Makoto Tamada

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

In 2001 Tamada stormed onto the World Superbike scene with an impressive double win as a Wildcard rider during the Sugo round.

After that he made his way to MotoGP where he won two races in 2004 on a Bridgestone equipped Camel Honda RC211V. The Japanese rider then switched over to the Michelin-shod Konica Minolta Honda.

Tamada competed in 2007 for a different manufacturer and tire brand. Instead of the coveted Honda/Michelin package with the Konica Minolta team, he headlined the Tech 3 squad's Yamaha/Dunlop configuration with lackluster results.

In 2008 Tamada made the jump back to World Superbike, finding a seat with the PSG-1 Kawasaki team and finishing the season in 20th. For 2009 Tamada remained a Kawasaki ZX-10R rider with new teammate, Broc Parkes, but an injury-laden season meant Tamada was out for the majority of the year.

In 2010 Tamada began filling in aboard a BMW for the injured Roland Resch, who broke his collarbone in the opening round at Phillip Island. The 33-year-old competed in only two races for the season as a result of his Honda Pro Ride team suffering logistical problems and sponsorship issues.