Tokyo: MotoGP rider Norifumi Abe of Japan was killed in a street crash when his motorbike collided with a truck making an illegal U-turn, police said on Monday.

The 32-year-old ploughed into the truck while it was making the turn on Sunday in the Tokyo suburb of Kawasaki, they said.

Abe began riding motorbikes at the age of five and became the youngest-ever title winner when he won the 500cc class at the all-Japan road race championship at the age of 18.

He then joined the 500cc MotoGP, the world’s premier motorcycling championship, in 1994. (AFP)