Shinya Nakano has had a long career at the topmost level of motorbike racing and since 2001, he has shifted teams between Yamaha, Kawasaki and Honda to remain in the top flight.

He started really young, like all his compatriots, in the MiniBike series and moved up to the All Japan 250cc class. Although he had been part of the 125cc and 250cc categories for a long time, it was only in 1998 that his championship win at the 250cc level brought him up to the front to get noticed. He moved to the international version of the competition in 1999 and took to the level rather quickly. He finished fourth in the season with five podium finishes, a tribute to his great ability. In 2000, he was vying for the championship alongside teammate Olivier Jacque as the duo battled Daijiro Kato but in the end, Jacque took the title. Despite this disappointment, Shinya had done enough to grab the attention of the Tech 3 team and moved up to the 500cc World Championships.

Born 10 Oct 1977
Nationality Japan Japan

He got a semi-factory machine for 2001 but still managed to get a 5th place finish in the season. The 500cc championships turned into MotoGP in 2002 and unfortunately for Shinya, his bike didn’t change until the end of the season. He rode a 500cc bike for a majority of the year and it was only by the end of it that he got a 990cc four-stroke machine. But by then, the season was almost over. He had an average 2003 and his lack of success prompted a move to Kawasaki for in 2004. The team had had a disastrous year with Garry McCoy and Andrew Pitt but when Nakano came aboard, things began to change. He got the team’s first podium finish at Motegi and finished the season at 10th place, a feat he would repeat in the next year. In 2006, his qualifying runs were more successful than the races

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