OK Dwight, here goes, (listen up, it gets a little weird) I was living in Tokachibuto up on Hokkaido in Japan at the time. They still used the wareki calendar for vehicles. Otherwise known as the year of the Emperor. When my bike was built it was the 46th year of the reign of Hirohito. Actually it was an S46 because they give the emperors a posthumous name (Hirohito's is Showa) They do this before the guy dies. In case you're interested (and even if you're not
) The current emperor, Akihito's posthumous name is Heisei and this year is H20. So, you could buy a bike one year and it would be , say a 49, and a couple of years later buy one and it would be a 2. (there is no year 1, don't ask)
By the way, if my 46 CB450 (I'd still like to have it) had been sold in the US, it would have been a 71 (1971 that is). Aren't you glad you asked?
Mike
