[Tokyo Revengers] What kind of motorcycle is Mikey's beloved "Babu"? How much does it cost?

【Tokyo Revengers】What is Mikey's beloved "Babu" (Honda CB250T HAWK)?

Source: https://www.honda.co.jp/news/1977/2770705.html

The manga "Tokyo Revengers" is as popular as "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba," and tells the story of a protagonist who, triggered by a certain event, time-leaps (time travels/time warps) to his delinquent middle school days.

Many bosozoku (biker gangs) and motorcycles appear in the story, depicted in fine detail. Among them, the leader of the bosozoku group, Manjiro Sano (nicknamed "Invincible Mikey"), rides a "Honda CB250T HAWK," affectionately known as "Babu."

What kind of motorcycle is the Babu (Honda CB250T HAWK)?

The motorcycle that appears in Tokyo Revengers and is nicknamed "Babu" is the Honda CB250T HAWK, which first appeared in July 1977.

Two months prior to the Babu, the 400cc CB400T (Hawk II) with an air-cooled parallel-twin, ultra-short-stroke engine was released. The Babu (CB250T) was then introduced as the 250cc version of the Hawk II.

The following year, in 1978, the Babu underwent a model change, mainly in its exterior, becoming the second generation. Changes included the tank shape, rear shock, and a switch from spoke wheels to Comstar wheels, similar to the 400T.

In Tokyo Revengers, in addition to the Invincible Mikey, the protagonist Takemichi Hanagaki also rides this second-generation Babu.

The Babu is now considered a classic bike, and with fewer units available, its transaction price easily exceeds 1 million yen, with some even surpassing 3 million yen, making it a premium motorcycle. It's said that some Tokyo Revengers fans have managed to acquire one.

So, what kind of manga is "Tokyo Revengers" that inspires such passionate fans?

What is "Tokyo Revengers," as popular as "Demon Slayer" and "Jujutsu Kaisen" today?

"Tokyo Revengers" is a manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine since March 2017 (as of September 2021). It tells the story of 26-year-old protagonist Takemichi Hanagaki, who awakens to the ability of time-leaping (time travel) and goes back and forth between the past and present to change his destiny.

He strives to change fate to save his middle school girlfriend, Hinata Tachibana, and her younger brother, Naoto, who died in a conflict in 2017. By making different choices than he did before, the future gradually begins to change.

The catalyst for the time leap occurred when the 26-year-old Takemichi was waiting for a train on the platform after his part-time job. Just before the train entered the station, he was pushed onto the tracks from behind by someone, and at the moment he resigned himself to death, it happened.

Takemichi had been living a boring, aimless freeter life, but he time-leaped to his middle school days (12 years ago) when he was a delinquent at his peak. It was during this time that he was dating Hinata Tachibana.

The future changes with the encounter with the Tokyo Manji Gang, the root of the conflict.

Having time-leaped to his middle school days, Takemichi tries to make a name for himself by storming a nearby school with his delinquent friends. However, after being beaten up by the Kiyomizu faction, who belong to the local bosozoku group Tokyo Manji Gang, and treated like a slave, he re-experiences his past life.

Amidst this, Takemichi rescues a boy who was being extorted, and it turns out to be Naoto, Hinata Tachibana's younger brother.

When he tells Naoto that Hinata will die 12 years later, Naoto, who has now avoided his own death, saves Takemichi from being pushed onto the platform, and the future steadily begins to change.

Triggered by a handshake with Naoto, he time-leaps back and forth between the present (2017) and 12 years ago. In the new future, Naoto has become a detective to protect his sister, but Hinata's death remains unchanged.

To change the future even further, Takemichi becomes involved with the Tokyo Manji Gang, the cause of the conflict.

It was there that he met Manjiro Sano, the leader of the Tokyo Manji Gang who rides a Babu, known by his alias "Invincible Mikey" for his undefeated strength in fights.

Becoming friends with the President and Vice-President of the Tokyo Manji Gang

Takemichi, who had been treated like a slave, became friends with Mikey and the Vice-President of the Tokyo Manji Gang, Ken Ryuguji, known as Draken, thanks to his strong belief in changing the future, which Mikey appreciated.

Through repeated time leaps, he awakens a firm resolve to change the future, and to save his comrades who, like Hinata, are destined to die. He grows significantly and steadily changes the future.

By saving one comrade, the future where another comrade dies is written, and he encounters events that should not have happened, making the story far from straightforward and full of twists and turns.

With glimpses into the characters' pasts and heartwarming stories, the narrative rapidly unfolds.

Tokyo Revengers has not only been adapted into an anime but also a live-action movie, which achieved box office success with 700 million yen.

The anime is available on streaming services like Amazon Prime Video and Hulu, so if you're interested, be sure to check out Tokyo Revengers.

The official name of "Babu" is Honda CB250T HAWK

Source: https://twitter.com/AABFysQrHFZUWyf/status/1440409449458331664/photo/1

The official name for the "Babu," the beloved motorcycle of Takemichi Hanagaki and "Invincible Mikey" Manjiro Sano in Tokyo Revengers, is the "Honda CB250T HAWK."

Despite having the name CB250T HAWK, why did it come to be affectionately called "Babu"?

Origin of the nickname "Babu" 

The Honda CB250T HAWK came to be called "Babu" because its engine exhaust sound was heard as "Babuuuu," and this distinctive exhaust note became its established nickname.

It was a model that gained popularity over time, not only for its characteristic and nicknamed exhaust sound, but also for its ease of handling at low speeds.

In Tokyo Revengers, in addition to the Babu, various other motorcycles appear, such as Draken, whose nickname is Ryuguji Ken, riding a Zephyr, and Keisuke Baji, the captain of the First Division of the Tokyo Manji Gang, and Chifuyu Matsuno, the captain of the First Division, riding a GSX250E (Goki).

Ken Ryuguji (Draken) → Beloved motorcycle: Zephyr

Ken Ryuguji, known by the nickname "Draken," is the Vice-President of the Tokyo Manji Gang, and his beloved motorcycle is a customized Kawasaki Zephyr 400.

The Zephyr 400 was released in April 1989, amidst the full-fairing racer replica boom, as a simple naked bike without a fairing.

While horsepower and performance were highly sought after, it featured a modest 46ps air-cooled 4-cylinder engine. However, it gained immense popularity among those not swept up in the racer replica boom and became a pioneer of the naked bike genre, challenging the high-spec trend.