Born in Kobe, Japan, he was the first Japanese rider to win a motorcycle road racing world championship when he claimed the 1977 350cc world championship aboard a Yamaha. In 1979 he accepted an offer from Honda to develop their exotic oval-cylinder, four-strokeNR500 race bike. After retiring from competition, Katayama became a motorcycle Grand Prix racing team owner.
Career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)