In the summer of 1965, a 22-year-old university student wrote to Genichi Kawakami, then President at Yamaha Motor Co., requesting a motorcycle that he could ride around the world on.
The young Shigeru “Stan” Yoshida was surprised to learn that Kawakami would not only provide him with a brand-new Yamaha YDS-3 - a 246cc, twin cylinder two-stroke sports bike - but also a cache of spare parts to help him accomplish the ‘round-the-world journey.
Yoshida set off in July of 1965 on what would become a three-year journey, racking up tens of thousands of miles through the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. When he returned to Japan in 1968 on his YDS-3, he was welcomed home as a hero and was offered a job at Yamaha – which he accepted.
35 years later, at the age of 60, Yoshida set off again to complete the RTW journey that began in 1965, this time setting off in Russia and heading west.
Six years later he would retire from Yamaha, wrapping up his career as the director of Yamaha’s Communication Plaza, where he served as the curator for the museum’s motorcycle collection.
Fast forward to 2026, and Yoshida is back on the road, at 84 years old. This time, though, he’s not piloting a two-stroke sport bike, but is instead riding a 250cc V-twin cruiser, the Yamaha DragStar.
Leaving from Southern California, Yoshida rode to Texas, then east into Alabama where he stopped to visit the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum. He was invited to leave his mark on one of the concrete supports, signed by famous motorcycle racers and celebrities alike.
Kenny Roberts, a three-time FIM 500cc Grand Prix World Champion, just so happened to be visiting the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum when Yoshida stopped by for a visit. In all his years working for Yamaha, Yoshida had never met Roberts, who in 1978 became the first American to win the Grand Prix world championship on a Yamaha YZR500.
Although Yoshida hadn’t met Roberts until this chance encounter, he admitted that he “saw him race many times, and he always won,” according to a social media post from the Barber Museum.
If Yoshida’s life story teaches me one thing, it’s that no matter how old you are, or what you’re riding, life is best spent behind the handlebars.
