Luna Hirano: “I think there is a sense of camaraderie as fellow female riders”

Luna Hirano, born in Tokyo in 1999, first rode a minibike when she was only 7 years old. In 2010 and 2011 she began to get noticed in the racing world and won a few championships, and in 2014 she finished third in the CBR250R DREAM CUP B Grand Championship. In the same year, she jumped on top of the podium in the CBR250R DREAM CUP Okegawa Sports Land. She is one of the very few women to race in endurance and the only one to compete in the latest editions of the famous Suzuka 8 Hours.

Below you can read our exclusive interview.

When did you first realize you wanted to ride a bike and how did you learn to ride it? What’s your current motorbike?

I started riding a pocket bike (smallbike) when I was 6 years old. It all started with a suggestion of my mother. Now I am 23 years old and riding motorcycles for about 17 years. I am currently riding a YAMAHA YZF-R6 in the All Japan Championships and a GSX-1000R in the 8 Hours.

You are one of the very few women to compete in endurance, why did you choose this discipline?

I am about 170cm tall. Therefore, I can only ride in the 600cc and 1000cc classes of motorcycle races in Japan. My current team has competed in 5-6 times Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race, so we have a machine to race. Of course, racing in 600cc is fun, but 1000cc bikes are much more powerful and faster than 600cc bikes. I love speed, so I wanted to race 1000cc since I was a child. I was also often told that I was more suited to do endurance race than sprint race.

Can you tell us about your racing results over the last few years?

This is the 5th year in All Japan Road Race Championship ST600 class for me. 2022 Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race Championship, 22nd overall.

This year you are competing for the third time at the Suzuka 8 hours Endurance race. What are the main difficulties of this intense race?

I usually ride a 600cc and will not be riding a 1000cc until the sessionn of the Suzuka 8 Hours. It’s not easy to switch from a 600cc to a 1000cc bike, so it’s not easy to switch. Since it’s an endurance race, you also need to be physically fit. It is also very difficult to keep the concentration under the high temperature.

Although competitive motorcycling has always been a predominantly male world, there is a growing number of women competing across disciplines. Are you experiencing difficulties in racing against male riders or finding sponsors?

I haven’t raced with women in the same class since I started in the big bike class, the last time was in 2019 when I raced with two women riders in the Malaysia Sepang 8 Hours Endurance Road Race Championship. So I am basically the only female in the situation, so I have a little bit of difficulty due to the difference in size and muscle strength.

In Japan, motorcycle racing is not a popular sport like baseball or soccer. Therefore, it is very difficult to gather sponsors.

Are there many female riders who are competing in Japan? What’s your relationship with them?

Recently, the number of female riders has been increasing in Japan, albeit a little bit. In the All Japan Road Race Championships, there are 5~6 riders including myself competing. Unfortunately, we do not race in the same class, so there is no strong sense of rivalry, but I think there is a sense of camaraderie as fellow female riders.

In general, how is the female motorcyclist community in Japan?
The community among women riders seems to be thriving. They are especially active in events, and motorcycle ladies’ events are always well attended.

How do you train for competitions? Do you combine track training with physical training?

I usually train and practice on a GSX125 at a mini-circuit. The rest of my training is mostly training in bicycle. I train muscles riding the bike.

What are your racing goals for the future?

Since 2022, I have had many crashes and problems and have not been able to take the checkered flag very often. So this year, I will do my best to finish the race and improve my ranking.

If you could, would you try a different motorcycle discipline? MotoGP for example?

I am interested in World SBK. I am not good at off-road so I want to race in on-road sports.

Lastly, for all the women still undecided about jumping on a bike, and for all the women of the MissBiker community who dream about getting into races and starting a professional career, what advice would you give to them?

Riding a motorcycle is not only a fun thing to do and a new circle of friends, but also an action-packed experience.

If you are aiming to race, the best thing you can do is to enjoy riding! It can be scary, but the feeling of being able to do something you couldn’t do before is the really special feeling. You can do anything if you have the perseverance to not give up even if someone tells you you can’t do it. So please don’t give up and keep chasing your dreams.

The reason I keep racing is because I really enjoy it!