Kawasaki 2008, what the phark happend....?

[matchan]

Just watched the US race what a shocker weather wise, and happened to look up the motogp site afterwards.

West & Hopkins tied on 41 points with 4 rounds to go, last year in half a season Westy scored 59, even money he doesn't get there with a full year this year and Hopkins was 4th in the championship with 189!

Hope next year is better!

[ty]

Maybe Melandri will pick things up for us - but I won't hold my breath
ty

[Che]

Only if you put him on a Yamaha

[hoffy]

The bike is shit ! it's not the riders..well, not totally the riders.

[Nafz750]

But why are they so shit? Do they need to put more money into the bike? You think they could get some good engineers. Look at the superbikes aswell, the ZX10 is a great bike is it not? Surely they are up there powerwise with the others. Its a shame the factory teams cant do better, I wonder how the 2nd Kawasaki team will do next year?

[redzedx7r]

The bike is shit for the same reason Kwaka's have perennially been under performing in MotoGp and to a lesser extent Superbike - The team is not producing a bike that is not suited to the riders who can win. Nakano could not ride a powerful 990 or a 800cc and therefore I suspect that the Japanese did not produce an engine powerful enough. Look what happened when Rossi turned up at Yamaha all of a sudden that bike gained some held back grunt.
I dunno about Westy this year they have done something to the bike to make it a dud ala Ducati 2004 season when their 990 went from winning races to putting riders in hospital. Lets hope he finds some grip and power before he heads off to WSBK.
Melandri isn't the answer he nearly killed himself trying to ride a 990 and has yet to master the power of the 800 Duc. Kwaka's best hope will lie with Hopper if the bike doesn't kill him beforehand.

[Six Addict]

kawi obviously dont have the right engineers on board.... jeremy burgess would be the most influential person in pitlane...

[javaman]

They did well last year since everyone was on a new format (800cc). After which everyone improved.

[Steph]

jeremy burgess would be the most influential person in pitlane...

I ran into Jeremy Burgess in the Indianapolis airport on Monday after the race. He couldn't walk two steps without signing an autograph. He's a rockstar! I believe that he's a big part of Rossi's success.

Don't know what's going on with the Kawi GP team but they do have problems.

[mick_dundee]

Don't know what's going on with the Kawi GP team but they do have problems.

We have a winner in the "understatement of the year 2008 competition"

[Steph]

Point taken. To bad they didn't take my suggestion to hire Jamie. Wonder what West is going to do next year. The World Superbike/Supersport paddock is chock full of Aussies right now.

[MadKaw]

Point taken. To bad they didn't take my suggestion to hire Jamie. Wonder what West is going to do next year. The World Superbike/Supersport paddock is chock full of Aussies right now.

Jamies probly lucky they didn't ask him.
Its done nothing for Wests career.

[red_dave]

Jamie on any GP bike wold be awesome!