[MotoGP] "The 850cc is super fun!!" I bumped into TakaakiNakagami at Tsukuba, so I asked him about the 2027 machine!

Taka (I'll refer to him this way from now on) has been riding at Tsukuba since before his road racing debut, but this time he had barely ridden here in about five years. Even though he's a MotoGP rider, his Tsukuba license had expired (naturally), so the Tsukuba staff helped arrange this session for him.

Taka rode a CBR600RR that looked like an ST600 spec. Since the CBR seemed to be fresh out of the crate, he started by setting up the specs. When I went to the pits after he finished his first session:

"This CBR was just used for some photo shoot, and it wasn't even set up for sports riding. The shifter wasn't working, and I'd get sudden engine braking when downshifting... The suspension hadn't been touched either, so the first session just ended up being a warm-up for my body."

Even in the second session, the shifter was hit-or-miss, the engine braking was inconsistent, and the auto-blipper was sometimes there and sometimes not, so it didn't seem like he was riding properly at all, but he looked very happy. He was all smiles after finishing his ride in the sweltering Tsukuba heat, saying, "Man, that was tough."

The machine was a CBR600RR, ST600 spec. The race settings were insufficient, and the suspension was left at stock settings.

To the final MotoGP wildcard

Taka returned to Japan after finishing MotoGP tests in Misano and Mugello. This season, as an HRC development rider, he is in the middle of finishing the new 850cc MotoGP machine that will race starting from the 2027 season. In the manufacturer joint test at Mugello in August, he made headlines by setting the top time on Honda's new 850cc machine. I've got to ask him about the 850cc... (laughs).

――How does it feel to ride at Tsukuba after such a long time?

"Man, it was fun. It's been about 4 or 5 years since I rode at Tsukuba, and even then it was just for a shoot or something, so I haven't ridden properly here since before I went to GP, probably 2010 or 2011."

"It was super fun to ride at Tsukuba after so long. I want to come back and practice when I have time again." (Nakagami)

――Why practice this time?

"It was the first time in a while that I didn't have any tests, so I wanted to get my body in condition and be prepared. I managed to find some time, so I came, but the machine was fresh out of the crate and unprepared (laughs)."

――So that's why the shifter wasn't set up (laughs).

"That's right (laughs). I have to get it properly prepared as soon as I get home today."

This performance on a fresh, un-set-up machine. As expected of a MotoGP rider!

――Was this also meant as practice for the Japan GP at Motegi?

"Yes, I feel anxious if I'm not always riding a machine, I don't feel settled."

――This year's Motegi wildcard is on a 1000cc, right? You've been riding the 850cc for a while now, so is it difficult to switch back?

"You want to ask about the 850cc, don't you? (laughs)"

――Ah, you caught me? (laughs) You don't have to tell me anything you can't.

"It's okay. The new 850cc is super fun to ride."

――Oh? What do you mean?

"The displacement is smaller, so it can't beat the 1000cc on the straights, but the cornering speed is high. Depending on the course, I think it might be a good match for the 1000cc."

――The aero is also going away quite a bit, right?

"Yes, the wings and such will be smaller than the current aero, but we are developing it with the intention of continuing to use the effects of aero."

――Lately, machines have fins everywhere, whether it's the front, lower, or tail.

"That's true, but it has a huge effect. It's not just the front winglets; we're trying to push the machine down as a whole. Beyond that, it's advanced to the point where we're thinking about how to use the wings for cornering. We even have an aerodynamics engineer on the team."

――Also, the tires are changing, right? Taka, you started on a 2-stroke GP125 when you went to GP, then Moto2, then MotoGP, right? You're a valuable test rider who knows Dunlop, Bridgestone, and Michelin.

"Oh, now that you mention it, maybe I am! Even at this stage, the Pirelli tires are riding normally, and we're making progress without any issues. I think Pirelli is also at the stage of deciding on the race specs for 2027."

――What kind of machine will you ride in the Japan GP? The 2026 model, or a 2027 prototype?

"I haven't been told yet. But a wildcard entry also has the meaning of testing the specs for the next version, so it's possible that it will include the 2027 spec, or something we want to test in a real race."

――It's been a year since your last real race, the Japan GP last year.

"I'm super excited to be able to race, and that it's in Japan! Since the rule of wildcard entries itself will disappear next year, this might be the last time I get to ride a GP in front of everyone in Japan. That's sad. Since it's the first year of the 850cc machine, I wish I could participate in more races."

Even though it was just a body warm-up on a machine with no set settings, Taka looked like he was having a blast riding at Tsukuba. As always, he took a clean line and wasn't even pushing, yet his lap time was easily in the 0 minute 58 second range.The other riders who were there for the sports riding session were buzzing after Taka's run:

"Wait? Is that Nakagami? The real one?"

I'm looking forward to Taka's performance at the Japan GP!

Easily hitting the 58-second range! By the way, the ST600 course record at Tsukuba is 57.764. Even though the tires and such are different, as expected!

Number 30, who suddenly appeared at the sports riding session, caused a stir at Tsukuba Circuit.