Japanese Bikes: Why Don’t They Have the Best Riders from Japan in the MotoGP Class?

RiderTua.com – In the past, Japanese brand bikes dominated MotoGP, surpassing the achievements of Japanese riders. Currently it is difficult for Honda-Yamaha to win, Japanese bike manufacturers play an important role in the world bike racing championship. Although with regard to the current results Honda and Yamaha are constantly in crisis, the full burden of the two permanent representatives (Yamaha-Honda) in the paddock is still visible. It is their commitment that makes motor racing a global sporting event.

So it is natural that Dorna as an organizer and marketer is very interested in presenting Asian riders in the World Championship. The Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup will enter its 10th season in 2024. The best riders in the event can reach the pinnacle of the sport through the Red Bull Rookies and Moto3 World Junior Championships.

Japanese Bikes: Why Don’t They Have the Best Riders from Japan in the MotoGP Class?

The presence of top brands combined with professional support for young talents keeps enthusiasm maintained. Apart from successfully bringing riders from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia to professional racing, Japanese riders will also be represented in all racing classes in 2024.

Taiyo Furusato (Honda), Tatsuki Suzuki (Husqvarna) and Ryusei Yamanaka (KTM) circled around in the Moto3 class and did not fill the gap. The three of them were in the front row at the start. Yamanaka then slumped, Suzuki managed to take 7th place and Furusato ended up on the podium cheering for team boss Hiroshi Aoyama.

Ayumu Sasaki (2023 Moto3 runner-up) like Ai Ogura, is now in the middle class. Although Sasaki failed to reach the finish line in his first race on a Triumph 3-cylinder engine with a Kalex chassis (twice as powerful), Ogura took center stage as he did in his debut year. The 23-year-old rider has been mentioned several times as a potential candidate for MotoGP, but in the end he returned to riding a Moto2 bike this season. In the Boscoscuo team, he finished 4th and missed the podium at the start by 0.7 seconds.

Things are not going well for the Japanese rider in the MotoGP class. But at least there is Takaaki Nakagami there, where he has been involved in the premier class since 2018. The rider from Chiba has never looked attractive and has never won in MotoGP. In 2020 he ended the season ranked 10th as his best result. The loyalty of the 32 year old rider is truly extraordinary because he has been loyal to Honda for 11 years. Or is it the opposite? Can Taka ride other brands? The answer is simple, Taka will end his career at Honda.

Although currently there are no Japanese riders who excel in bike racing (after 20 years ago Makoto Tamada celebrated his last victory in the top league at his home race in Motegi), today Honda is in a good position in terms of racing.

In the first race of the Asia Talent Cup which was held as the opening part of MotoGP in Lusail Qatar, there were two Japanese riders who climbed the podium, namely Zen Mitari and Riichi Takahira.