Pursuing Safety and Comforth has been Kushitani's mission statement for over 50 years.
Kushitani was a small leather apparel business, until opportunity knocked in 1953. Due to Kushitani's reputation for high quality leather products, some of the main motorcycle manufacturers asked for protective leather suits for their test riders. The suits had to be strong and light, made of soft and yet extremely supple leather, featuring latest technology protection, as well as Kushitani's excellent top of the line craftsmanship.
This was the beginning of Kushitani Co., Ltd. as the leading manufacturer of high standard motorcycle apparel. Kushitani products have been sought after ever since. Test riders of the world's leading motorcycle manufacturers, many of the top GP racers, as well as top motorcycle journalists have been eager to get their hands on the rare product. Kushitani has been leading the motorcycle apparel industry since 1947, continuously creating new technologies in order to keep riders safe, and yet provide more and more comfort and mobility. Also, we keep researching the best use for our newly developed materials.
Thus Kushitani has been making highest quality leather suits for racers as well as the common street rider. Our basic philosophy is to keep the rider safe, yet most comfortable and light. Mr. Hisashi Kushitani (president of Kushitani Co. Ltd.) used to trail ride at a professional level, and he still has a great passion for riding. Therefore, he has always been very involved in, and applies his personal experience to every aspect of the business, like R&D, Marketing, Sales, and PR. He also applied the concepts of safety and functionality to racing and touring. Mr. Kushitani has always been striving for other riders to have his passion and joy for riding by providing them with wonderful products.
Kushitani's mission is to create products for riders, inspired by riders. Over 1/2 a decade of R&D and experience, as well as constant development of techniques and know-how is reflected in Kushitani's products. Some of the world's best riders have been providing their feedback over the years, thus helping to develop the safest, yet most comfortable riding gear.
Neither the new technology products, nor Mr. Kushitani with his R&D team have ever won any big prizes. We are only striving for one thing, our customer's, i.e. the rider's utmost satisfaction. Only driven by this motivation we keep inventing and developing new technologies to make the rider ever safer, faster, and more comfortable.
The Kushitani R&D Team receives constant feedback from motorcycle manufacturers, as well as Moto GP racers.
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KUSHITANI has been a market leader in Japan for over 50 years. All test riders of the Japanese motorbike manufacturers wear this high-quality brand that distinguishes itself in terms of fit, comfort and safety.
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The former GP riders Wayne Gardner, Jarno Saarinen and Kevin Schwantz swore by KUSHITANI. After this, things fell silent around the clothing manufacturer in Europe for a long time, as it turned all its attention to the Japanese market. As far as KUSHITANI is concerned, MotoPort has successfully been building a bridge between Europe and Japan for some time now.
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The efforts of MotoPort have resulted in European sizes, the perfect fit and an excellent quality of leather that considerably increases the safety of the riders. These unique properties are also found in the 'street collection' of KUSHITANI.
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Alan Catcarth
''As I only have one body, I want to protect it as much as possible.'
The British media constantly refer to him as 'Sir Alan'. As a former rider, he is still able to qualify, even though he is in his fifties. His stories are read all over the world. No motorbike reporter has the same level of influence as the British reporter Alan Cathcart. He writes about finding out the truth, his passion for bikes and professional riding. 'You have to be honest as a rider.' Alan Catcarth relies exclusively on KUSHITANI clothing, simply because he wants to protect his body in the best possible manner.
Rumour has it that he has been knighted - Sir Alan Cathcart. 'Oh no, Sir Alan is merely a pet name that the British media gave me in the nineteen-eighties because of my "aristocratic" appearance,' he explains in a telephone interview from England. 'In my case, "Sir Alan" doesn't get you anything, except a smile. It's a nice compliment, that's true, but I do see myself more as a gentleman of leisure, a gentleman of high standing by the grace of the media.' His initial career choice had nothing to do with motorbikes at all. He graduated from law school and entered the travel industry in the 1980s. He lived in Paris for three years, running a travel agency, and in South Africa for nine months. 'I would probably have stayed there if apartheid hadn't reared its head.' His passion for speed in general and for motorbikes in particular is a constant factor in the life of Alan Cathcart. In the early 1980s, he occasionally wrote for Classic Bike magazine, after which he focused fulltime on motorbike reporting in the late 1980s. And with success. When using Alan Cathcart as a Google search term on the internet, it yields hundreds of hits and his name is continuously being linked to some kind of exotic motorbike and the clothing brand KUSHITANI that is exclusively sold by MotoPort, which he always wears when he is testing fast motorbikes. His stories are read all over the world. He is by far the most influential motorbike reporter in the world. This qualification embarrasses him. 'The most influential, you say? Those are pretty big words. I am a motorbike reporter who has found a way to turn his hobby into a profession, that's all. I do realise that I have a dream job. After all these years, testing motors and writing about them still counts as a hobby. I feel privileged.'
Great responsibility
What is the secret to his success? 'I write for myself,' he 
says. 'I am not bound to an organisation or a motorbike magazine. This ensures that I can write whatever I want. And I don't fear criticism. It's simple: if a motorbike is good, it's good, and if it's bad, it's bad. As a motorbike reporter, you have to be honest and objective. And you have to be able to analyse, to read a bike.' Alan Cathcart has little respect for reporters who, due to a lack of credentials, are led by press kits with factory information that is full of praise. This is why, as a former circuit racer, he does not test cross-country motorbikes. 'I cannot ride these bikes well enough to analyse them properly. That's why I never write about them.' He continues: 'The amount of money and time spent on developing a new motorbike is simply unbelievable. That is why a reporter has a great responsibility when he analyses a motorbike. And he obviously needs to have a certain level of expertise.' His razor-sharp and analysing pen has never got him into trouble. Honda, however, were 'not amused' when Alan Cathcart tore apart Eddie Lawson's winning 1989 GP bike a year later. 'You have to understand me; Eddie is my hero, but the bike that gave him the world title had its problems. It was difficult to control. I discovered that and wrote about it. A year later, I met the Manager of Honda Racing. He told me that the Honda Management were pretty angry about my critical story. But he also told me that I was right. 'You wrote the truth.' I consider that to be a big compliment. That's why factory teams still invite me, because I'm honest in my articles.'
Passion for Italian bikes
Alan Cathcart knows every make of motorbike, whether it is Japanese, German or English. Italian motorbikes, however, are his favourite. Alan Cathcart did not start his racing career on a Ducati 250 cc Supermono for nothing. 'I love Italian culture, their mentality and the way they think about life. Only Italians can make a Moto Guzzi V8, an MV Agusta F4 or a Ducati four-valve machine. The bikes carry the mark and the character of the people who developed them. You can see passion in an Italian motorbike.' He will never forget one particular bike, the Paton. It was developed by Giuseppe Pattoni, who paid for it all himself. Without any outside help, this passionate Italian constructor developed a GP racer in his own garage which was able to compete with the fastest factory racers and which had many successes during historic international races. 'I even won the Dutch Classic TT with a Paton as a warm-up to the GP race. Giuseppe Pattoni was glowing with pride. Only Italians can create a motorbike such as the Paton. Giuseppe devoted his whole life to his creation. It did not do him any good in financial terms, but he will always be remembered as the man who developed the Paton on his own. That passion, that commitment, that's why I prefer Italian motorbikes.'
Qualifying
Alan Cathcart is an easy talker. But he is short-spoken about one subject: his age. 'Let's just say that I'm in my fifties.' A different question: how long will he be able to continue this work, as he is still pushing motorbikes to the limit? He says: 'Some time ago, I tested the Ten Cate CBR600, the world champion in the Supersport 600 class. I set a qualifying time. In other words, as long as I can still qualify, I am still good enough for this job.
Alan Cathcart relies on KUSHITANI
'As I only have one body, I want to protect it as much as possible. On a motorbike, this means that I only wear KUSHITANI clothing. I have been doing so for 20 years, simply because it is the best clothing available. It's the best manufacturer using the best material to create a perfect fit, but the styling also appeals to me.' Alan Cathcart relies on the Japanese clothing of KUSHITANI. As Japanese people have a slender build, MotoPort is offering a range in European sizes. A leather suit must have a perfect fit, which means that you can have KUSHITANI clothing made to measure. You can even create your own combination of colours using CombiCREATOR. 'I rely on KUSHITANI. And I advise everybody to do that too.'
