By Rizal Pinlac

At only 20 years old in 2014, Dashi Watanabe was already a four-time overall Philippine superbike champion from novice to expert class. He started to have an interest in motorcycle riding when he was barely five years old. Back then, there were no driving schools, and the street was his race track. “I was supposed to be trained in small bike motocross, but I met a terrible accident back then, so I stopped riding bikes for five years. I only came back when I was ten years old, and my parents brought me to the race track, “ said Watanabe. Since then, the race track has been his playground, and he could tell that he grew up there! But still, there was no formal riding school back then. His love for the sport, discipline and natural talent made him excel in motorcycle racing.

With a record speed of 290 km/hr, Watanabe knows that safety and daily practice should be a priority. He had extended his love for the sport when at the young age of 17, he already started coaching at Scooter Underbone. Then at the age of 19, he started coaching for the Big Bikes after he finished his training in Australia and Japan. He then established the first and only formal motorcycle racing school in the Philippines located in Clark, Pampanga - the Watanabe Riding Development (WRD) in 2012 to cater to aspiring motorcycle racers and even motorcycle riding enthusiasts. “I did not expect it to go this far, but due to the insistence of my other co-riders that we should establish a school in our country since we have none that we know of yet, it just continued, and we have so far been having a lot of students,” said Watanabe.

From as young as five years old, to Gen Z’s, to millennials, and to as old as 60+ years old, from zero riding knowledge and experience to professional riders and racers, WRD is open to everyone of any gender level of experience or background. Student riders, racer wannabees, and enthusiasts from all over the country would come to WRD for a weekend or two not just to learn motorcycle riding and racing but to have fun as well. “For as long as you can ride a bike without a balancer, you can be trained here at WRD if you want to level up your skill in motorcycle riding. And we make learning fun here, so it becomes a time for great bonding as well,” Watanabe said.

Jabbre Motocom is Officially Distributed Nationwide by Motovita.

To ensure the utmost safety of everyone on the race track, WRD requires safety measures to be met by each rider and student. Protective gears are a must! There is always a safety briefing, and coaches are always on-guard on each student-rider. As an added safety feature, WRD collaborated with Jabbre Motocom, a Bluetooth Intercom device with Advanced American Technology that allows hands-free communication and can connect to up to 6-12 riders. “The first time we, coaches, tried Jabbre Motocom, we were amazed that we can communicate instructions faster and interact more easily with our riders and students, and we no longer depend on just hand signals! It is a great help in training plus a real added safety feature for riders, students, and professionals alike. This is a breakthrough technology,” said Watanabe. Jabbre Motocom has a noise-cancellation feature, so interactions while on the race track are clear, and there’s no need to shout while talking. One can also take and make calls hands-free while riding, and it also has FM Radio. It allows music sharing with clear audio sound quality to other riders, making motorcycle riding not only safe but a lot of fun as well!

Jabbre Motocom is Officially Distributed Nationwide by Motovita. Check out Motovita branches in Quezon City, Taytay, Bacoor, and Lucena City and their authorized Jabbre dealer partners nationwide for orders and inquiries.