3 replies to this topic

[brands77]

The first wave of Japanese riders to contest GPs was in the 1960s, riders such as Takahashi, Suzuki, Morishita and Itoh, raced full seasons. Quite a few other riders came over regularly throughout the season, especially for the TT,  After 1967 they disappeared, which I presume was due to the Japanese factories withdrawing from GP racing.

Hideo Kanaya (1972 - 1975) and then Ikujiro Takai (1975) came back over in the 1970s with Yamaha as factory riders, but they only contested the first few GPs of the season before returning to Japan. Kanaya was a contender, rarely out of podium positions and winning GPs and Takai raced the first few GPs of the 1975 season and finished 2nd in the one he finished. The Japanese Kawasaki works riders Wada and Kiyohara also did the same in 1977 when the KR250s were being introduced. They did a few GPs, placing well, then headed back to Japan and were never seen again.

Does anyone know why they didn't, or weren't allowed to, race the full season and go for the championship? They were obviously good enough. I can understand that they were factory test riders, but the riders in the 60s did full seasons and went for the title and presumably were also factory riders/testers.

Note: I am excluding Takazumi Katayama for the discussion as, I think he came across as a privateer first and not as a factory rider, so appears to be different from the others.

Edited by brands77, 14 October 2024 - 13:25.

[philippe7]

When Takazumi Katayama first came to Europe for the second half of the 1974 season (starting in Assen) he had, I believe, factory support. But when he came back for good at the start of the 1976 season,he indeed was a privateer. Raced Sarome-sponsored 250 and 350 TZ's in 1976 and 1977, then was entrusted with a factory 500 Yamaha for the 1978 season, and then signed for Honda in 1979 to develop the 4-stroke 500 NR ( and race a private 500 RG Suzuki to keep himself busy when the "Never Ready" was, well, not ready ....) and later successfully race the 500 NS.

 

As to the reason why the japanese test riders never stayed for the whole season ...... well, that's a good question   It was said at the times that their trip to Europe was some sort of "reward" by their employer ..... Suzuki also sent over some of their test riders for short stints, Hiroyuki Kawasaki was perhaps the most competitive.  I think that, outside of Katayama, the first factory rider to come for a full season was Tadahiko Taira for Yamaha. 

[brands77]

I didn't know Katayama came over as part of the Yamaha team, thank you for that. In '76 was he Chas Mortimer's team-mate? They were both sponsored by Sarome, I think Mortimer may have organised this for Katayama, and their leathers designs for '76 were quite similar, but the fairings designs were different and Katayama carried Hosteller (who I understand were, and still are, the Swiss Yamaha importers) stickers, while Mortimer did not, in the TT Chas rode a Danfay Yamaha that year. In '77 Katayama still had Sarome sponsorship, but he must have run out of Yamaha in Amsterdam, because he rode the 350-3 to the title that year and I am pretty sure Mortimer did not have any connection to Yamaha in Amsterdam, as in the '77 TT it looks like his sponsor was Johnsons not Sarome.

Sending riders over to Europe for a reward makes sense, I just wonder why the Japanese factories didn't want to back a Japanese rider to go for the championship. Looking at Kanaya's results I am sure he would have stood a good chance going for the title. Does anyone know if it was planned for him to do a full season in 1973 before Yamaha pulled out.

I know Takai was a semi-regular visitor to Australian races, I think he raced Bathurst on more than one occasion.

Edited by brands77, 18 October 2024 - 12:16.

[philippe7]

Well Kanaya was probably going to stay for the whole 1973 season as he had been chosen by Yamaha to become the 250 world champion. There was a well documented argument between Saarinen and the Yamaha management before the start of the 250 Austrian Grand Prix when he was requested to kindly let Kanaya win. During the race his pit signalled him many times to "slow", which he ignored as he wasn't going to take any orders. I'm not making this story up, it has been confirmed by Jarno's widow to at least two people I know personnally and trust. Anyway, we'll never know what the outcome would have been....

 

Regarding your comment re. Takai in Australia : yes, he certainly raced Bathurst in 1976 and 1977, and won both times ! In 1978 it was Kanaya's turn to race - and win - Bathurst . On those three occasions, Takai and Kanaya ran away with the races beating Australia and NZ's best, on a notoriously difficult track ..... admittedly, they had a definite machine advantage as their factory 750 YZR's were notably faster than the local machines - and there are some very long straights at Bathurst - but still, it was a shock for the locals. Kanaya also did the Marlboro Series of the 1977/1978 winter season in New Zealand.

 

The Japanese factories always sent their factory riders to take part in the major South East Asia races ( Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Macao .....) where the potential market at the time was huge. Starting in the mid-60's with Hasegawa, Motohashi or Mimuro for Yamaha, or Itoh and Katayama (Yoshimi) for Suzuki. They also arranged for their Australian and NZ distributors to send their best riders over, to increase the prestige of those events.  Guys like Geoff Perry, Ginger Molloy, Trevor Discombe, Dale Wylie, John Boote, John Woodley or Stu Avant were "superstars" on the Asian scene at the time.