Employees at the Shima Rider motorcycle rental shop in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, recommend traveling the Setouchi Shimanami Kaido Cycling Route on a retro motor scooter.
11:33 JST, September 29, 2024
ONOMICHI, Hiroshima – A motorcycle rental service is becoming popular among young people traveling the Setouchi Shimanami Kaido Cycling Road that connects Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, and Imabari, Ehime Prefecture.
Young people seem to be attracted to the motorcycles that allow riders to travel long distances with ease, while cute little rental bikes look good on social media.
The Shimanami Kaido Road has approximately 70 kilometers of cycle path for bicycles and motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125 cc or less. The road is known as a “cyclist’s haven” because of the beautiful views of the many islands from the bridges.
The Shima Rider motorcycle rental shop opened last spring, hoping to give visitors a new option to enjoy the sanctuary.
The store offers approximately 30 motorcycles, including 125 cc motorcycles, in five locations: near JR Shin-Onomichi Station, Mukaishima Island, Innoshima Island, Ikuchijima Island and near JR Hashihama Station in Imabari .
Customers rented just 10 motorcycles in May last year, but a year later in the same month this number increased to more than 100. According to the store, 60% of their customers are young people in their 20s and 30s.
“The road has so many slopes that many novice cyclists give up halfway,” said Yuya Wakamatsu, 30, who runs the motorcycle rental service. “I recommend motorcycles for people who want to travel to different islands so that they can save time and energy.”
