Hiroshi Aoyama

Read about Hiroshi Aoyama, including career highlights, pictures and news of the road racer right here at Motorcycle USA.

Hiroshi Aoyama’s full-time Grand Prix career began in 2004 after a series of wild card entries in the 250 class between 2000 and 2003. Campaigning with Honda and KTM between 2004-2008, Aoyama fluctuated from fourth to seventh in the overall championship. The Japanese rider hit his stride, however, in 2009 when he returned to Honda and piloted the Japanese bike to the 250GP title - the final 250 championship before it switched to the Moto2 class.

In 2010 during his rookie year, Aoyama was the lone Japanese rider competing in MotoGP. After opening his debut season strong, Aoyama suffered a catastrophic crash while warming up at Silverstone. The 28-year-old sustained a fractured vertebra and was forced out of multiple rounds. Despite the severity of his injury, however, the Japanese rider healed quickly and went on to earn his highest finish of the season in seventh at Malaysia. Overall, Aoyama placed 15th in the championship after missing nearly a third of the season.

For 2011 Aoyama will return to MotoGP after signing a deal with San Carlo Gresini Honda.