Kawasaki.....what's wrong?

X-ecutioner · 11 Sep 2004, 05:16 (Ref:1092569)

They have two of the world's fastest bikes to their credit, The ZX-12R and the ZX-10R Ninjas to be specific, as the recent tests by auto magazines would suggest. Still they have difficulty creating a good enough machine to compete in MotoGP and SBK? I mean they have the resources, the funding and full factory backing....yet they are incapable of churning out a good enough rocket. It confuses me....i mean what's stopping them?

Would you like to see Rossi going to Kawasaki next season?

Anyway other teams which are failing to impress in Motogp are Ducati and Suzuki. I had big expectations from Ducati, even though it's only their second season. The team which dominated SBK is struggling in MotoGp.

BootsOntheSide · 11 Sep 2004, 11:00 (Ref:1092769)

It takes time to learn the intricacies of MotoGP - these bikes are thoroughbreads with little relation to road machines. They've made huge progress this year, and it's only really been poor starts that've stopped them challenging for regular Top 10 results.

Ducati got this year's bike wrong, plain and simple. It's got amazing top-end speed and acceleration, but is clearly a nightmare to ride, although they're making progress, and I'm sure 2005 will be better.

Ultiamtely, Honda have 6 bikes out there, ran by 3 long-established teams, with superb riders all round. Yamaha have the greatest rider and teh greatest engineer. Once you consider those, there are only (at the most) 3 top 10 places available for the mere mortals.

chunder · 15 Sep 2004, 21:32 (Ref:1097679)

If you look at it the ZX10 is a very good bike. Winning races in BSB against factory Suzuki's and Honda's with very little development.
In the US, no-one is doing a factory bike, Josh Hayes has got some good results, and in WSB the Bertocchi bikes are being ridden by a pair of no hopers.
Should be better next year with PSG-1 running an official factoryish bike

f1manoz · 15 Sep 2004, 22:41 (Ref:1097726)

I simply put it down to team resources - Honda, and to an extent Yamaha, are massive factories with massive amounts of funding and dollars to spend compared to the smaller companies such as Suzuki and Kawasaki. Hell, even Ducati are puny compared to the might of the Japanese companies, but they get on by on pure engineering excellence (well, the 2004 bike aside!)

Ducati are suffering second season syndrome.

Kawasaki should do better in WSBK next year at least.

BootsOntheSide · 16 Sep 2004, 12:05 (Ref:1098168)

I think Kawasaki are on the way in MotoGP, especially as the Bridgestone tyres are improving and they have a good rider lineup. Maybe supplying a second team such as WCM is an option for next year?

I'm not sure the PSG WSBK effort should be fully works at this stage - the Japanese teams were treated badly by Flammini in the past, the bike isn't proven on Pirellis, and Chili is surely on his last legs (I know people said that 5 year ago). A semi-works entry for Chili and AN Other (Smart? Martin? McCoy?), with the posisbility of more backing for 2006, is a better approach.

f1manoz · 16 Sep 2004, 12:48 (Ref:1098210)

Chili said he would leave if PSG took on Kawasaki's.

racer69 · 16 Sep 2004, 13:23 (Ref:1098251)

Kawasaki just aren't willing to tip in the big bucks like others to be competitive. The same goes pretty much for Suzuki.

Chili is after a ride on a Honda next year. It looks as though Steve Martin may ride a PSG-1 Kawasaki next year.

BootsOntheSide · 16 Sep 2004, 15:02 (Ref:1098332)

Unwilling or unable? You can't realistically hope to beat a company as big as Honda consistantly. Success in WSBK is feasible, especially looking at Hawk's success in BSB (maybe they should apply for semi-works WSBK status?), but if Honda make a works entry with the Fireblade, they and Ducati would probably dominate.

f1manoz · 19 Sep 2004, 13:27 (Ref:1101001)

Well, after Motegi, I think it's safe to say Kawasaki are on the up. They had a bit of fortune thanks to that first-corner pile-up, but Nakano still had to work hard for that podium, and still had to beat Melandri, Barros, Gibernau and Bayliss.

alesi95 · 19 Sep 2004, 14:00 (Ref:1101047)

Think Bridgestone helped.

Dani Filth · 19 Sep 2004, 16:24 (Ref:1101144)

a lot . but still it's a podium

Winther · 19 Sep 2004, 20:50 (Ref:1101387)

It was awesome to see him spinning that thing so much, and it still kept being useful....
All that smoke...wow.
Anyways...great to see Shinya on the podium again.

marcus · 20 Sep 2004, 07:21 (Ref:1101647)

congratulations to kawasaki , a fantastic effort even though tires and crashes helped , the main thing is they made it to the podium , I certainly hope there is more to come

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Kawasaki	mac	Bike Racing	23	20 May 2003 10:17
McCoy signs with Kawasaki	racer69	Bike Racing	11	13 Nov 2002 10:49
Kawasaki in Motegi	f1manoz	Bike Racing	7	3 Oct 2002 18:02
Kawasaki Website	D.R.T.	Bike Racing	3	15 Apr 2002 13:33
The return from Kawasaki	JVA	Bike Racing	3	22 Oct 2001 23:03