First time I have heard Taka do a full interview well done Off Track, what a very nice guy he is too , it must be hard to be in the position he is in as it is for the whole Honda team because they know how to build a fast bike and have been doing it for so many years. With Ducati being on the crest of a wave lately they have a hell of a lot to do however with the changes that are in the pipeline perhaps this will be a chance for the likes of Honda and Yamaha to catch up .I think for me aero is the devils work just look at F1 we don't need it and while they are at it get rid of ride hight devices too .Hopefully the new smaller engines will mean these things may not be necessary hopefully . great watch guys many thanks .
Aero has got out of hand, the bikes are a lot more physical and the overtaking is sometimes more dangerous or even not possible without a lunge of any description. There’s almost certainly a post-Marc hangover in terms of the issues and maybe the rule changes will help them back towards being competitive again. Appreciate your great words as always, CM 😊
Nice interview and Taka is so much more forthcoming than some Japanese riders, I was a big fan of Nori Haga but he certainly wasn't a raconteur! But the thing I find frustrating is that we all know that the Honda is in trouble but nobody seems to get specific about it, is the aerodynamics? Is it that it's been overdeveloped in a MM direction? What are the priorities that Honda are working on? I just wish I could understand the Honda situation more (I guess they do too!).
Im here and am in the trade, A friend of mine works for a tyre manufacturer and Does the Asian cup moto gp I and my wife have both worked for Honda. There ARE some clever people there but are not being allowed to shine ( management, Japanese corporate structure ) and the lack of creativity being churned out of Japanese schools Couple that with a lack of investment, wind tunnels, electronics etc IMHO UNLESS Honda get their head out of their arse and remove the dead wood bubble economy management backwards is where u will see Japanese teams Im in the trade here
I’m a Japanese Taka fan & have read a lot of Japanese articles, interviews with him. One theme he mentioned last year was “the problem being unable to spot the problem” & he was right, after Marquez leaving Honda, they didn’t know where to focus the development. This year it’s even worse as Taka mentioned “HRC doesn’t listen to my feedback, especially about rear grip”. I feel like he feels not appreciated enough by Honda and very likely to leave the MotoGP grid next season…. Anyways, amazing interview video!!! Enjoyed the whole interview 💪💪
I agree, I think he’s a very underrated rider within the Honda ranks but he’s an intelligent guy. Thank you for your kind words, they’re very much appreciated 🙂
Very well handled interview Dave - must be a delicate situation for Honda these days. Love Taka - a very articulate young man with an amazing grasp on the English language. Respect.
Thank you, Raymond 🙏🏼 I really enjoyed the chat with Taka, he’s an intelligent and engaging fella. I also enjoyed the chance to chat MotoGP with a current MotoGP rider - not something I get to do often.
Really enjoyed listening to Taka, he came across so well and is clearly very knowledgeable and dedicated. He will be sorely missed on the grid next year, he's demonstrated this season just how good he is given that he is the current leading honda in the standings despite competing against a former champion on a factory bike in Mir. I'm sure the honda will improve leaps and bounds with him as a development rider.
Thanks so much, mate - really appreciate that. Yeah, he's been a great servant to LCR Honda but the results just haven't happened enough for him in recent years despite as you rightly say, finishing ahead of at least one Repsol bike each week.
@@OffTrack_Podcast I really hope honda can get it together in all elite racing series. The new generation of fireblade from 2020 and also the 2024 has proved a dreadful failure in wsbk despite having everything it needs to win on paper. I thought maybe honda would offer a huge money deal to someone like Taka or Mir to make the switch to wsbk and hopefully drag them into a title challenge and unlock the full potential of the blade.
Another great interview! 👍 Always been a fan of Taka, just a shame the bike was developed around Marquez. I really believe Taka would, with a bit of luck, have won a few races.
I so wish Taka had a Ducati or Aprilia and could really show us his speed and racecraft But he will probably end up in wsbk or back in Japan Great work Dave 👍😊
unfortunately the engineers that Honda has for this MotoGP BIke not understand this type of Bike´s, where the electronic, aero and the interaction with the tires works, maybe next year or in 2 years they understand it 🤞🤞🤞
unfortunately Taka stay to long in the LCR Team, I´m sure with a other Brand and Bike he would learn more and would maybe step up to a higher performance but like I said it´s now to late.
