Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

hoffy wrote:alright i have the balls to say it, they are shit and the more i think about it im happy, as i dont have to be a loser anymore !

Top ten is not a win and it never was ok, lets face it !!

put this in the other thread
http://www.ksrc-au.com/phpBB3/viewtopic ... 40#p349940
but its
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport ... bombshell/

go westie

I personally don't care if they don't run MotoGP Wendy. I'm a Yammie man these days!

But with all rumours, it's just a rumour until it's proven. So I'm awaiting proof More teams racing is a good thing though!

Good move on Westy being told to leave, sucks bigtime tho

'bout time Westy had the cards fall his way......

if the result is we are heaps more competitive and get wins in sbk well i think thats a good thing

16:09 01Jan09 -West escapes Kawasaki collapse
By Robert Grant

MELBOURNE, Jan 1 AAP - Australian motorcycle racer Ant West has for once escaped
the collapse of a team with Kawasaki set to pull out of the elite MotoGP
championship, a victim of the world economic downturn.

West, who has a history of running with underfunded and uncompetitive outfits,
was axed by Kawasaki last year, but was snapped up by Stiggy Honda to ride in
World Supersport.

The expected demise of the factory team follows Honda's decision to quit Formula
One and the withdrawal of Suzuki and Subaru from the World Rally championship.

Kawasaki reportedly will axe its team after a dismal 2008 season highlighted by
a US$40million loss (A$56,513,000).

American rider John Hopkins said that the outfit was looking extremely shaky for
2009 while his teammate, Italian Marco Melandri is apparently shopping around
for another team.

Hopkins, who was 4th in the 2007 world championship with Suzuki, said he was
uncertain of the exact state of the team.

"I heard it's up in the air, but I haven't heard anything confirmed yet,"
Hopkins told motorcyclenews.com.

"I got some calls from the team manager (Michael Bartholemy) and he said that
everything could be up in the air as to whether they run it or not..."

Hopkins is undergoing rehab following surgery to remove metal plates from his
leg.

"I dont know what it would do to me," he said. "I'm really not sure.

"I've been talking to my managers and seeing what the plan is and they've been
on the phone to Japan trying to figure it out as well.

"Right now I'm still contracted to them so I'm not sure what the plan is."

According to reports from Europe, an announcement could come as soon as January
5.

The move would mean that just 17 bikes would be on the grid for the season
opener in Qatar on April 12.

Hopkins ended the 2008 championship in 16th place after suffering with myriad
injuries. His teammate West was worse off, ending the season 18th on the ZX-RR.

The news is surprising as the team recently completed two off-season tests in
Valencia, Spain and Phillip Island as it prepared to start the season with a new
2009 version of the ZX-RR.

AAP rg/slb



Thursday, 01 January 2009 16:09:10
AAP [nAAp72120a] {C}
ENDS

Ratmick wrote:...The news is surprising as the team recently completed two off-season tests in
Valencia, Spain and Phillip Island as it prepared to start the season with a new
2009 version of the ZX-RR.

Maybe they had an epiphany after seeing timesheets!

"Bloody hell we're shit!"....."and it's costing us $56,000,000 to be this shit!"......."f#ck this........"

Maybe they can put an extra $56,000,000 into the development of the next ZX10 and actually win something with it?

Coming last every year must suck lol

As someone mentioned, they could spend HALF the money a on WSBK ride and have a competitive bike with a top rider.... Winning at SBK would boost sales way more than running 6th at Motogp

what a crock....

I'm with Hoff. I never watch Moto GP to see how the Kwaka's are going anyway, although it is amusing to watch them DNF or come 12th consistently. Perhaps if they concentrate on SBK they might actually achieve something.

I got confirmation from a friend on the team that they're out. Official announcement to come soon. Also heard another rumor from an inside source that there may be others still to drop out.

As of today, Kawi here in the U.S. hasn't committed to a factory race team in AMA either.

Steph wrote:As of today, Kawi here in the U.S. hasn't committed to a factory race team in AMA either.

I got the impression that the teams dropping out of the AMA Supers are more unhappy about the new management rather than the state of their bank accounts.

That's true but as time goes on I think the economy has also become a factor.

I AM GAY