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Japan × RACE: 16 articles
Yanagawa, Kagayama and Haga Sit Down for a Roundtable on Their World Championship Racing Days
Former world championship riders Akira Yanagawa, Yukio Kagayama, and Noriyuki Haga appeared in the first installment of a roundtable interview. Yanagawa made his name winning the 1990 Suzuka 4-Hour, Kagayama won the 2007 Suzuka 8 Hours with Yoshimura, and Haga won the 1996 Suzuka 8 Hours alongside Colin Edwards before racking up 43 career WorldSBK wins. The three also revisited a 2006 crash in the Czech Republic.
Mr.Bike BG · 8/7/2026
Ai Ogura: Ranked Second in MotoGP, but 'Still Far From the Ideal'
In an interview with Japan's Auto-by magazine, MotoGP sophomore Ai Ogura says he's still unsatisfied with his riding despite sitting second in the world championship. He's already scored his first podium, first pole and first win of the season — yet he spent his summer break lapping Okegawa Sports Land instead of resting.
オートバイ · 8/6/2026
Ai Ogura Looks Back on His First MotoGP Win at the Dutch GP
MotoGP rider Ai Ogura reflected on his first career win at the Dutch GP in a short interview with Webike. Asked what he was thinking on the final lap, he answered candidly, 'I don't really remember much, so I probably wasn't thinking too hard,' and revealed the winner's trophy now sits in his own room. He continues training through the summer break ahead of the next round.
Webike · 8/6/2026
Yamaha's V4 125cc Racer Won Back-to-Back World Titles in the 1960s
Yamaha's water-cooled two-stroke V4, the RA31, took Bill Ivy to the 125cc world championship in 1967. Its successor, the RA31A, carried Phil Read to a second consecutive title in 1968. The machine produced 44hp and weighed just 91kg dry, but it became the last V4 in the 125cc class after the FIM restricted the category to two cylinders from 1970.
バイクのニュース · 8/6/2026
'SDG Masters 50' Sees Five Legendary 50-Something Riders Race Alongside Young Talent
At the All Japan Road Race Championship held at Tsukuba Circuit on June 21, a new initiative called 'SDG Masters 50' put five legendary riders in their fifties — Akira Yanagawa, Noriyuki Haga, Naritsugu Kagayama, Kenichiro Kikuchi and Masayoshi Kobayashi — on the same grid as younger racers, with special prize money going to top finishers aged 22 and under. Haga finished second and Kagayama seventh.
バイクのニュース · 8/5/2026
Ai Ogura's Breakout Season Gets International Commentators Buzzing in Official MotoGP Recap
A video outlet spotlighted an official MotoGP recap of Ai Ogura's first-half season, noting that international commentators reacting to the footage were genuinely fired up. Through 11 of 22 rounds, the compilation covers a run that includes three straight premier-class podiums, a surge nobody predicted at the start of the year.
動画ライダー · 8/5/2026
Ai Ogura's First MotoGP Win Gets a Studio Special on Nitele Jsports
A studio special titled 'It's August. Ai Ogura Won His First MotoGP Race.' airs on Nitele Jsports on August 6 at 9 p.m., featuring Ogura himself. His victory at the Dutch GP marked the first premier-class win by a Japanese rider since Makoto Tamada in 2004, 22 years earlier.
オートバイ · 8/5/2026
Ninja Team Green Cup Round 4 Adds Women's Class at SPA Naoiri
Kawasaki will hold Round 4 of the Ninja ZX-25R one-make Ninja Team Green Cup at SPA Naoiri on September 5. Class 1 and the women-only class are capped at 27 bikes each, with a 10-minute qualifying session and a 12-lap final. Entries close August 17, with coaching by Ryosuke Iwato and free support for first-time participants.
モトメガネ (MotoMegane) · 7/29/2026
Baribari Legend File Book Revisits Gun Koma’s Racing Eras in Three Designs
San-ei released the Baribari Legend Clear File Book on July 28 for ¥1,500 including tax. It contains three double-sided files tracing Gun Koma from the mountain passes and Suzuka 4 Hours through All-Japan road racing and the WGP, plus an eight-page booklet introducing major characters from the domestic and international arcs. It is sold through bookstores, convenience stores and online retailers across Japan.
Webike News · 7/29/2026
Japanese MotoGP Offers Free Entry and Grandstand Access to Ages 16–23
The 2026 Japanese MotoGP at Mobility Resort Motegi will offer a free 16–23 ZERO Pass for registered visitors aged 16 to 23. It covers venue admission, general seating and the reservation-only shuttle from Haga Industrial Park Management Center; the LRT fare from Utsunomiya remains separate. Night Live and After Race Live music performances are also included.
Webike News · 7/29/2026
Honda Collection Hall Puts Honda and Yamaha's Rival WGP Machines Side by Side
Honda Collection Hall at Mobility Resort Motegi is hosting "Two Passions, One Dream," an exhibition tracing Honda and Yamaha's world championship history, running from July 18. It features Honda's 1966 five-class-sweep machines including the RC181, alongside Yamaha's RA97, its first water-cooled racer, plus modern rivals Marc Marquez's RC213V and Valentino Rossi's YZR-M1 displayed together.
バイクのニュース · 7/28/2026
Honda Collection Hall Exhibition Traces the WGP Journeys of Honda and Yamaha
The Honda Collection Hall at Mobility Resort Motegi is hosting 'Two Passions, One Dream: The WGP Challenges of Honda and Yamaha' from July 18 to October 18. Spanning the 1960s duel between Honda's inline-six and Yamaha's V4 through to recent Marquez and Rossi machines, it traces the Grand Prix racing history of Japan's makers.
バイクのニュース · 7/27/2026
Bimota KB998 Rimini: The WSBK-Bound BbK Project's 6.93M Yen Kawasaki-Powered Supersport
A profile of Bimota's current import model, the KB998 Rimini. The storied Italian constructor pairs a Kawasaki inline-four with its own chassis design and craftsmanship. Racing in World Superbike since 2025 as 'BbK' (Bimota by Kawasaki), the KB998 is a rare, race-linked supersport priced at 6.93 million yen including tax.
オートバイ · 7/27/2026
Racing an Underdog Adventure Bike: The Joy of Amateur Racing
Writer Takeshi Goto, who himself races a classic Kawasaki 750SS two-stroke, profiles the people and bikes of amateur racing, exploring why someone would take on road racing aboard a deliberately disadvantaged adventure model.
バイクのニュース · 7/27/2026
Birth of a Champion Machine: Looking Back at Honda's RC211V, Honda's First MotoGP Bike
A feature looking back at the RC211V, Honda's first MotoGP machine. Development began roughly 25 years ago, and about 20 years have passed since its last race. 2001 was the final year of 500cc two-stroke dominance, and the four-stroke MotoGP era began in 2002. This piece takes a fresh look at the iconic machine that symbolized that turning point.
Motor.nl · 7/26/2026
Ai Ogura Takes 2nd in Brno Sprint, Makes His Mark with Trackhouse Aprilia
According to Motorsport.com, Japan's Ai Ogura finished second in the MotoGP Round 9 Brno sprint. Riding the Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP, he closed to within just 0.241 seconds of race winner Bagnaia, holding off third-place Marquez in a strong ride that nearly reached the top of the podium.
Motorsport.com MotoGP · 7/25/2026