Hideo Kanaya
was a Japanese professional motorcycle racer and motorcycle racing team manager. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle road racing world championships from 1967 to 1975. He dominated Japanese road racing in the early 1970s and was the first Japanese rider to win a world championship 500cc Grand Prix race. Although Kanaya was a competitive racer, he was never allowed to compete in a full season in the world championships as, his main responsibility was as a test rider in Japan. Motorcycle racing career Born in Kobe, Japan, Kanaya first rose to prominence as a Kawasaki rider when, he finished in third place behind Bill Ivy and Stuart Graham at the 1967 125cc Japanese Grand Prix. In 1969 he won the 250cc class of the All Japan Road Race Championship riding a Kawasaki. Kanaya became a member of the Yamaha factory racing team in 1970 and, in 1971 he won the 90cc class as well as the open class of the All Japan Road Race Championship. In 1972 Yamaha sent Kanaya to Europe to compete in the 250cc and 350cc classes of the Grand Prix road racing world championships. At the season-opening 250cc German Grand Prix held at the challenging,