Cal Crutchlow had a memorable time during the annual Honda Thanks Day at Motegi, this past weekend.

Joining the likes of team-mate Takaaki Nakagami and a host of Honda's other two and four-wheels stars, Crutchlow got the chance to try Eddie Lawson's 1989 World Championship winning NSR500.

“It was incredible and a real privilege to ride an NSR!" Crutchlow said. "I grew up watching guys race these 500s – I used to think the bikes looked spectacular and now I know they are spectacular!

"The bike was fantastic but I can’t imagine racing one in 1989.

"I'd like to say a big thank you to HRC for this opportunity, because it has been a fantastic event for the fans, but also a special one for us riders."

Over 17,000 fans attended the event, which also saw Crutchlow and Super GT racing driver Hideki Mutoh take victory in a kart race, with the Englishman then second to Moto3's Ai Ogura in the Grom race.

Meanwhile, Nakagami wasn't able to take part in the track action due to his recent shoulder operation.

“It’s always a pleasure for me to be here at the Honda Thanks days but this year, due to my recent shoulder surgery, I could not take part in the track activities unfortunately," he said. "Nonetheless I really enjoyed everything that was going on at the track and as always it was great to enjoy spending some time with the fans."

The Japanese is aiming to return to MotoGP action during the opening 2020 test at Sepang in February.