Norick Abe

Norifumi (or Norick) Abe is a Japanese motorcycle racer, who has spent his entire top-level career with Yamaha. While racing in his home championship, he had a chance to race at the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix as a 'wild card', shocking the field by challenging for the win, although he ultimately fell off. Two further 500cc races that year for Kenny Roberts's team yielded 2 6th places, and a move to the team full-time in 1995.

He took his first podium finish that year, and his first win and 5th overall a year later. The team he rode for in 1997 was ran by another former champion, the paraplegic Wayne Rainey, and Abe took regular points finishes over the next 2 seasons, including 4 podiums. He joined the D'Antin team in 1999, winning at Rio that year, and again at Suzuka a year later, before two seasons on less competitive machinery, in which his solid finisheing ensured that his 100% record of top 10 championship finishes continued.

However, 2002 was the first year of MotoGP regulations, and Norick did not like these bikes. As such, when D'Antin went over to them for 2003, Norick left the team, instead acting as a factory test rider and occasional guest racer. He got another chance in the Tech 3 Yamaha team for 2004, but was unsuccessful, and was moved to Yamaha's returning World Superbike squad for 2005. Despite less support than Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt, he finished in the championship top 10.