[sportrider - latest stories] - Tadao Baba | The Father of the Sportbike

[Ninjette Newsbot]

Tadao Baba | The Father of the Sportbike

“When I was younger my dream was to be a works rider for Honda. As it turned out I started working for them in the machining section of the Saitama factory.� Tadao Baba isn’t your average Japanese engineer.“When I was younger my dream was to be a works rider for Honda. As it turned out I started working for them in the machining section of the Saitama factory.� Tadao Baba isn’t your average Japanese engineer. Small in physical stature, Baba is seldom seen without a smile on his face and a cigarette clasped in his hand. Those who know him well use the terms “mad� and “eccentric� alongside “genius� and “revolutionary� while people who worked on the original FireBlade — as the CBR900RR and later models are labeled almost everywhere except in the USA — alongside him often add “stubborn� and “fanatical� into the mix. Whatever words you use to describe Tadao Baba, his legacy is undeniable. In an age where sportbikes went fast but refused to handle, Baba broke from convention and built the blueprint for all future sportbikes. Not bad for a man with no formal engineering training.


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