Kawasaki quits MotoGP

[wbks]

Sorry... Kawasaki wasn't really getting a hell of a lot of success on the bike anyway, and not even Hopkins could elbow drag his way to his hoped results on it so the bike can't have been that great.

[Badjelly]

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

Well, they say every dark cloud has a silver lining.

[carver]

Yeah, kind of like Carver. I think Carver has a licence though.

i do indeed

Wasn't he the one going on about teaching carver a lesson and how he has stoped riding like an idiot and opted to live? (seemed a little dramatic, like someone doing a season on streetstock and then publicly announcing their streetstock career retirement because they feel accomplished

oh yes, i got plenty of threats from him (as ya do) whether it involved riding, fighting, running me off the road (good luck)

Yes, repeatedly.

Marks MO was generally thus:

Do something stupid (either in a KB group, or videoed and posted to Youtube)
Brag about it.
Be told to pull his head in or he'll kill himself
Hurl abuse
Do a 'fuck off KB, I'm leaving' thread
Return because he can't stand not having the attention
rinse, and repeat.

Although haven't seen him here recently, so maybe he has left permanantly.

you have to understand mark, now i know a bit more a bout him i am alot more tolerant of him.
sorry to push this thread further off track

[Cajun]

as follow up rumours going around they are not qutting

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/...0108kawinn.htm

The press release that was due on the fifth never came and little more than a stony silence came from Kawasaki in the new year.

It's rumored that some correspondence from Spain to Japan did happen where it is further rumored that Dorna notified Kawasaki that in accordance with the contract that they signed (with Dorna when they joined MotoGP) that they would be on the hook for something like 20 million Euros for each of the 2009-2011 seasons.

Also an MSMA meeting happened but details from that are not known.

Reportedly Dorna informed several of the parties involved today that Kawasaki is no longer dropping out of MotoGP and they will field a two-rider team in 2009. The management of the team seems to be up in the air, but indications are that there will be two green MotoGP bikes on the grid this season.

Even tho all the team members(riders/mechnics etc)are saying been sent emails saying won't be racing, but there has not been anything offical from kawasaki yet

[Biggles08]

as follow up rumours going around they are not qutting

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/...0108kawinn.htm



Even tho all the team members(riders/mechnics etc)are saying been sent emails saying won't be racing, but there has not been anything offical from kawasaki yet

Regardless if they stay or don't stay, the two riders will be very unmotivated and I dare say the Kawasaki supporters will be too (such as me). If they decide to stay merely on the basis that they will have to pay 20 odd million euros if they pull out...whats the point?

Essentially, I see motogp as the pinnacle of motorcycle racing (to this point) and the fact that Kawasaki seem to have been half-arsed interested in performing in this arena over the last couple of years indicates to me that somebody at the top of KHI have lost interest in motogp - long before these rumors of quiting surfaced. I believe its a convenient 'financial crisis' to get out of motogp on Kawasaki's behalf.

[AlBundy]

Looks like they may be staying. Not sure who will be running the team though...

http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/20..._kawasaki.html

[malcy25]

I here Paton who produced a half reasonable 190hp V4 500 stroker that didn't go too bad, but got the squeeze when MotoGP went 4 stroke will build to order from 70,000 pounds.

Why don't they just just get hard and go back to the brilliiant 2 strokes. Rossi still rates his NSR500 as one of the best bikes (ie most fun in his world).

Most of this shit is Honda's fault as they drove the whole 4 stroke thing through the manufaturers association pushing the costs through the roof.

The old line "What Honda wants...."

[Cleve]

It is offical now.
They are out.
http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/K...ing+activities

[AlBundy]

Stink au...

[Cleve]

The old line "What Honda wants...."

well even if that were true - there would be no MotoGP for the last 20 years (roughly) without Honda...

[Biggles08]

well even if that were true - there would be no MotoGP for the last 20 years (roughly) without Honda...

What makes you say that????? MotoGP started as the 'blue collar' mans motorcycle race. It was originally supported by individual teams NOT backed by large manufacturers...in fact thats where the 'non production' rule came from...they are race bikes specifically designed for racing that rules stipulate cannot be mass reproduced.

[pritch]

Announced this morning (Saturday) on the BBC TV News Kawasaki withdrawing from Moto GP to save 40 million. I can't remember whether that was Pounds or $US, either way that ain't hay.

[pritch]

What makes you say that????? MotoGP started as the 'blue collar' mans motorcycle race.

Eh?

The Japanese factories were all in from the get go (even if Suzuki were trying to do it with a two stroke). Aprilia, Illmore, WCM, and Roberts, never really fired.

Ducati came in, and as long as the tobacco money keeps coming they'll likely stay.

So I'm wondering which bit was "blue collar"?

[Dave-]

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???

about as much fun as the V8s...

[Biggles08]

Eh?

The Japanese factories were all in from the get go (even if Suzuki were trying to do it with a two stroke). Aprilia, Illmore, WCM, and Roberts, never really fired.

Well not quite from the get go....Honda was first Jap manufacture in at 1959...motoGP had been going for ten years by that point.

Ducati came in, and as long as the tobacco money keeps coming they'll likely stay.

Ducati is a very late arrival (relatively) entering in 2003...although I believe they were one of the originals but pulled out in the 60's and focused on WSBK instead.

So I'm wondering which bit was "blue collar"?

The original intention of having a purpose made bike for racing only as opposed as a street based production bike (manufacturers) transformed into a racebike is what I'm referring to as 'blue collar,' It was possible for anyone to build a one off bike and enter it into motogp.

I realize now it is dominated by big bucks that is mainly found within the corporate manufacturing companies such as Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Ducati and RIP Kawasaki....and truth be told, I realize it has been this way for a while now...yet I still maintain the original idea of MotoGP was to encourage entries from outside the manufacturers realm.