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JAPANESE DRAMA / MOTORCYCLE
The motorcycle in
Beautiful Life was a Yamaha TW200.
In the 2000 Japanese drama, Shuji Okishima—played by Takuya Kimura—rides a Yamaha TW200. This guide goes beyond the model name to separate verified evidence from assumptions, explain the TW's street-culture moment, and find relevant motorcycles today.
- Programme
- Beautiful Life
- Motorcycle
- Yamaha TW200
- Broadcast
- 2000
- Evidence
- Yamaha publication
Was the bike really a Yamaha TW200?
Yes. Yamaha News, February 2000, identifies the motorcycle used by Takuya Kimura's character as a Yamaha TW200. The model identification is therefore supported by a first-party manufacturer source.
The drama's TW200 uses a compact street-custom silhouette built around the model's broad tyres. Its exact year and individual parts have not been published, but the uncluttered stance is a defining part of Shuji's relaxed style.
The TW200 was already becoming a phenomenon
The TW200 arrives
Its unusually wide tyres and narrow body gave a dual-purpose motorcycle a silhouette unlike ordinary road bikes.
Younger riders adopt it
Yamaha records a sharp rise among late-teen and twenty-something riders, alongside a culture of personal customisation.
Three consecutive best-selling years
It led Japan's light-motorcycle registrations for three years. Yamaha recorded 15,157 registrations in 2000 and 49,677 over the model's first fourteen years.
Beautiful Life airs
The drama did not create the trend from nothing; it placed an already-rising street bike in a highly visible cultural moment.
2001 Yamaha TW200 specifications
These are Yamaha's published figures for the 2001 production model, not a claim about the exact modified filming motorcycle.
| Item | 2001 TW200 | Why it matters visually |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 196 cc air-cooled four-stroke single | A narrow centre and exposed, uncomplicated mechanical mass |
| Wet weight | 128 kg | A relatively approachable urban footprint |
| Seat height | 790 mm | A level silhouette without extreme height |
| Tyres | 130/80-18 front; 180/80-14 rear | The exceptionally broad rear tyre defines the stance |
| Fuel capacity | 7.0 L | Compact rather than long-distance touring proportions |
What current motorcycle feels closest to a TW200?
None is a direct successor. These options reflect three different parts of the TW idea: street-scrambler mood, a light single-cylinder experience, or dual-purpose roots.
Sources and editorial limits
- Yamaha News, February 2000 — programme, actor and TW200 identification.
- Yamaha's 2001 TW200 release — history, sales context and specifications.
This is an independent, unofficial article. Its image does not reproduce programme footage, cast or a recognisable scene. It is an original editorial illustration created to discuss motorcycle culture.