MANILA: Yamaha has announced the comeback of the World Technician Grand Prix (WTGP) in 2025 after a five-year hiatus.

Held every two years since 2002, the WTGP pits Yamaha's top motorcycle technicians from across the globe. It aims to elevate the status of being a motorcycle technician and instill pride and passion in their work. Over the past few years, Yamaha has been unable to host the event because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Yamaha’s service department has a global vision of “One-to-One Service,” which aims to provide Kando experiences for every customer. The vision is centered around three key elements: superior maintenance skills, in-depth product knowledge, and reliable support that Yamaha technicians offer while their service motorcycles.

In order to bring these factors to the forefront of their daily work, the motorcycle manufacturer established the Yamaha Technical Academy as a globally standardized technician training program.

The technicians’ acquired skills and knowledge from the program will be tested at the upcoming WTGP, wherein around 34,600 participants are expected to join. The representatives of each country will be determined through the National Technician Grand Prix (NTGP).

The participants will undergo the Technical Skills test, in which they will demonstrate their abilities in conducting repairs, troubleshooting, and final inspection. After that, they will undergo the Customer Relations assessment, in which they will explain to customers the details of the point checks in an understandable way while providing additional value.

Previous winners in the sportbike class have come from Switzerland, Japan, Canada, and other countries. Meanwhile, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Vietnam have produced victors in the commuter class.

In October, Yamaha invited those who won the NTGP during the pandemic to an awards ceremony in Japan to formally congratulate them and hand them their trophies as they were not able to compete at the WTGP.

Mohammed Tarek Shikder, an NTGP winner from Bangladesh, said, “The WTGP is like the Olympics for Yamaha motorcycle technicians. and while it was disappointing that it was canceled, I'm still proud to represent my country and come to Japan to receive this award.”

The national championships for the upcoming WTGP will start soon.

Photos from Yamaha

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