Kwak OUT?!?!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Jan 8 2009, 01:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Good post, although i don't personally subscribe to the idea that having more wins is worth more than a higher championship placing. 4th with no wins is better than 6th (was it?) with 1 in my opinion.



The 07 Suzuki was a top bike, and i'd say better than HRC's effort.

Also i think Biaggi had his fair share of opertunity, including a competative NSR500 in his own team as a rookie, leading the Yamaha factory team and eventually the Repsol ride.

Erv Kanemoto is super-strong, didn't Jeremy Burgess work under him as a mechanic in the early years? Anyway, it was still a customer/satellite NSR500 w/Marlboro backing. That, along with a ROOKIE, simply is not a competitive opportunity against the Repsol/HRC/Doohan/Burgess juggernaut. There wasn't enough luck in the world to get Biaggi one step ahead of those guys.
Yamaha- when you have a factory that does not believe in you and your input to make a better bike, then the point of being on a 'works' team is moot.
Biaggi's Repsol ride- see above. One year on a factory team that won't support you, along with you bad-mouthing them...not gonna work.

Maybe Kwak will surprise us all with a mean <span style="color:#2E8B57GREEN machine for the Aspar Team.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Traverser @ Dec 30 2008, 08:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I was being a smart ...! It seems like a stupid thing Dorna would do.Yeah sorry I knew you were, it was just the first thing that sprang to mind when you (even jokingly) suggested it.

Geez. all the excitement. Are they in or are they out?

Hahaha, the circus continues. LINK

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (xx CURVE xx @ Jan 8 2009, 02:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Winter means .......and those results are not TOP bike results.

That's insanity. That particular winter was the first of the 800's and they made a very good mark. Two bikes in the top 6 man. No other team did it as I have said before. Kawi is wimping out and Suzuki have a new machine ready to go. The series is coming back to them.

Back and forth we go

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=35303

One more from our neck of the woods.


Kawasaki withdraw

Not such a hard decision when considering the $20 million threat from Dorna if they are spending $63 mill per year, even at the relative exchange rates.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72680

One more for good luck.

Wow,i didn't really believe it was going to come to this.
http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/Kawasak...cing+activities

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Anders GUZZI @ Jan 9 2009, 08:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Wow,i didn't really believe it was going to come to this.
http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/Kawasak...cing+activities

Thanks
at least its on the official motogp site now
wonder if this will make other teams come out about money worries etc now

Tokyo

Kawasaki pulls out of MotoGP

3 hours ago

TOKYO (AFP) — Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries said Friday it will withdraw from the MotoGP racing circuit as the global economic crisis pressures the firm to cut costs.

"The effect of the current financial crisis on the global economy is extremely significant and an extended period of time is required for a recovery," Kawasaki said in a statement.

"We saw the need for efficient redistribution of our management resources and have decided to forgo participation in the Moto GP from 2009 on," it said.

Kawasaki spends roughly four billion yen (43.8 million dollars) annually to run the team, said an official of the company based in the western Japanese city of Kobe.

With the decision, Kawasaki joined a growing number of major Japanese auto manufacturers that have terminated their racing programmes to cut costs as consumer demand for new vehicles plummets worldwide.

Honda took the shock decision to retire from Formula One racing, while Subaru and Suzuki pulled out of the World Rally Championships.

Kawasaki joined the racing circuit in 2003 to boost its brand image and develop its design technology.

Edit..This news just been on Sky news in the UK.
.

and Toyota F1 team wont be holding a launch event for there 2009 F1 Car they cant afford it saving the money

and another ....

http://www.kawasaki-motogp.com/

5779:stick_a_forkin__m.jpg]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (xx CURVE xx @ Jan 9 2009, 09:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>

+1! Haha, I get it now, stick a fork in it, you're done! My first impression was more like "Hey, fork you, man!"


Jeez, how much more of this emotional rollercoaster must we endure? Kwak is out...no, wait-- DORNA says they're not. Okay, Aspar will run the team. Wait, there has been no announcement as of yet... but, if Martinez does get to run the green bikes in a satellite structure, then how many bikes? aargh!!

2009 is going to be great.

The only good thing about Kawasaki pulling out of MotoGP for '09 is that Melandri won't be riding one!

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/Dorna+C...saki+withdrawal

And it goes on with more possible good outcomes...

`We had a meeting in Osaka on Thursday (8th January) where Kawasaki explained their problems and the difficulties they had with continuing as a factory team,´ Mr Ezpeleta continued. `Under these circumstances we agreed to cooperate collectively, in order to find a possible solution to their problems which may allow them to continue as a privateer team.´

A Spanish one perhaps!?!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MigsAngel @ Jan 10 2009, 10:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>`We had a meeting in Osaka on Thursday (8th January) where Kawasaki explained their problems and the difficulties they had with continuing as a factory team,´ Mr Ezpeleta continued. `Under these circumstances we agreed to cooperate collectively, in order to find a possible solution to their problems which may allow them to continue as a privateer team.´

A Spanish one perhaps!?!
Even if someone decides to take the kawasaki bikes, where is the research and development coming from? Kawasaki will put nothing into the team, meaning an already .... bike will be even worse. They'll still run at the back of the field and will just be grid filler, only going slower than than they were in 2008.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Son of Doohan @ Jan 10 2009, 02:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Kawasaki will put nothing into the team, meaning an already .... bike will be even worse.
LINK

Kawasaki did try to make improvements. But in a series where everybody is trying to gain advantage constantly, they were simply behind the eight-ball all the time and a grip of BAD LUCK! Geez, it seems everybody was getting hurt on these bikes. Some spills were machine induced and others self inflicted. But I gotta give credit to them for trying to put good riders on their teams culminating in them sighing two riders that on paper would have been one of the best line-ups. I hope something can be done. I'd like to see what can happen with a racing mind behind the helm. Of course, it may be a moot point, as you point out, if there is no development, then you have a situation like KR 2007--best racing minds cannot overcome lack of resources.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Son of Doohan @ Jan 10 2009, 11:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Even if someone decides to take the kawasaki bikes, where is the research and development coming from? Kawasaki will put nothing into the team, meaning an already .... bike will be even worse. They'll still run at the back of the field and will just be grid filler, only going slower than than they were in 2008.
That's was my thought too.Grid fillers just to make the number 19 instead of 17 with no backing.

I've just this minute checked my work emails and found some disapointing news. Clearly you lot already know. The K team are out for def! But they are still (hopefully) going to send my bunch of merry children who do a Motogp v formula 1 challenge (basically run around the athletics track as many times in 20mins as a team to complete as many official race track distances as possible) on the sports camps i hold a few kawaski postcards


So what happens to the riders then??? Are they binned for that year??? Do they have to get a day job?????