Since my days as an art university student, I believe I have trained my own eye to distinguish the genuine from the fake, the truly first-rate from the mediocre and poorly made. The world is filled with objects of many kinds—from fleeting, trend-driven products to those born of long histories and the accumulation of master craftsmanship. While it is easy to classify such things into broad categories of high, middle, and low quality, I believe that a true professional designer is someone who can discern and evaluate them in far finer gradations—one hundred, or even two hundred levels.

The Moulton bicycle, which I first encountered in my thirties, was precisely the kind of object that stimulated this aesthetic sensibility. I was struck by a photograph of the “AM-7” that I saw in a magazine and instantly felt, “This is something extraordinary.” When I later came across the AM-7 again in another magazine, I seriously considered purchasing one. However, in the 1980s, a bicycle priced at 350,000 yen was simply too extravagant, and I reluctantly gave up the idea.

A few years later, by sheer coincidence, I encountered a used yellow “ATB” in front of a local bicycle shop. Although it was different from the AM-7 I had admired, it was unmistakably a Moulton even from a distance. Priced in the 100,000-yen range, it felt within reach, and I bought it on impulse. That bicycle became my memorable first Moulton.

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In 1994, our family attended the very first Moulton Meeting, held in Yatsugatake. It was also the occasion of Dr. Moulton’s first visit to Japan, and Moulton enthusiasts from all over gathered together. Including our children, who were still very young at the time, the entire family was able to enjoy the event.

Before the second Moulton Meeting, I purchased a new “GT,” and began searching for Moulton bicycles for all five members of our family, starting with the AM-7 that I had first admired. This search ultimately became the catalyst for my journey into collecting Moultons.

At the time, I never imagined that it would eventually grow into the collection it is today—it was beyond anything I could have dreamed of back then.

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As I researched old materials and commissioned dealers to help me collect Moulton bicycles, I found that in the 1990s, even if I was specifically looking for a model such as the “SPEED 6,” having one shipped from the UK typically required purchasing four or five bicycles together—often including some in quite worn condition.

However, there were many things that could only be understood by handling and examining them personally, and it became an invaluable learning experience. Although Moulton bicycles of that era were not the hand-built luxury models they are today, I came to appreciate that, despite being mass-produced, they were constructed with a remarkable level of craftsmanship.

Looking back now, I fondly remember those days spent searching for Moulton F-type frames together with Mr. Eguchi, who was working at the bicycle shop “Works” at the time, exploring and inspecting them through trial and error.

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In time, I became completely captivated by the “‘S’ (S-range) SPEED.” When I researched it, I was told that only five examples existed worldwide and that one would almost never appear on the market. Then, I received news that one was for sale in France and immediately made an approach—only to learn, regrettably, that I was second in line.

I had nearly given up hope when the first buyer was forced to withdraw for financial reasons, and through a stroke of good fortune, my wish to acquire the rare “‘S’ SPEED” was fulfilled. I was so elated at the time that I even hosted a party with fellow Moulton enthusiasts, celebrating with the “‘S’ SPEED” as the centerpiece.

After that, in an era when detailed information was not yet readily available online, valuable tips and leads came from fellow aficionados. Almost unbelievably, I was able to acquire one elusive S-range after another—models considered extremely difficult to obtain. This made it impossible not to feel that I shared a special bond or sense of destiny with Moulton.

At the same time, I became deeply aware of my responsibility to understand the value of vintage Moultons as cultural assets of global significance, and to preserve them with care and pass them on to future generations.

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After several years, it was still uncommon in Japan for someone to own dozens of Moulton bicycles, and as a result, my family and I were occasionally featured in media interviews. A photograph published in a magazine on our tenth wedding anniversary was teasingly referred to by my wife as “our anniversary celebration turning into bicycles,” but it remains carefully displayed in our home to this day.

In the late 1990s, at the invitation of Mr. Tominari of Dynavector, I visited Dr. Moulton’s castle and traveled through Switzerland together with his successor, Shaun, and Doug Milliken, among others. To reach the summer resort where a meeting was held, we placed cardboard reinforcements inside two genuine Moulton travel bags, loaded Dr. Moulton’s beloved bicycles, and set off from Zurich via Germany—Dr. Moulton himself driving a rented FIAT minivan.

At one point, while taking a walk along the Rhine River, we all paused to admire the view, remarking on how beautiful the flow of the river was. Dr. Moulton, however, paid little attention to that and instead pointed to a crane at a construction site behind us, enthusiastically exclaiming, “Look at that magnificent truss!” That moment left a lasting impression on me. ( " Dynavector " Japanese Moulton Importer )

 

On another occasion when he visited Japan, we picked him up in a Mercedes-Benz and saw him off in a Jaguar. Folding his tall frame rather awkwardly into the confined interior of the Jaguar, he remarked, “A Mercedes is a tank. After all, a Jaguar is better.”

Looking at photographs of the cars he had owned over the years—ranging from Jaguars and Citroëns to Ferraris and Bentleys, as well as the Mini he was involved with developing, and even Honda motorcycles—it seemed clear that he favored vehicles with excellent suspension, combining not only advanced technology but also a strong sense of sensibility and design.

In more recent years, he drove a Prius and spoke very highly of the quietness and engineering of Lexus vehicles as well.

 

Today, Japan is the second-largest market for Moulton bicycles after the United Kingdom, and Dr. Moulton holds a special affection for Japan. As an engineer, his greatest interest has always been in the latest developments and innovations; at the same time, he also seems to have a deep appreciation for the historical Moulton models that tell the story of the brand’s evolution—such as those I have been collecting.

 

Today, the appeal of Moulton bicycles is widely recognized, and it is no longer uncommon for Moultonians to own multiple Moultons. I would consider it my greatest fulfillment if I could continue, as my life’s work, to serve as something of an ambassador for Moulton in the years to come.