+Julian Bond Yes it was an H2R, at least two of them it seems.
Japanese road racing is much more varied than most of the rest of the world, although perhaps as you may expect, most bikes are Japanese.
They have many, many classes:
one of the most intriguing is a 'pre 1990 open class. There is no limit on engine capacity but it must be built from stock parts from a single manufacturer. The vast majority of bikes are the oil/air cooled Suzuki GSXR1100s and Kawasaki GPz1100s. Almost all have engines that are overbored. What seems incongruous though is that attached to these old bikes are the absolute latest race kit - gas charged suspension, billet brake calipers etc... It is a funny mix.
Another fun one is what they used to call 600 proto. As the name suggests it is a prototype class but limited to 600cc. More interestingly is the engines must be current production items but the chassis is totally open. It is fascinating. Yamaha have a beautiful 'M2' - it looks like a 600cc MotoGP bike! Most bikes in this class are from manufacturers and it allows them to try new frames and weight distributions without having to worry about making new engines. I suspect it is useful for 600cc supersport motorcycle development.
I guess this is possible due to the number of engineers and racers that have worked or work for the Japanese big 4. Certainly, I have not seen the broad range of classes available in which to race anywhere else in the world.
What is a real shame is it is almost impossible to watch these races or even gain information about them outside Japan. It is a shame - as you say, some of the most fascinating parts of motorcycle racing is the ancillary stuff.
http://planetjapanblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/8-hours-suzuka-2016-gallery-2.html
All the ancillary stuff is fascinating and doesn't get enough coverage. Not just the "Kitty" girls but the club runs and demos round the circuit.
Japanese road racing is much more varied than most of the rest of the world, although perhaps as you may expect, most bikes are Japanese.
They have many, many classes:
one of the most intriguing is a 'pre 1990 open class. There is no limit on engine capacity but it must be built from stock parts from a single manufacturer. The vast majority of bikes are the oil/air cooled Suzuki GSXR1100s and Kawasaki GPz1100s. Almost all have engines that are overbored. What seems incongruous though is that attached to these old bikes are the absolute latest race kit - gas charged suspension, billet brake calipers etc... It is a funny mix.
Another fun one is what they used to call 600 proto. As the name suggests it is a prototype class but limited to 600cc. More interestingly is the engines must be current production items but the chassis is totally open. It is fascinating. Yamaha have a beautiful 'M2' - it looks like a 600cc MotoGP bike! Most bikes in this class are from manufacturers and it allows them to try new frames and weight distributions without having to worry about making new engines. I suspect it is useful for 600cc supersport motorcycle development.
I guess this is possible due to the number of engineers and racers that have worked or work for the Japanese big 4. Certainly, I have not seen the broad range of classes available in which to race anywhere else in the world.
What is a real shame is it is almost impossible to watch these races or even gain information about them outside Japan. It is a shame - as you say, some of the most fascinating parts of motorcycle racing is the ancillary stuff.