Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

I've been down the road of getting support from the big four for or at least some kind of mutually beneficial relationship on behalf of the rider training mob I used to work for and to say the level of interest was underwhelming was an understatement. When we did it we even got face to face with the National Marketing managers of a couple and did presentations in suits and all kinds of shit and got nowhere.

If Kawasaki have now shown some interest I think we should jump at it at least if it just means the initiation of some sort of relationship. Perhaps start off small eg some sort of preferential access to riders etc at events, possibly discounted promo gear etc. In return could we offer the facility for them to put news items, promotions etc in an area on the site. Perhaps they could have a section on the forum for latest news from Kawasaki or something that there marketing dept could post.

I really don't think it will go anywhere but I reckon we're nuts if we don't at least give it a go

i reckon an ad at the top of the page would be ok. as glenno said, with some news etc on it?

kawasaki can't even put new bikes on their website on time ... ...

i suppose they could post the news links they already post on their website here....

This could benefit both parties (Kawasaki and KSRC):
- A BIG/HUGE Kawasaki FLAG. Lots of them
- Nice stickers
- HUGE kawasaki banners
- Green paints for hair
- Free TSHIRT
- Free JACKETS (yeah!)

I could go on..and on.

I dont want ads! somply starts slow down the page. That happened to the last Kawa forum I was on and it ruined everything.

I agree with a little preferential treatment intially to see how things go. That wont cost them abything or be to hard to orgainse e.g.

free tickets to the supers/GP
special accesses around the ground.
arranged meetings with some of the riders.
some signage to put up at our trackdays
maybe some gear to help out at track days such as bags watercoolers, eskies, big umbrella's or a big old tent that they dont need anymore.

I don't want nothing for free.( always strings attached ) but an acknowledgement of the support we give to Kawasaki racing teams could be by just inviting us into the pit area AFTER the racing has finished..... you really cannot expect them to spend time with us before the race

The way I see it, as well as everyone else, is that we contribute quite a bit to their marketing already, I think if they really want to get invloved they need to step up to a degree.

I would suggest the Kawasaki get involved on the site first and formost, like everything thing else with most of the current sponsors, most can't even be bothered to get involved on the site to any great length (with a few exceptions) you only have to see the couple of points Dave raised about ride days etc.

I think that we should prob encourage, say a Kawasaki marketing person to at least join up and have some involvement on the forum, indrodce themselves what they have planned, events etc, generally just get into the site ( yes I know that these people have to work for a living and that they cant spend all day on KSRC ). But I have seen how much good interaction between sponsors and club members can be on a couple of other forums I'm apart of, and it seems to work very well as long as the sponsors are active on the forum and I'm talking about them being on 3 or times a day for a short period, just enough to answer questions post true club specials and any news and current events applicable to the club. It doesn't take much.

I think then we can gauge whether or how much we (KSRC & Kawasaki Aust) get invloved because as others have already posted they have trouble updating their own site, (look at the catalogues they handed out at the last 2 Syd MC shows). This could be a great opportunity for both KSRC & Kawasaki Aust and should be worth at least giving it a go by bth parties.

(This is just my opinion and not that of any of the owners or admins of KSRC)

Cath wrote:Maybe they could sponsor us with a slushie machine and green gatorade

Kegs of Green Beer for the xmas party

Sounds to me like they might be putting feelers out to run their riders club??? As member of both I prefer the relaxed easygoing environment that exists within the KSRC yes their could be some benefits to both parties but the cynic in me thinks it would end being a one way street to the detriment of KSRC and the way it works,("non serious blast" plus if they don't bring out a ZRX1400 I will never buy another new Kawasaki end of non serious blast"). They had a change supposedly in the way the riders club was being promoted and run and yet nothing changed, if you do not regularly check their website, which isn't necessary because it does not get anywhere near the attention their overseas compatriots ones do, then you miss out on the only thing they organise which is the VIP tent for the GP. Suss 'em out but beware of marketing men bearing gifts

give all ksrc members free promotional gifts
[ hats stickers keyrings shirts posters etc ]
and we'll wear and use them they give and
us wearing or using them = advertising
also a % discount at kawasaki shops

They could do a similiar thing to what koni did for us at the F1 GP in melbourne. They took small groups into the pits and showed us around one of their sponsored teams pit garage. That was good. Got to see their engine room plus look at the spares inside their cantainers plus look at their computer room, close look at the car plus a good look at carbon/carbon brakes plus meet some of the personell etc etc. Did you know that they electrically warm the engines before they start them?

They could also do a banner for us that said....."Nothing to see here"

My 2cents It's all about the bikes in the end.......

I think that they should have a open ride day where all the kawasaki bikes are there, for us to test ride.
I mean I don't expect it to free, e.g. Honda did have a day where it cost $150 to test their bikes on the track and if you didn't wont to miss out on a session you brought you own bike down as well....

I mean when you go down to the motorcycle store for a test ride, you really don't get to feel how the bike really handles etc.

I must be just a cynic.
What have we got that they want?
Do they have anything that we need?
Most of us are here because we like Kawasaki motorcycles, I personally give no fark for the company that makes them - anymore than I am enamoured by the company that makes my favourite sliced bread.
Does some suit in the marketing department think we are showing them up?

i think u may be cynical daisy but in this case i believe you're just a realist...

I don't expect a great deal in the way of freebies etc. No corporate company is going to offer free stuff to potentially 1000s of people. I'm sure Rob will tell you what 1000 t-shirts will cost, even at corporate cost.

However, what we should see is:

- World supers and GP; a meet and greet with the riders would not be hard to organise.

- Aus suppers, pre/post race pit access, meet the riders, maybe even a bit of speel from a rider about track riding technique or getting into racing/training for races.

- Aus riders to show up on off season trackdays/ride days - How good would riding Putty road or Black Spur be with one of those guys on their day off?

- Most of all, I'd like to see an open dialogue with HQ where we can voice our opinion on their brand, bikes and service. An oportunity for die hard brand loyal Kwaks riders to tell Kwak what we'd like to see on the 10/11 model range, which colours we'd like to see and the factory options they could offer. Perhaps HQ could even give us a heads up on developments, new models and race news; we should be the first, not the last to know.