is a Japanese former road racer of

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

s at Grand Prix level. He began his Grand Prix career in

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

. From to , Aoki competed in the

World Superbike Championship Superbike World Championship (also known as WorldSBK, SBK, World Superbike, WSB, or WSBK) is a silhouette-class road racing series based on heavily modified production motorcycles, also known as superbike racing. The championship was founded i ...

, winning one race in that series. In 1996, he won All Japan Championship Superbike class champion. He returned to Grand Prix racing with

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

, enjoying his best season when he finished fifth in the 500cc world championship. A spinal injury in a 1998 motorcycle crash left him

paralyzed Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 5 ...

below the waist. Aoki has continued to work with Honda, helping them develop cars for disabled people. He is the brother of Grand Prix racers, Nobuatsu and

Haruchika Aoki is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was a two-time F.I.M. 125cc world champion. He is the youngest of three Aoki brothers who have competed in motorcycle Grand Prix races. Aoki began his Grand Prix career in 1993 with Honda. He ...

. Aoki has been involved in motorsports again. Using specially-modified 4-wheel drive vehicles, he has been involved in many cross country rallies, notably the

Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal ...

, the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy and the

Asia Cross Country Rally The Asia Cross Country Rally (also known as AXCR), is an FIA FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels a ...

.www.yokohamatire.com
/ref> On July 10 2019, he took a test ride on the Team Honda Dream CBR1000 Suzuka 8 Hours machine. In 2021, Aoki competed in the

Le Mans 24 The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose w ...

hour race as part of Frederick Sausset's SRT41 team.

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Superbike World Championship

Races by year

Complete Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aoki, Takuma 1974 births Living people Japanese motorcycle racers Japanese people with disabilities 250cc World Championship riders 500cc World Championship riders Superbike World Championship riders Japanese rally drivers People with paraplegia Sportspeople from Tokyo 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers