[1][2] Born in Fukuoka City, Japan, Yoshimura was called into military service during the Second World War where he was trained as an aircraft mechanic.
[3] After the war, he began tuning motorcycles for American servicemen stationed in Japan and in 1954, he opened his first shop, with his wife and children helping him.
[2][4][5] With Wes Cooley as his rider, Yoshimura claimed the AMA Superbike national championship in 1979 and 1980.
His company experienced success as one of the world's largest performance aftermarket sportbike exhaust manufacturers.
He left a legacy as a master craftsman, tuner and fabricator and was one of the pioneering personalities of superbike racing.