First

In the late 1970s, young Kensei Sato learnt and acquired the skill and knowledge of racing motorcycle technology and dynamics at Suzuka Racing and Moriwaki Engineering, both of which were leading firms in Japanese motorcycle racing, before establishing his own factory in Suzuka, the Mecca of Japanese motor racing, in 1982.

It was when Over Racing Projects got off the ground. Kensei Sato christened his company Over, aiming to be excelling over his rivals someday. Over Racing entered into then flourishing TT-Formula 3 class and established itself as a racing constructor. The know-how, obtained from their racing efforts, was fed to their street-use products like silencers and foot pegs.

Over Racing soon shifted their main racing operation into All Japan TT- Formula 1 championship, the blue ribbon race class for production motorcycles in those days, and fielded original racing bikes with the code name of OV (stands for Over), based on the Honda CBX750F and the Yamaha FZR750. Although OV machines gained very good reputations, well financed works team and semi-works teams who just started to join the championship were building the gap between them and privateers like Over year by year. For a privateer team, finding wealthy sponsors became easier way to get a works bike which would bring them good results, and sometimes a victory, rather than spending hours to build a bike with their own originality and ingenuity. The situation plundered the chance for privateer constructors, and the fascination of TT-F1 faded away quickly from Over. But during this period, Overﾕs name rooted firmly among customers, as the manufacturer of high quality products for both street and track.

Now Over Racing Projects came to a turning point. But it was impossible to separate Over from racing. So they looked around and found a way to the 4-stroke single-cylinder racing. The 4-stroke single-cylinder racing, aka the Sound of Singles and later the Supermono (Super Single), was true grand prix class for constructors because as far as you use a 4-stroke single-cylinder motor the rule had no restriction on machinery. It turned out to be an ideal class for Over to show their skill. The machine they first built and raced in the class was based on a tuned Yamaha SRX motor with the original alloy honeycomb chassis.

After dominating Japanese single-cylinder class, alongside racing a 4-cylinder superbike in AMA and WERA of the ﾔ90s, Overﾕs supermono with newly acquired the oval section alloy tubular frame extended its racing field to Europe. The level of single-cylinder racing in Europe was much more competitive than in homeland, and a good result in the race directly linked to a good reputation. Alongside building strong relationships with European constructors, Over soon became one of the dominant forces in European supermono racing and its name became to be well known by many enthusiasts.

Meanwhile, the Naked racing started in Japan and Overﾕs Yamaha XJR1200 achieved many good results in the over-1000cc NK1 class. Also in newly established X-Formula class which was conceived for over-1000cc Supersport bikes, Over made good results initially with the Yamaha YZF1000R and then with the YZF-R1.

Alongside all these efforts, Over emphasised in making original bikes. The OV15, Yamaha TDM 850 powered twin-cylinder sport bike with Overﾕs oval section alloy tubular frame, developed for Suzuka 8-hour endurance race, was eventually found the way to street as a homologated complete motorcycle with the number plate. The OV10A with a Ducati 900SS powerplant was sold in both a complete bike and a kit form which became a favoured weapon of customer racers.

Into the new millennium, Over took a new category called 4-stroke Mini designed for monkey bikes, Apes and their relatives, to develop new OV bikes and chassis kit for the class. In 2004, the latest reation OV23XV was built based on Yamahaﾕs air-cooled pushrod V-twin XV1700 motor and it raced in the Dutch Ducati Club Race in Assen, Holland, before taking part in Suzuka 8-hour race.

The advantages of Overﾕs well-established technology and competent marketing are utilized in developing and producing original components and bikes, and Over is now about to progress its way to a comprehensive motorcycle manufacturer. With being a worldwide constructor as well as a motorcycle enthusiast, Kensei Sato, the proprietor of Over Racing Projects, is determined to say, ﾒWe keep creating motorcycles with full of originality, which no Japanese manufacturers but Over could make.

The spirit of Over Racing is built on the single-mindedness to the originality. It is reflected on all the products and components from Over, which incorporate Overﾕs all experiences and know-how generously. Overs components and bikes with very high level of build quality, which combine performance with function, will surely enrich and satisfy your motorcycling life. Your bike with being waved of Overﾕs magic wand shall outshine over the rivals, for sure.

Kensei Sato speaks out.

like to live towards my dreams and try to make them come trueﾓ, says Kensei. After finishing my high school, I joined Honda and started motorcycle racing. I found myself that I was really interested with racing motorcycle technologies. So I decided to leave Honda to take the apprenticeship at Moriwaki Engineering lead by Mamoru Moriwaki, a branch family from famous Yoshimura.

While I was at Moriwaki, I saw closely Pop Yoshimura working in Suzuka 8-hour race. Although he was in 60 years of age at that time, Pop Yoshimura had an all-night engine rebuild by himself just with an assistance of one of his apprentices, and stood on the pit lane under a burning sun next day all the day. I read Pop Yoshimuras biography afterwards and I learnt the reason he was doing so was to show himself to his riders. He wanted to transfer his passion and enthusiasm to his riders so that the riders could do their best for Pop.

Anyway, I was watching him and there was a strong will growing inside of me that I wanted to be like him. Just as Pop Yoshimura, Mr. Moriwaki was the man who did precise engine tuning and race bike preparation. Although I was nothing like as good as them, I set my target to be excelling over Yoshimura and Moriwaki someday, when I started my own company.

However, this was definitely not the easiest thing to do. I thought maybe I could do this only when I managed to combine all the passion and ability of my staff and colleague, rather than doing it only by myself using my own ability.

Also I wanted my staff feel proud of themselves when their company become famous. That was why I decided not to put my name on my company. So the name of Over Racing Projects was chosen not only because of my aim to excel Yoshimura and Moriwaki but it incorporates my thought that the company should not grow just with my ability.