Hideo “Pops” Yoshimura was born in Fukuoka City, Japan in the 1920s. He was called into military service during the WWII where he was trained as an aircraft mechanic. After the war, he began tuning motorcycles for American servicemen stationed in Japan. In 1954, he opened his first shop. Pops opened a shop in Hollywood, CA in 1971 right when four-cylinder superbikes were becoming popular & started manufacturing custom motorcycle performance parts. The Yoshimura R&D factory and office is now located in Chino, CA.
I brought my friend, Yusuke, on to talk about his experiences as a young engineer at Yoshimura R&D. Yusuke rides the track and helps out with 2 Wheel Trackdays. We discuss his experiences talking with Honda engineers, riding small bikes at the track, and what we think manufacturers should consider when bringing sport bikes to the North American Market.
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Thanks for listening!!
