Luna Hirano, Team Luna
Japanese, 24
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Heading West to Race with the Best: Luna Hirano’s Journey to the WorldWCR
Luna Hirano, representing Japan, is racing outside of Asia for the first time this year, taking part in the historic inaugural season of the WorldWCR. Alongside Taiwan’s Chun Mei Liu, the only other Asian rider in the 2024 grid of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, Hirano has transitioned from competing in Asia to battling with the best female riders in Europe. It’s a challenge she is embracing with excitement and determination.
Japan’s Proud Racing Heritage
Japan has a rich history in elite motorcycle racing, with renowned manufacturers like Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Yamaha shaping the global sport over the past 50 years. Hirano is continuing this proud tradition, now riding a Yamaha YZF-R7. She competes against top racers like Ana Carrasco, María Herrera, Sara Sanchez, and Roberta Ponziani at iconic tracks such as Misano, Donington Park, and Portimão.
It All Started at Motegi
Hirano’s love for motorcycles was sparked at Japan’s famous Twin Ring Motegi, where she first rode an electric kids’ bike in the amusement park area. Recalling her early experiences, Hirano said, “My first encounter with a bike was in 2006 when I was six years old. I rode an electric mini-bike at the amusement park in Mobility Resort Motegi, and I loved it. My mother then suggested I try a pocket bike. Since many of my friends were riding, it wasn’t about becoming a racer for me—I just wanted to ride with them and have fun.”
Progressing on Two Wheels
From her playful beginnings at Motegi, Hirano has made steady progress in motorsports. “I started with pocket bikes at age six and continued riding them until I was 12. Then, at 13, I switched to the NSF100 mini-bike and raced on an international circuit with a CBR250R at 14,” she explains. “At 16, I moved on to bigger bikes and raced a CBR600RR in regional championships at Motegi and the Tsukuba Circuit. By 18, I was fully participating in the All-Japan Road Race Championship in the ST600 class.”
Venturing into Endurance Racing
As one of the few female competitors in Japan’s national road racing championships, Hirano decided to push her limits even further by entering the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance Race, a hallmark event in Japanese motorsport. “At 19, I competed in the EWC Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance Road Race Championship and the EWC Malaysia Sepang 8-Hour Endurance Race on a GSX-R1000. In both 2022 and 2023, I returned to Suzuka to race again on the GSX-R1000,” she recalls.
Participating in endurance racing brought new challenges, particularly in terms of physicality. “I noticed significant physical differences between men and women, which makes competing in the top categories like MotoGP™, WSBK, and EWC very tough for women,” Hirano notes. “Overcoming these differences is not easy.”
The Fun and the Surprise Factor
Despite the intensity of the sport, Hirano balances her serious dedication with the joy and thrill of riding high-speed bikes. “While it’s possible to aim for the top with hard work and training, there are physical limitations that can’t be easily overcome,” she says. “But riding a 600cc bike for the first time was a turning point for me. You experience speeds that aren’t possible on regular roads. It’s just so much fun. People often say I don’t look like a motorcycle rider, and they’re always surprised when they find out.”
Hobbies and Heroes
Outside of racing, Hirano leads a balanced life filled with diverse interests. She works as an instructor at Bridgestone and enjoys playing video games like VALORANT and Overwatch 2, watching anime, and reading novels in her free time. She looks up to riders like former world champions Ben Spies and Dani Pedrosa, and fellow Japanese rider Kazuki Watanabe.
Her inspiration, however, comes from another realm of sport. “Saori Yoshida, the Japanese wrestler, is my greatest inspiration. She’s a multiple-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist, and her achievements in women’s wrestling are incredible.”
The WorldWCR Challenge: Representing Japan on the Global Stage
As the only Japanese rider on the inaugural WorldWCR grid, Hirano views the 2024 season as the biggest challenge of her career. “I handle almost everything myself—booking flights, reserving hotels, renting cars, and hiring mechanics,” she shares. “This experience of managing it all will definitely become my strength in the future.”
Hirano hopes her participation will set a benchmark for future Asian female riders. “It’s really hard to make it overseas from Japan, but I want to be a guiding light for others. I’m incredibly honored to compete in the first year of the WorldWCR.”
Official WorldWCR Press Release
