Few would argue that no-one epitomises more what it means to compete at the TT than Masayuki Yamanaka, and the popular Japanese rider will return to the Isle of Man TT races in 2026 where he will be supported and guided for the sixth year by Ian Lougher and Team ILR.
The 57 year old, who has also competed in over 25 Suzuka 8-Hour races, is no stranger to the Mountain Course and he created history in 2015 when he was the first rider from Japan to step on to a Manx GP podium after finishing a brilliant second in the Newcomers C race.
He also registered a ninth place finish in the Lightweight event and was second best newcomer that year.
No doubt inspired by the heroics of Suzuki mounted Mitsuo Ito in the 1963 50cc TT (to date the only rider from Japan to win an Isle of Man TT) and many of his fellow countrymen before him, Masayuki loves the TT and in 2017 he overcame many previous obstacles, including a life threatening accident in his mid-40's, to finally realise his dream and make his debut at the world famous event where he finished 49th in the first Monster Energy Supersport race and lapping at just over 115mph.
Masayuki would soon turn to the vast experience of ten-times TT winner Lougher and his team to give him the extra push and guidance he felt was necessary to realise his full potential and he made his debut with Team ILR in 2019.
It was a move which paid off and he would go on to register his first top-20 finish in 2023 and the delight was there for all to see when he put in a fantastic performance in the second Supertwin TT on our Kawasaki ER-6 to clinch his first ever Bronze replica which meant so much to him and the team.
Beneath his ever-smiling and happy demeanour lies a professional and experienced TT competitor, and the rider who has had the honour of being Japan's sole entrant in recent years has had four top-25 finishes and has only failed to complete two of the sixteen TT's he has started.
In 2026 Yamanaka-san will be on one of our 650 Patons in both Sportbike TT's which will replace the Supertwin TT races of previous years.
The 57 year old, who has also competed in over 25 Suzuka 8-Hour races, is no stranger to the Mountain Course and he created history in 2015 when he was the first rider from Japan to step on to a Manx GP podium after finishing a brilliant second in the Newcomers C race.
He also registered a ninth place finish in the Lightweight event and was second best newcomer that year.
No doubt inspired by the heroics of Suzuki mounted Mitsuo Ito in the 1963 50cc TT (to date the only rider from Japan to win an Isle of Man TT) and many of his fellow countrymen before him, Masayuki loves the TT and in 2017 he overcame many previous obstacles, including a life threatening accident in his mid-40's, to finally realise his dream and make his debut at the world famous event where he finished 49th in the first Monster Energy Supersport race and lapping at just over 115mph.
Masayuki would soon turn to the vast experience of ten-times TT winner Lougher and his team to give him the extra push and guidance he felt was necessary to realise his full potential and he made his debut with Team ILR in 2019.
It was a move which paid off and he would go on to register his first top-20 finish in 2023 and the delight was there for all to see when he put in a fantastic performance in the second Supertwin TT on our Kawasaki ER-6 to clinch his first ever Bronze replica which meant so much to him and the team.
Beneath his ever-smiling and happy demeanour lies a professional and experienced TT competitor, and the rider who has had the honour of being Japan's sole entrant in recent years has had four top-25 finishes and has only failed to complete two of the sixteen TT's he has started.
In 2026 Yamanaka-san will be on one of our 650 Patons in both Sportbike TT's which will replace the Supertwin TT races of previous years.