Takeshi Katsuya joins us for Chapter 363! Taka is one of the key people behind the development of Kawasaki motorcycles—working on both the production side and the race team side. If you’ve ridden a newer Kawasaki and liked the changes, Taka is one of the guys to thank. A 4x Japanese Motocross Champion, Taka brings over 20 years of testing experience, starting with Factory Honda and now playing a major role at Factory Kawasaki. If you're curious about how bikes are developed and how that R&D translates into race wins at the highest level, this is the chapter is for you.

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00:00:00 Intro

00:03:34 Testing at Glen Helen

00:08:21 Jason Andersons bike set up

00:14:44 Jorge Prado's bike setup

00:19:06 Who's looking fast at the test track?

00:20:55 Taka's back story

00:42:24 Signing with HRC

00:46:52 Racing Stefan Everts

00:51:10 Leaving HRC Honda

01:03:09 Racing in Australia

01:14:09 Racing Tim Gajser and Jeremy Martin

01:19:23 Taka's choice to retire

01:20:37 Test riding for HRC Honda

01:31:54 What's the first day of production testing look like?

01:38:08 Kawasaki 450SR

01:40:16 The challenge of test riding in Japan

01:46:10 What went into developing the 2024 KX450F

01:51:53 What's a day at work look like for Taka?

01:54:11 Do the engineers ride the bikes?

01:57:26 Developing a bike thats decent in all conditions

02:03:56 Stock VS Factory Suspension

02:10:04 What made Taka fall in love with testing

02:19:47 How to approach testing new parts

02:26:57 How to set up a brand new bike

02:33:59 What it's like testing for Romain Febvre

02:38:10 Why do Factory Riders need test riders?

02:42:56 Is testing based more on visual feedback or feel?

02:45:13 What Taka enjoys the most about testing

02:49:15 Where do Motor Mounts make a difference?

02:52:26 Jase on testing the FCP Race Cups

02:56:40 How sensitive is Taka to bike changes?

03:04:18 What's the best production bike ever made?

03:12:07 How does Ken win on a 7 year old bike

03:13:48 The best riders can win on anything

03:19:29 Closing

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