By Christian Tiburtius

One of the most hotly anticipated signings of the 2013 MCE British Superbike season is the return of Ryuichi Kiyonari, re-joꦅining the now Samsung-backed Honda team that he won his three titles for.

Kiyonari remains the alꦡl-time record holder for BSB wins, but - having spent 2012 racing in Asia - is now just two victories clear of reigning champion Shane Byrne.

Kiyonari and former team-mate Byrne both have ওthe chance to become the undisputed BSB king this season, being tied on three BSB tit꧒les alongside past master Niall Mackenzie.

ltxcn.top caught up with 30-yearܫ-old Kiyoꦦ - who has also raced in MotoGP and won races in WSBK - at team principal Havier Beltran's office...

ltxcn.top:
How would your friends ღor family describe your character?

Havier Beltran:
Having known him for a long✃ time and knowing how he is, perhaps I can interject here? He's a very quiet, humble person. He's someone who doesn't like the limelight and is comfortable to be in the background. When we go to the dealerships, Kiyo is quite happy mingling and talking with people at their ow🌊n level and people who have come to meet him are often impressed or overwhelmed by that. He treats all people the same.

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I agree!

ltxcn.top:
Do you enjoy 𒐪doing interviews and public ෴appearances?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I do enjoy events and interviews, but I don't think I am good at giving interviews. I think✤ I'm naturally shy with people and even in Japan it's the same. I tend not to talk so much there either. I prefer to just sit on my bike and go riding. 𒊎I think all racers feel that way.

ltxcn.top:
How did you start riding motorbikes, was your family happy that you went motorbi𓃲ke racing?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I was maybe 5 or 6 years old and I started on mini motos an✨d it was my father who wanted me to go racing, but honestly I didn't want to. I wanted to stay home playing football or baseball, I just wanted to hang out with my friends. Really until I was perhaps 18 years old I could take or leave the racing. I thoܫught the riding was fun, but not the racing and couldn't really push.

But at the end of 2001 my attitude changed and I really star🍎ted to want to win, it didn't matter if I wanted to race or not the most important thing was that I wanted to win, and I also didn't want to lose. That helped to give me the confidence to start pushing and ride harder.

At the time I didn't really have any biking heroes, basically an♉y world champion was who I looked up to. But it was the 500cc GP bikes I really liked.

But in the end I'm happy because I'm here in BSB.

ltxcn.top:
If your s🍎on said he wanted to be a M🎶otorbike racer, what would you say?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I'd give him theꦬ chance, I wouldn't be happy 🐷because I would always be worried, but if they wanted to ride I would support them.

ltxcn.top:
When you were in WSBK you were f༒ast sometimes, but at other tracks the speed wasn't there, why was that?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
In 2008 and 2009 it was a brand new bike and we needed to do a lot of work to develop it. But I felt that I didn't communicate with🐷 the team enough and well enough to꧃ get this done.

I felt I was talking to them but it was as if we had a communicati🦩on problem.𓄧 When I am having motivation problems, I find communication very difficult and can't speak so much, that's a problem of mine.

I'm still good friends with the Ten Kate team and mཧechanics and talk with them socially. Great team and great bike, but when it came to racing we needed more technica🎃l communication.

ltxcn.top:
Which aspect of a motorbike's set-up gives you confi�ꦗ�dence?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I like a bike which is not too aggressive ⛦and feels safe and easy to ride. I like it predictable, balanced with nothing too sharp. 🐭I'm not a front end or back end rider, it has to be balanced.

ltxcn.top:
When you say a safe bik🅺e, is it b♔ecause to think about the danger?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I am always thinking about the danger, but when the༺ race starts I never think about it. That's why I am doing training to help my concentration. I don't want to get injured.

ltxcn.top:
For a rider of your standard your results in 20💮11 were not go🍒od, why was that?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I think the team was no good!

Sound of Havier Beltran laughing in the background.

No, no, in 2011 the bike wa🔯s good because Shakey was doing well on it and was winning many races. I think it was my problem. For me how I feel is very important for my results, this🗹 is true of all riders but with me it is probably more important

I am trying to enjoy my riding more because in 2011 I started not enjoying my racing. My heart didn't feel right. If you win some races things start t✃o get better, but if I get bad results, my motivation suffꦐers, and you need motivation. I think enjoyment goes with motivation and that is the direction I am going in for this year. Enjoyment is the key.

It finished very badly at the end of 2011, there was a really bad feeling and I was having difficulty sleeping. November and December was a difficult time for me. Af🐈ter the last race at Brands I was continually asking myself why and I was thinking of giving up racing. I was thinking of retiring.

But I finally came to the conclusion that I needed to enjoy the feeling of riding and racing motorbikes again and that in combination with tra꧑ining that would help.

I don't want to go back there, I want⭕ to go forwards

ltxcn.top:
Did you enjoy 2012 in Asian SuperSports?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
Yes I did, I won 🦋the championship. But I don't really like the 600, I like the 1000s. But I did enjoy it despite the fact that it was a new team, bike and championship.

I looked forward to every race weekend. It's no holiday, the championship is quite hard, but the championship only has six rounds and bꦰetween races you have a month. I always spent this time training ಌor motocross riding just to keep the momentum going. I never felt tired and kept my concentration going by training.

But the 600s feel more like a bike 🤡to start racingꦉ on.

ltxcn.top:
How do you feel 𒉰going into the 2013 💛BSB season, in comparison to 4 or 5 years ago?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I feel older! Especially talking to Alex [Lowes team-mate], he makes me feel very old! But I feel the same as my first BSB championship in 2004, it still feel⛦s lik🅠e a new challenge.

For sur♉e I don't feel the same as 2011, I'm feeling f♊ar happier.

ltxcn.top:
You are one of the most anticipated signings for 2013, did you telephone Honda, or did they tꦦelephone you?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I telephoned Honda, but they got back to me and we were able to start discussions. Even though things didn't end well in 2011, I was still good friends with Havier and Honda UK and we were always in contact. I also rode the world endurance in Qatar for Honda and talked to Havier at the Suzuka 8 hꦬour race, and here I am.

ltxcn.top:
How about your crew?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I requested Adrian [Gorst] to be my chief mechanic. Some of my crew are new, but most are fri🌃ends from before. I feel comfortable with the crew.

ltxcn.top:
How is it riding the new Evo-spec BSB bikes?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I think the new spec machines are good for the budget and getting new teams on to the grid, but I have to say I prefer the old Superbike with more power and electronics. But everybody has t🌌he same rules so I'm not worried.

ltxcn.top:
If you had the choice, would you keep the new Showdown form💜at or go back to the traditional points tally?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I never really think about the Showdown a🉐nd am happy to race whatever the rules, but I won in 2010 so prefer the traditional points count.

ltxcn.top:
We heard th🐼at you sometimes fall asleep in the pits during a race wee𒁏kend, is that true?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
Yes I do, 💦I always like sleeping, it's my hobby, that and eating fish and chips!

ltxcn.top:
How are you getting on with team-mate Alex Lowes?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I got to know his r🧜acing by watching last season's BSB on YouTuꦐbe.

He's a great rider in general, but in 2012 he was particularly fast and strong. He rides hard and pushes hard. The first time we rode together was at the recent Cadwell test. We also tal🐼ked a lot and I think he has a great personality.

He's always bright, happy and smiling. He's a📖 team-mate, but also a good rival. He was faster than me at Cadwell, but I'm working to beat him. We have still only done two days testing and there's plenty of time.

Because I knew the bike, te♐am and track, I came awaꦫy from Cadwell feeling more confident

Havier Beltran:
Yes, we had a useful test in glorious sunshine at Cadwell on Tuesday. There was a hard frost overnight so we were unable to get straight out on track as the surface was too cold to get any benefit and even in the sunshine, s🌺ome parts of the track were up to 14 or 15 degrees whereas around the hairpin it was only 4 or 5 degrees until 11 o'clock. But we got some great track tim🦋e and it was very beneficial and given that Cadwell was surrounded by thick fog, we were very lucky.

ltxcn.top:
What kind of result in the fir𓃲st round at Brands Hatch🃏 would satisfy you?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
A podium and fighting with the top grou꧃p, I really wa🌄nt to stay with the top group.

ltxcn.top:
Do you 🐻prefer leading from the front or fighting in the pack?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I like leading because I can move𒅌 properly from s♎ide to side. I like to have a distance behind me as a buffer, but if I can win the race I'll take it either way. But I don't want to fight anybody, I'm a peaceful person.

ltxcn.top:
Do you have any plans for the future?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I think I would like to have more children!

No, but in racing I wo🥃uld be interested in moving to any world championship or perhaps want do something other than riding. But to do anything I'm going to have to push ha🌃rd this season first.

ltxcn.top:
Would you ride the TT?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
No I couldn't, it's just too scary.

ltxcn.top:
Do you see your family during the season?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
This year, my family is staying in Japan and I will be able to fly out to see them, but not often. In general I am very happy i✱n England and feel at home. England is my second home.

ltxcn.top:
As a Honda maꦍn, what would you sꦐay if Ducati phoned you?

Havier Beltran in the background: "I'm still in the office, you know!"

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
No way! I like Honda

ltxcn.top:
What do y🌞ou think about🌳 the leg dangling under braking riding style, do you ever do that?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
I sometimes do it, but only to copy other riders and look good. But can't do the right leg anyway because of the rear brake. But honestly I can't understandꦿ why, maybe there's some reason but I don't know why.

ltxcn.top:
Some riders have a ritual 🌠they do before a race due to superstition; do you have anything like this?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:
Yes, ꦆI never have a beer before a race! But after the race...

ltxcn.top:
Thanks a lot Kiyo, and good luck.