CHAPTER 363 Ft. Takeshi Katsuya

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! 🔋 Drink AG1 http://www.drinkag1.com/gypsytales 🥾 Get $10 Off @BRUNT with code GYPSYGANG at https://bruntworkwear.com/GYPSYGANG! #bruntpod 🕶️ SportRx – Prescription & Performance Eyewear https://www.sportrx.com 💧 Order SOTA Fuel “Gypsy Juice” https://sotafuel.com/products/sota-fuel-hydration-30-pack?variant=42103959945258 🛒 Shop Gypsy Tales merch: https://us.gypsy-tales.shop/ 🎙 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsBG… 📸 FOLLOW GYPSY TALES ON INSTAGRAM: @gypsytalespodcast 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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.