including things that should probably never ever receive the Boso treatment...

Like a widebody Lamborghini with metallic leopard print vinyl wrap? I imagine that makes quite the exhaust note

NickD said:

Does this mean a Word Of The Day on shakotan and dekotora is in the works? I'm more of a shakotan guy than bosozoku. And Dekotora is  just some absolutely hilariously awesome stuff.

I literally came here to say this!

Maybe it's time for a crazy E36M3 Japan thread...

Gearheadotaku said:

Maybe it's time for a crazy E36M3 Japan thread...

^^^ YES!!!

The automobile modification laws in Japan must be more lenient than the US.      

I'm waiting for Bippu....

In reply to jharry3 :

I'm not really sure how they get around that. The Shaken is typically quite thorough, and very expensive, about $900 every 2 years, and even stricter on older vehicles. You'll see a lot of the boso and drift missiles on red striped plates, which is a temporary reg/plate. 

In reply to fatallightning :

It's actually part of the game for them. The owners get the car passed then do all the crazy mods. When the inspection is due again they de-mod the car just enough to pass again, and then put it right back together. It's like a form of passive aggressive resistance to authority.

Kaido Racer car is technically the proper term for of the modded street cars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bōsōzoku

bosozuku is typically for the modded bikes and biker gangs of japan.

Bōsōzoku motorcycles are often confused with Kaido Racer car modifications. In America it is common to hear Kaido Racers referred to as "Bosozoku", though this is not the case. They can often seem similar and can be seen on highways together in Japan, though they are two different things. More extreme "silhouette style" Kaido Racers often take inspiration from old race cars of the 80s. They add wide bodykits and huge wings, resembling the Group 5 "Special Production Cars" of the 1970s.^[10]

In present time the bōsōzoku style has been thrown onto Kei cars^[11] for show in the car scene in Japan. A good example would be Twinkie's car from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.^[12] While his car may not be a Kei car it's most definitely bōsōzoku style. It's being used in this way for younger people to show off to their friends because Kei cars are very affordable and have more surface area to be unique and have that bōsōzoku style. They can often be seen at car meets like the meets at Daikokufuto parking lot and Shibaura parking area on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

In reply to chandler :

Bippu is the shiznit. 
 

in regards to the bosozoku, when I was in japan, I was conversing with a shop owner. She told me (in a very broken English, yet, very wise way) the reason they are in decline is "older generation like lion, younger generation like fawn". It was a profound way of looking at things and I began to see the division the more I was there. 

fatallightning said:

In reply to jharry3 :

I'm not really sure how they get around that. The Shaken is typically quite thorough, and very expensive, about $900 every 2 years, and even stricter on older vehicles. You'll see a lot of the boso and drift missiles on red striped plates, which is a temporary reg/plate. 

Look at Upgarage. They list tons of oem stock parts. Most of us shrug and say "why would someone buy the old, oem muffler for their car?" But when you need to pass the inspection, Upgarage is the place to get it. 

Javelin said:

In reply to fatallightning :

It's actually part of the game for them. The owners get the car passed then do all the crazy mods. When the inspection is due again they de-mod the car just enough to pass again, and then put it right back together. It's like a form of passive aggressive resistance to authority.

The other approach I've heard of is to buy a junker, get it through inspection, mod it, then scrap it before the next inspection is due.

Sorry have lots to say on these topics! One other suggestion for WOTD is chassis numbers. Particularly the Japanese way of classifying cars. 
i know a few members here have said they don't know what an "AE86" is, nor an "NC", "DC5", gc8, fa, fb, fc, fd, F me. 

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to Appleseed :

I want Bosozoku everything. Including things that should probably never ever receive the Boso treatment...

Dude. Bozo van. I know you want to. 

Mndsm said:

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to Appleseed :

I want Bosozoku everything. Including things that should probably never ever receive the Boso treatment...

Dude. Bozo van. I know you want to. 

I want a Dajiban!

In reply to Mndsm :

Berkeley yeah. Can GRM do a Boso-Dajiban project? 

NickD said:

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to Appleseed :

I want Bosozoku everything. Including things that should probably never ever receive the Boso treatment...

Like a widebody Lamborghini with metallic leopard print vinyl wrap? I imagine that makes quite the exhaust note

Even weirder than that...