by Everyone has a different reason for starting to ride a motorcycle. While some people cite changes in their lifestyles such as commuting to work or school or being invited by an acquaintance, others say it was triggered by a manga or anime featuring a motorcycle.
In this article, based on the results of a survey of 335 Mynavi News members who ride motorcycles, we will introduce popular manga and anime featuring motorcycles in ranking format.
What is the number 1 ranking of popular manga featuring motorcycles?
We surveyed 335 Mynavi News members who ride motorcycles and asked them what they liked about “anime/manga with motorcycles.”
As a result, Shuichi Shigeno’s “Bari-Bari Densetsu” (148 people, 44.8%) took first place. 2nd place is Afro “Yurucamp” (81 people, 24.2%), 3rd place is Orimoto Mimana “Bakuon!!” (79 people, 23.6%), 4th place is “750 riders” (68 people, 24.2%). 20.3%), and 5th place is “Hot Road” (60 people, 17.9%).
There are various styles of comics featuring motorcycles, from hardcore to loose and cute. Let’s look at the top 5 works and the comments received from our readers.
- “Baribari Legend” 148 people, 44.8%
- “Yuru Camp △” 81 people, 24.2%
- “Bakuon!!” 79 people, 23.6%
- “750 Rider” 68 people, 20.3%
- “Hot Road” 60 people, 17.9%
5. Hot Road
First, the 5th place was the shoujo manga “Hot Road” by Taku Tsumiki. A junior high school girl who is not blessed with the love of her parents and lives in solitude meets a boy from a motorcycle gang, goes down a path of delinquency, and lives hard despite being hurt.
It was serialized in Bessatsu Margaret from January 1986 to May 1987 and became a live-action film in 2014.
Haruyama, a boy from a motorcycle gang, rode Honda CB400FOUR. It gained popularity for its stylish appearance, which incorporated the cafe racer look that was popular then, and its stable driving performance.
Mynavi News member comment
When I was in junior high school, “hot roads” were famous, and many people were riding the same bikes as Haruyama, the main character, in the city (female in her 40s/Saitama Prefecture/others), I took a long ride to the coast (woman in her 50s/Okayama Prefecture/housewife)
- “750 Rider.”
“750 Rider (Nanahan Rider)” by Isami Ishii. It was serialized in “Weekly Shonen Champion” from 1975 to 1985.
Coming-of-age manga featuring a high school boy who loves his Honda Dream CB750FOUR as the protagonist.
In 2001, a live-action film version was also released. Honda Dream CB750FOUR, the main character’s favorite car, which is also the title, was Honda’s first large model released in 1969 and was the driving force behind the “Nanahan (motorcycle with a displacement of 750cc) boom”.
Mynavi News member comment
I love 750 Riders, which I read in elementary school. (Male in his 40s/Osaka Prefecture/Others)
I read “750 Rider” in high school and wanted to ride the same bike, so I got a medium-sized license and bought a used CB400FOUR. On rainy days, I was satisfied with not riding as much as possible and polishing it to a shine every day. (Male in his 60s/Saitama Prefecture/sales and service related)
I was riding a CB750K2 due to the influence of “750 Rider” (Male in his 50s/Shizuoka Prefecture/others)
- “Bakuon!!”
Ranked 3rd is “Bakuon!!”, which has been serialized in “Monthly Young Champion Retsu” since 2011 and is based on the original manga by Minana Orimoto.
The slogan is “An exhilarating high-tension school comedy presented with a high school girl x motorcycle,” which is a comedy featuring a high school girl who joins the motorcycle club with her classmates, obtains a motorcycle license, and enjoys the motorcycle life. It is a work of touch. It was also animated, and the anime version was broadcast from April to June 2016.
Motorcycle riders support it because many real motorcycles appear, and “something” about motorcycles and manufacturers seems. The Honda CB400SF SPEC2 that the main character rides are a model that is widely loved by motorcycle enthusiasts, from beginners to veterans.
Mynavi News member comment
I saw “Bakuon!!” and went on a tour with my friends. (Male in his 40s/Shizuoka Prefecture/sales/service related)
After watching “Bakuon!!”, I got hooked on customizing motorcycles. (Male in his 20s/Ishikawa Prefecture/IT-related technician)
- “Yuru Camp. △”
This time, “Yuru Camp △” won second place with overwhelming support from people in their 20s and 30s. With the theme of “outdoors” x “girls,” this is a new kind of girls’ story depicting the daily life of high school girls who enjoy camping and other outdoor activities around Yamanashi Prefecture.
The manga is based on Afro, serialized in “Manga Time Kirara Forward” from the July 2015 issue to the April 2019 issue.
It has also been animated, and the production of the third period has also been decided following the first period (broadcast from January to March 2018) and the second period (published from January to April 2021). In addition, the drama version was posted on TV Tokyo’s “Thursday Drama 25” frame from January to March 2020, and the movie version was released in July 2022, indicating its popularity.
In “Yurucamp△, “one of the main characters, Rin Shima, rides a Yamaha Motor 50cc scooter, “Vino.” A series with a history of more than 20 years as a cute retro scooter for women, a special version in collaboration with “Yuru Camp” was also manufactured.
Mynavi News member comment
I started solo camping on a motorcycle after watching “Yuru Camp △. ” (Male in his 50s/Fukuoka Prefecture/Others)
I was riding the same bike as Yuru Camp △, so I went on an extended tour with that bike.
- “Baribari Legend.”
“Baribari Densetsu” by Shuichi Shigeno won first place in the ranking of popular manga featuring motorcycles. The realistic depiction attracted enthusiastic support from motorcycle enthusiasts, and the voting rate was 44.8%, which was the top by far.
“Bari-Bari Densetsu,” popularly known as “Bari-den,” was serialized in “Weekly Shonen Magazine” from 1983 to 1991 and is a masterpiece that supported the motorcycle boom of the 1980s. A high school boy who loves motorcycles enters the world of road racing. His trajectory from being an amateur to eventually becoming a world champion is depicted along with his friendship and love affairs with his rivals.
In 1985, he won the 9th Kodansha Manga Award for Boys, and in 1986, original video animations were produced as “Part I Tsukuba Hen” and “Part II Suzuka Hen.”
The main character’s favorite car is “Honda CB750F”, also known as “Shibiko-chan.” Released in 1979 as a “sport model with a focus on running,” it gained popularity worldwide with several of the latest equipment.
Mynavi News member comment
I read “Bari-Bari Densetsu” and started running to the mountain pass. Initially, I got a license for town riding and purchased a motorcycle (CB400F). (Male in his 50s/Fukuoka Prefecture/sales and service related)
When I saw “Bari-Bari Densetsu,” I rode a bicycle as if it were a motorcycle. (Male in his 50s/Tokyo/IT-related technician)
I read “Bari-Bari Densetsu” and thought I wanted to become a racer. (Man in his 40s/Saitama Prefecture/sales related)
I named my motorcycle after reading “Bali Legend.” (Male in his 50s/Shizuoka Prefecture/Other technical positions)
I also like this motorcycle anime/manga!
In addition to the works ranked in the top 5, Mynavi News members who ride motorcycles listed the following motorcycle anime/manga as their favorite works.
Tohru Fujisawa “GTO”
When I saw “GTO,” I wanted to buy a big motorcycle (man in his 20s/Osaka/sales service)
Ken Wakui “Tokyo Revengers”
I thought Bub (Honda’s CB250T HAWK) that Mikey (Manjiro Sano) of “Tokyo Revengers” rides was cool (man in his 20s/Saitama Prefecture/specialized service)
Masayuki Ishikawa “Moyashimon”
I bought a moped when I was a university student after watching “Moyashimon” (Male in his 20s/Osaka Prefecture/Sales related)
Ai Yazawa’s “Neighborhood Story”
I wanted to ride a cute moped when I saw him riding a Super Cub in Goneiki Monogatari (Female, 20s/Tokyo/Sales)
“AKIRA” by Katsuhiro Otomo
I wanted a bike that appeared in “AKIRA,” so I did a lot of research (man in his 30s / Kanagawa prefecture/sales related)
Many masterpieces of manga and anime feature motorcycles, from old Yankee comics to yurukawa stories starring high school girls who fueled the camping boom in recent years.
It seems that anime and manga have an unexpectedly significant impact. As many people said in the questionnaire, “anime and manga inspired me to ride a motorcycle.”
