Wednesday, January 7, 2009

That's our pop.

Wiki:

"Hideo "Pops" Yoshimura (October 7, 1922 - March 29, 1995) was a motorcycle tuner, race team owner and manufacturer of speciality motorcycle accessories. He is remembered for his ties to the beginnings of AMA Superbike racing and the Suzuki factory racing team. He was born in Fukuoka City, Japan.

Yoshimura was called into military service during the Second World War where he was trained as an aircraft mechanic. After the war, he began tuning motorcycles for American servicemen stationed in Japan and in 1954, he opened his first shop, with his wife and children helping him. In 1971, he moved his business to Los Angeles at the beginning of the four-cylinder superbike era. He gained a reputation as an excellent motorcycle tuner.

In 1976 the AMA introduced a racing class for production based bikes and Yoshimura established himself by entering fast, reliable Kawasaki Z1 bikes. In 1978 he switched to Suzuki bikes and began winning races. Steve McLaughlin won the 1978 Daytona Superbike race while Wes Cooley and Mike Baldwin won the prestigious 1978 Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan. With Wes Cooley as his rider, Yoshimura claimed the AMA Superbike national championship in 1979 and 1980. Yoshimura formed a close relationship with Suzuki and eventually his team became the official Suzuki factory racing team in the United States. His company experienced success as one of the world's largest performance aftermarket sportbike exhaust manufacturers.

Yoshimura died of cancer in 1995."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

RE: In 1976 the AMA introduced a racing class for production based bikes and Yoshimura established himself by entering fast, reliable Kawasaki Z1 bikes."

Actually the AMA introduced the class in 1973. Yvonne DuHamel and Dave Aldana both rode Z1's for Pop's in the 73 AMA Sanctioned Superbike class at Ontario Motor Speedway and Laguna Seca plus some races back east (Louden, Daytona) that year.

The bikes were fast but handled poorly and had to be wrestled around the track(s). In the picture noted below (taken at OMS on the opening lap) DuHamel on a Yosh Z1 is chasing Marty Lunde on a factory BMW who is chasing Bob Crossman on a privateer Z1. (http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/Compared2What/Cycle%20Stuff/Lap1-73OMS.jpg.

Finishing order at that 1st AMA Superbike race was Pridemore (BMW), Lunde (BMW), Aldana (Yosh Z1), DuHamel (Yosh Z1), Crossman (Privateer Z1), Neilson (Ducati).

Neilson was then the editor of Cycle Magazine.