Kawasaki quits MotoGP

[racerhead]

Kawasaki will announce it is to pull out of MotoGP on Thursday morning, leaving John Hopkins and the seemingly luckless Marco Melandri looking for a ride in 2009.

Although it isn't yet known why the firm is withdrawing, the global economic crisis must be more than a factor, especially given the boss of Suzuki has hinted today the firm is in trouble and could be for sale.

Despite the fact Kawasaki Heavy Industries is a massive company, it has never spent anything like the money Honda has on racing and because Japan's economy is in dire straits, non-essential activities are bound to be the first things to go.

This leaves MotoGP with only 17 riders on the grid for next year.

[BIGBOSSMAN]

Wow, that's not good news. It appears the sales of Supertankers and heavy earth moving equipment have dried up for KHI, motorcycles have always been a pet project for the company - perhaps that's why they've approached racing with a half-arsed attitude.
Will they continue to manufacture bikes in the future?
Is this a portent of things to come? Hell - are we heading for another Great Depression, albeit on a global scale?

I shudder to think...


http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/...&article=35264

[Rodney007]

so honda gone from formula 1, kawa gone from gp,

must be bloody expensive

[Wingnut]

I really hope this is another rumour that never eventuates. I was reading a MCN mag this morning and there was a two page spread on Melandri's move to Kawa. I was really looking forward to seeing how his performance on the green machine was going to compare to a miserable season on the Ducati.

Perhaps its time there was a few more restrictions placed in Moto GP to reduce the costs for these teams - I know - the GP is supposed to be the all out prototype racing league which obviously requires rediculous sums of coin but seriously how enjoyable will it be when it gets down to say three manufacturers???

[roy.nz]

so honda gone from formula 1, kawa gone from gp,

must be bloody expensive

Subaru and suzuki gone from WRC. Its all turning to shit out there

[cowpoos]

Subaru and suzuki gone from WRC. Its all turning to shit out there

and subaru's parent company is?

[racerhead]

and subaru's parent company is?

Fujitsu heavy industries which toyota are also part of.

Its really not looking good for any form of motorsport around the world

[AllanB]

I just heard the same on the radio.

I guess if the company is told to tighten it's belts then expenditures like racing are the early cuts.


I heard yesterday that the worlds second richest man has 'saved' Honda in F1 - presumably buying the team.

[pritch]

Its really not looking good for any form of motorsport around the world:

Well not in the short term. Dorna have been treating MotoGP as a cash cow and not all of the changes that have been wrought have been to the good.
Not surprising really, these days MotoGP is run by people who know nothing about motorcycles or motorcycling. There was a brief but illuminating interview with Carmelo Ezpeleta, the Mr Big of MotoGP, in the September issue of BIKE. Not at all encouraging.

Kawasaki is not the first team to pull out of MotoGP, Roberts couldn't raise the money for the start of this year. Ilmore and WCM(?) have fallen by the wayside in the four stroke era because of cost.

Sponsors are hard to find because sometimes only the first three bikes get shown on TV. Rarely do the tailenders make an appearance. No encouragement for potential sponsors there, and it has been reported that this was what cost Roberts his big sponsor.

With the dropping of the 250 two strokes KTM have announced that they are going to take their leave and move to SBK. So the numbers in MotoGP are shrinking to the benefit of SBK. If the latter doesn't lose too many teams they will start to look really good compared to Moto GP and when the sponsors notice that, Dorna might have a real problem.

Here's hoping it doesn't all get too fraught, but a fairly substantial shake up might not be all bad. Whatever happens, Rossi will probably keep on winning...

[Mikkel]

Its really not looking good for any form of motorsport around the world

Fuel prices aren't going down either and some are speculating how much is really left... As a consequence there's also less and less incentive to invest loads and loads of dollars on trying to improve internal combustion engines - at least in respective to high performance race engines.

In the 70s sex was safe and motorsports dangerous.

In the 90s sex had become dangerous and motorsports safe.

I wonder if in the 2010s sex will be ubiquitous and motorsports non-existent.
Let's hope not.

[discotex]

Here's hoping it doesn't all get too fraught, but a fairly substantial shake up might not be all bad. Whatever happens, Rossi will probably keep on winning...

At this rate he might end up in WBSK

[swbarnett]

Fuel prices aren't going down either and some are speculating how much is really left...

I can see it now... Electric motor racing. You certainly won't be needing your ear plugs.

[slofox]

I can see it now... Electric motor racing. You certainly won't be needing your ear plugs.

Maybe we could do what we did as kids - poke a topsy stick through your spokes with a rubber band...

[wbks]

After reading you guys' posts I googled "how long untill petrol runs out" which let me find out that quite a few people predict gas will be gone as a readily available comodity in 3 years, and completely everyone agree's that it will be gone in 30 years. Guess its a bit late for fuel rationing! You guys made me ruin my day! :browneye:

[Elysium]

After reading you guys' posts I googled "how long untill petrol runs out" which let me find out that quite a few people predict gas will be gone as a readily available comodity in 3 years, and completely everyone agree's that it will be gone in 30 years. Guess its a bit late for fuel rationing! You guys made me ruin my day! :browneye:

Indeed the future is looking up.