Tadayuki Okada claimed three 250cc All Japan Championship titles before Honda took him to the 250cc World Championship in 1993. He finished runner up in 1994, and fourth in 1995. Okada stepped up to 500cc in 1996 to help develop the V-twin Honda NSR500V and finished 7th overall. He had three wins in 1997, finishing second to Mick Doohan. 1998 saw him miss several due to a wrist injury but bounced back the next year to finish 3rd in the Championship, with wins at Assen, Brno and Phillip Island. Going into the final round of the season he was second in points, but lost out to final race winner Kenny Roberts, Jr. Okada made one wildcard appearance at the Italian GP in 2008, finishing 14th, in the first race for the pneumatic valved Honda RC212V.