Success is hard won in the world of elite motorcycle racing, something rider Hikari Okubo learned the hard way on his path to one of the world's premier production bike categories.
Despite having no race wins to show from his first year in the Supersport World Championship, Okubo learned that riding for the love of it is enough to sustain him through a long, and often trying, season.
“For some, the idea of talent is something that they feel they are naturally good at, but for me it is something you can really like and work toward with passion,” said the 23-year-old Okubo, who in 2016 had a best single-race finish of 10th in the second-tier production bike championship in which he was the first Japanese to compete in six years.