GYPSY TALES

Chapter 363

Takeshi Katsuya

27 May 2025 · 3h 22m

With Takeshi Katsuya

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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. Enjoy the show—and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you never miss a new drop!

Photos 2

Takeshi Katsuya — Gypsy Tales episode photo Takeshi Katsuya — Gypsy Tales episode photo

Chapters 35

  1. 0:00Intro
  2. 3:34Testing at Glen Helen
  3. 8:21Jason Andersons bike set up
  4. 14:44Jorge Prado's bike setup
  5. 19:06Who's looking fast at the test track?
  6. 20:55Taka's back story
  7. 42:24Signing with HRC
  8. 46:52Racing Stefan Everts
  9. 51:10Leaving HRC Honda
  10. 1:03:09Racing in Australia
  11. 1:14:09Racing Tim Gajser and Jeremy Martin
  12. 1:19:23Taka's choice to retire
  13. 1:20:37Test riding for HRC Honda
  14. 1:31:54What's the first day of production testing look like?
  15. 1:38:08Kawasaki 450SR
  16. 1:40:16The challenge of test riding in Japan
  17. 1:46:10What went into developing the 2024 KX450F
  18. 1:51:53What's a day at work look like for Taka?
  19. 1:54:11Do the engineers ride the bikes?
  20. 1:57:26Developing a bike thats decent in all conditions
  21. 2:03:56Stock VS Factory Suspension
  22. 2:10:04What made Taka fall in love with testing
  23. 2:19:47How to approach testing new parts
  24. 2:26:57How to set up a brand new bike
  25. 2:33:59What it's like testing for Romain Febvre
  26. 2:38:10Why do Factory Riders need test riders?
  27. 2:42:56Is testing based more on visual feedback or feel?
  28. 2:45:13What Taka enjoys the most about testing
  29. 2:49:15Where do Motor Mounts make a difference?
  30. 2:52:26Jase on testing the FCP Race Cups
  31. 2:56:40How sensitive is Taka to bike changes?
  32. 3:04:18What's the best production bike ever made?
  33. 3:12:07How does Ken win on a 7 year old bike
  34. 3:13:48The best riders can win on anything
  35. 3:19:29Closing

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