Honda Z100 was a prototype Honda Motor Company minibike which was introduced at the Tama Tech amusement Park in Tokyo , Japan in 1961. The Z100 minibike was never meant to be produced and sold to consumers. The success of the Z100 prototype convinced Honda to produce and sell the minibike to consumers.
44-572: The Tama Tech park opened in 1961 and was owned by the Honda Motor Company. The park attractions involved many different motorsports. Honda developed the Z100 minibike for the park, it was never meant to be a product for consumers. Honda had built a new Suzuka Circuit so that park goers could experience the joys of driving. The minibike was meant to be ridden around the Tama Tech park. Honda took note of
88-539: A 3 speed transmission. The Z series Honda Minibikes that followed had folding handlebars so that users could stow them in the trunk of their cars. Suzuka Circuit The Suzuka International Racing Course ( 鈴鹿国際レーシングコース , Suzuka Kokusai Rēsingu Kōsu ) , a.k.a. “Suzuka Circuit” ( 鈴鹿サーキット , Suzuka Sākitto ) , is a 5.807 km (3.608 mi) long motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City , Mie Prefecture , Japan and operated by Honda Mobilityland ,
132-568: A heart attack in the Chevrolet Corvette pace car at the esses during an evaluation run. The pole position speed was 83.079 mph (133.703 km/h). During qualifying for the 1997 race, rain caused Goodyear to use rain tires on Winston Cup cars for the first time in the modern era. It was announced on June 21, 2010, that the east section of the Suzuka Circuit would host the Japan round of
176-403: A near high-side state , followed by an uncontrollable oscillating weave resulting in his leaving the track and striking the barrier. Initially he and the bike struck a tire barrier, followed by a foam barrier. There was a gap between the tire and foam barriers, and Kato was severely injured when his head struck the edge of the foam barrier, dislocating the joint between the base of the skull and
220-647: A re-opening day on April 12, 2009. Suzuka also hosts other motorsport events including the Suzuka 1000 km endurance race. Previously a part of multiple GT racing series including the now defunct group C class of the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship , the Suzuka 1000 km as of 2006 is now a points round of the Super GT Series, and is the only race of such length in that series. In 2010 ,
264-518: A recovery vehicle, and died in hospital as a result nine months later. In the wake of the accident, the Dunlop corner was slightly changed and revised in safety standards, and the organisers of the Japanese Grand Prix installed a large crane in place of the tractor that Bianchi hit. Suzuka, openly touted by F1 drivers and fans as one of the most enjoyed, is also one of the oldest remaining tracks of
308-475: A subsidiary of Honda Motor Co, Ltd . It has a capacity of 155,000. Soichiro Honda decided to develop a new permanent circuit in Mie prefecture in the late 1950s. Designed as a Honda test track in 1962 by Dutchman John "Hans" Hugenholtz , the most iconic feature of the track is its "figure eight" layout, with the 1.2 km (0.75 mi) long back straight passing over the front section by means of an overpass . It
352-592: A wild-card rider. In the 250cc class, Kato finished third after debuting at his home circuit of Suzuka Circuit . The next year, he won the Japanese Championship, and again entered the Japanese Grand Prix with a wild card, winning the race at this occasion. In spite of these successes, Kato did not ride his first full Grand Prix season until 2000 , when he started in the 250cc, riding a Honda . He won four races that season (of which two in Japan), and placed third in
396-480: Is now known as the Hitachi Automotive Systems Chicane before the final turn, and added a second chicane, between the hairpin and 200R. The circuit can be used in five configurations; the car full circuit, the motorcycle full circuit, the "Suzuka east," "Suzuka west car," and "Suzuka west motorcycle" configurations. The "east" portion of the course consists of the pit straight to the first half of
440-518: Is the only FIA Grade 1 licensed track to have a "figure eight" layout, after the Fiorano Circuit was downgraded to Grade 2 in 2024. The circuit has been modified at least eight times: In 1983 a chicane was inserted at the last curve to slow the cars into the pit straight; the original circuit was an incredibly fast track with only one slow corner; without the Casio chicane some cars would go through
484-587: The Namco Museum versions of the game as the "Wonder Circuit" ("Orange Circuit" in Namco Museum: Virtual Arcade ), after Namco's "Wonder" series of amusement parks, despite its logo appearing on the starter's box since 1983. The Suzuka Circuit is also featured in the Final Lap series of games which first appeared in 1987. Another Namco racing game, Suzuka 8 Hours , based on the motorcycle race of
SECTION 10
#1733092508779528-496: The 2011 WTCC season instead of the Okayama International Circuit . At the 2012 event, the pole position time was 52.885 seconds, for an average speed of 94.875 mph (152.687 km/h). Following two major accidents in 2002 and 2003, one of the main issues in safety has been at the corner 130R (marked 15 in the track map above). In 2002, Toyota F1 driver Allan McNish suffered a high-speed crash through
572-413: The 2019 Japanese Grand Prix . The unofficial all-time track record is 1:27.064, set by Sebastian Vettel during the qualifying for the aforementioned 2019 race. As of July 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Suzuka Circuit are listed as: Along with Fuji Speedway , the Suzuka Circuit was one of the four tracks featured in the video game Pole Position II . The track is referred to in
616-549: The Formula One World Championship, and has a long history of races as venue of the Japanese Grand Prix since 1987. Its traditional role as one of the last Grands Prix of the season means numerous world championships have been decided at the track. Four years consecutively in its early history the circuit saw the world championship decided. These include the 1988 championship, which went to Ayrton Senna ,
660-787: The Fortuna Gresini Racing team. Some strong performances on the Honda NSR500 two-stroke bike in the first half of the season including second place at the 2002 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix at Jerez circuit, meant he was given a full factory supported four-stroke Honda RC211V for the rest of the season; his best result on the Honda RC211V was a second place at the Czech Grand Prix at Brno . He also took pole at his home race at Twin Ring Motegi . For 2003 , Kato remained at
704-777: The Gresini Racing team , now with sponsorship from Telefónica Movistar brought by new teammate Sete Gibernau joining from Suzuki . On 6 April 2003 , during the first race of the MotoGP season at the Japanese Grand Prix held at the Suzuka Circuit , Kato crashed hard and sustained severe head, neck and chest injuries. He hit the wall near the Casio Triangle chicane of the circuit at around 125 mph (200 km/h). The Accident Investigation Committee determined that Kato crashed when he lost control of his motorcycle, which entered
748-533: The NASCAR Thunder 100 , a pair of exhibition 100-lap races on the east circuit, a 1.4 mi (2.3 km) layout which utilizes the pit straight and esses, before rejoining the main circuit near the Casio triangle. The cars were Sprint Cup Series and Camping World West Series cars and the field was by invitation for the two races, run after the 1996 and 1997 seasons. The 1996 event was marred by tragedy when during practice, pace car driver Elmo Langley died of
792-452: The safety car is called on the circuit to neutralise the race so the motorcycles are packed-up behind the said vehicle at slow speeds, so the track can be safely cleared. This did not happen following Kato's accident. Instead, the corner workers moved him onto a stretcher and off the circuit. The race was not stopped. Kato's crash was the first fatal accident to occur during a Grand Prix motorcycle racing race session at Suzuka Circuit ; his
836-557: The 2001 250cc world champion , and the 2000 and 2002 Suzuka 8 Hours winner. He died as a result of injuries sustained after a crash during the 2003 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit , Japan. Kato was born in Saitama , and started racing miniature bikes at an early age, becoming a four-time national champion in the Japanese pocket-bike championship. He began road racing in 1992, and entered his first Grand Prix in 1996 , as
880-465: The Dunlop curve (turn seven), before leading back to the pit straight via a tight right-hander. The "west" course is made up of the other part of the full circuit, including the crossover bridge; the straight leading to the overpass is used for the start/finish line and the grid. The chicane between the hairpin and 200R separates the west and full course sections between cars and motorcycles. The Degner curve
924-468: The F1 Grand Prix being the first held at Suzuka. The Degner curve was made into two corners instead of one long curve, and more crash barriers , more run-off areas were added, exposed vegetation was barricaded off and straw bales were removed (but still used for the Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix). In 2002, the chicane was slightly modified, 130R (marked as 15 on the diagram) was also modified and some of
SECTION 20
#1733092508779968-562: The GT500 pole position time was 1:55.237. In 2007 , the GT300 pole position time was 2:06.838. Another major motorsport event is the Suzuka 8 Hours for motorcycles, which has been run since 1978. This event usually attracts big name riders and with the exception of 2005, due to the importance of the major manufacturers' involvement, the FIM ensures that no motorcycle races clash on the date. NASCAR organized
1012-562: The Japanese Grand Prix from 2009. However, after Fuji announced in July 2009 that it would no longer be part of the F1 calendar, Suzuka signed a deal to host the Japanese Grand Prix in 2009 , 2010 and 2011 . The circuit closed for a year for renovations to make it F1-compliant for 2009, with the last major event held on November 18, 2007, although some annual events (for instance, the Suzuka 8 Hours and Suzuka 1000 km ) were still held. The track held
1056-463: The MotoGP riders wore black armbands or placed small #74's on their leathers and bikes at the following race in South Africa to pay tribute to the fallen racer. His teammate, Sete Gibernau , thereafter wore a #74 on his racing suit since winning the race in his memory. There has not been a Grand Prix motorcycle race held at Suzuka following Kato's crash, with safety issues at the facility being cited as
1100-410: The bump, which sent him through a metal fence; he was not seriously injured. Track officials revised the 130R, redesigning it as a double-apex section, one with an 85 m (93 yd) radius, and then a second featuring a 340 m (370 yd) radius, leading to a much closer Casio triangle (chicane), with the chicane becoming a "bus stop" type for motorcycles. However, the problem continued for
1144-451: The cervical spine. Questions were raised regarding the actions of the corner workers immediately following the crash. Kato was thrown back onto the track after hitting the barriers and was lying next to the racing line. Depending on the type of race (endurance or standard), when a motorcycle or rider is incapacitated on the race track, a red flag is waved and the race stopped, or in endurance races and British Superbike Championship events,
1188-529: The championship. He also finished all the races in the 2000 Season In 2001 , he dominated the 250cc championship. He won no fewer than 11 races, a record in 250cc and still stands today after the class became Moto2, and easily won the title. In that season he also set a new record for the most points in a single season in 250cc class with 322 points. The following season, Kato moved up to the MotoGP class (formerly 500cc) racing for Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) in
1232-493: The circuit. The bike soon came to be known as a monkey bike because most adult people, looked large in relation to the very small motorcycle. Onlookers described riders as looking like a Monkey on the bike. Honda recognized the popularity of the minibike and they decided to manufacture a street-legal version of the bike. In 1963 they released the bike in the Japanese market and called it the CZ100. The Z100 proved to be so popular that it
1276-554: The controversial 1989 championship, which went to Alain Prost , and the 1990 and 1991 world championships, which both went to Senna. Suzuka was dropped from the Formula One calendar for the 2007 and 2008 seasons in favour of the Toyota -owned Fuji Speedway , after the latter underwent a transformation and redesign by circuit designer Hermann Tilke . Suzuka and Fuji were to alternate hosting
1320-468: The crash, on 18 May Honda organised a day whereupon 9,000 people including his last team owner, Fausto Gresini , attended their Aoyama building in Tokyo, where a shrine with exhibits to Daiji-chan had been created. Then British American Racing Formula One driver Takuma Sato led a tribute by expressing his condolences of the death to his friend Daijiro Kato during 2003 San Marino Grand Prix weekend as
1364-510: The fact that it became the park's most popular attraction. The minibike was not a production motorcycle, so the engine in the Z100 was repurposed from the Honda Super Cub . The 1961 Super Cub engine which was used in the Z100, was a 49 cc. The Z100 had small 5" wheels and the minibike had a white fuel tank and a bright red frame. The bike was intentionally built small to accommodate children, but it also appealed to adults who rode them around
Honda Z100 - Misplaced Pages Continue
1408-449: The final long right-hand corner flat out and then would go past the pits at more than 200 mph (320 km/h). In 1984 the first part of Spoon was made slightly slower and the corner was brought closer to the track to expand run-off area there, and in 1985 the first corner was made slightly slower. In 1987 the circuit was brought up to F1 and Grand Prix motorcycle standards for both Japanese Grands Prix of their respective championships,
1452-554: The final race in Taito's racing game Continental Circus . The east course was featured in NASCAR 98 . Suzuka's Ferris wheel was paid homage in the "Big Forest Track" in Virtua Racing . The track has been modded into Mario Kart Wii . Project CARS and Project CARS 2 have a Japanese circuit inspired by Suzuka, called Sakitto Circuit . Sakitto has numerous visual differences from
1496-408: The new revised section. During the 2003 MotoGP Grand Prix of Japan , the track's first major event since the revisions, MotoGP rider Daijiro Kato was killed when he crashed in the new section, on his way to the braking zone for the Casio triangle. MotoGP has not returned to Suzuka since the incident. The official lap record for the current circuit layout is 1:30.983, set by Lewis Hamilton during
1540-469: The original Suzuka, including the change of position of the Ferris wheel near to Degner curves, as well as the absence of the Casio triangle and the hairpin, a very modified esses section, and a road pass through the real life location of the Ferris wheel. Daijiro Kato Daijiro Kato ( 加藤 大治郎 , Katō Daijirō , 4 July 1976 – 20 April 2003) was a Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer ,
1584-514: The reason. During the 2003 Suzuka 8 Hours race held that July, Honda paid tribute to Kato, a two-time Suzuka winner, by bearing his racing number on the Sakurai Honda bike of Tadayuki Okada and Chojun Kameya (who in Turn 1 crashed on spilt oil on the second lap), along with the bikes of Nicky Hayden and Atsushi Watanabe. Once Okada and the others returned to the pits with their broken bikes, Okada
1628-558: The same name was released for arcades in 1992, followed by a port for the Super NES in 1993. It can also be seen in arcade games and video games such as Ferrari F355 Challenge , Super Monaco GP , Forza series, Gran Turismo series, RaceRoom , iRacing , R: Racing Evolution , Shift 2 Unleashed , Le Mans 24 Hours , The Cycles , MotoGP 3 of PlayStation 2 , MotoGP 4 , Tourist Trophy , Auto Modellista , Racing Battle: C1 Grand Prix , Real Racing 3 , and as
1672-460: The snake curves were made a bit straighter and faster; additionally, the runoff area at the Dunlop Curve was doubled from 12 metres to 25 metres, and the corner itself was made slightly tighter. In 2003, the chicane was made slightly faster and closer to the 130R. Following the death of Daijiro Kato at the 2003 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix , Suzuka reconfigured the motorcycle variant of what
1716-425: The stretcher. It certainly appears that sufficient care was taken to immobilize his head and neck area. However, when the stretcher was moved Kato's head drooped markedly, and it cannot be denied that this might have additionally injured his neck." Kato spent two weeks in a coma following the accident before dying as a result of the injuries he sustained. The cause of death was listed as brain stem infarction. Many of
1760-496: The visor, and a photo of him on the bike, as a mark of respect. Afterwards the FIM retired Kato's number, and the bike number 74 has not been used by any rider since. The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend". Satoshi Motoyama , a fellow Japanese racer driving in the Super GT and a childhood friend of Kato had the latter's racing number on his helmet ever since Kato's death. A month after
1804-472: Was introduced to the European market as the CZ100 in 1964. The Z100 was a prototype so it is both rare and collectable. The minibike was the precursor to all of the other versions of minibikes produced by Honda. The prototype Honda Z100 proved the minibike concept could be successful as a niche product and it led many years of Honda Minibike production. The little bikes were all powered by the same 50cc engine with
Honda Z100 - Misplaced Pages Continue
1848-451: Was named in honour of Ernst Degner after he crashed his factory Suzuki 50 there during Suzuka's inaugural All Japan Championship Road Race meeting on 3 November 1962. The hairpin (turn 11) was coined 'Kobayashi Corner' after Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi passed five drivers with aggressive moves at the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix . At the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix , F1 driver Jules Bianchi suffered serious injuries after colliding with
1892-416: Was permitted to go back out with a spare bike, as a mark of respect, but was ineligible to win since his original bike was badly damaged. Two hours later, he returned to the pitlane to retire the bike amid mass applause from the crowd. At the end of the race, the other Sakurai bikes of Yukio Nukumi and Manabu Kamada (who were still racing), went on to the rostrum to show off Kato's helmet bearing his number on
1936-415: Was the last motorsport fatal crash at the circuit until Jules Bianchi at the 2014 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix . The Investigation Committee noted: "According to images broadcast during the race, four rescue workers took hold of Kato, who lay collapsed face up in the middle of the course, held him by the right shoulder, the torso and both legs, and moved him sideways just a few dozen centimeters onto
#778221