MotoGP Kawasaki out and some dire times ahead

[Lozza]

I meant that there is supposed to be animosity between us firko.
I dunno about the A1GP thing maybe if there was some Aussie hotshot up there it might make it interesting.There is a Top Gear clip of the Arnoux/Villeneuve race where Clarkson makes the point that they banged wheels 4 times in one lap and nothing broke on either car, nor did they spin off into the sand trap.So making them able to take a hammering and be a bit forgiving to drive or ride in MotoGP's case,might be an improvement. Nothing like seeing  a rally car complete a stage on 3 wheels 
One of the biggest hooks is unpredictablity, no need to pay to much attention if your not in any danger of missing something, fans always point to that of the Rainey/Schwantz/Lawson/Gardner/young Doohan era , on Sunday night when you fired up the VCR, with the dulcid tones of Bazza and Dazza, when the lights went out, the result wasn't a forgone conclusion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJC6q5_LtSI&feature=related

LOve the Japanese commentators
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chFrgVRZXfk&feature=related

As the saying goes..."to finish first
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj8vV-CTABs&feature=related

[mx250]

World Superbike and SuperStreet Entry Lists Essentially Double the Size Of The MotoGP Entry List. And the racing is closer. Says something for Production Based .

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/newind.htm/

Pity its on pay TV .

[mx250]

Those were the days my friend.....



Full stands, full grids, a day out the working man could afford, close racing, superb riders, dedicated racers, passion, passion, passion.

Then we got progress...........

  :'(



And two strokes reigned supereme .

[Marc.com]

now you have to max your credit card to even attend most things let alone enter. Used to be your biggest cost was gas and tyres, not the cost of entry. I think my first actual race day cost $2 including a temp license and BBQ 

[Lozza]

Also a few demon late brakers needed like Garry Cowan, unfortunately killed at Daytona  the following year. :'(

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=sVVoHKlbN1Q

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=qQGAOhY8PWo

[GD66]

Those were the days my friend.....



Full stands, full grids, a day out the working man could afford, close racing, superb riders, dedicated racers, passion, passion, passion.

Then we got progress...........

  :'(


Top pic Gra, probably the west German GP of 1966, with Hailwood and Stuart Graham on the Honda 6s, Duff and Read on the Yamahas, Stastny on the Jawa....check out the size of the crowd....great days, but no tv cover in those times....



And two strokes reigned supereme .

[TooFastTim]

Whilst the powers-that-be are harping on about decreasing the costs in GP racing they have introduced a revised formula for the 250 class (as I mentioned in an earlier post), this pushes manufacturers to 600cc 4S. Bye bye Aprillia and KTM. I don't know what these guys are smoking but I want some.

[mx250]

"Friday, January 16, 2009
Kawasaki announced their pull-out of MotoGP "from 2009" for economic reasons, but seven days later the question of whether they will race in 2009 or not is muddied even more with the news development that the factory have two of their test riders and the 2009 Kawasaki MotoGP 800 at Eastern Creek in Australia for a test.

Frenchman Olivier Jacque and Kawasaki ace (and ex-Moriwaki Dream Fighter pilot) Tamaki Serizawa are both on site at Eastern Creek testing '09 Kawasaki machines with new chassis, swingarm and improved internals.

Photos of the bikes show that they are without Monster branding."

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/Jan/090116kec.htm



  Go figure.

[Lozza]

http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2009/01/17/kawasaki_testing_but_not_racing.html

Looks as though no ladies have sung just yet...............what a soap opera..............with out the good sorts

[mx250]

http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2009/01/17/kawasaki_testing_but_not_racing.html

Looks as though no ladies have sung just yet...............what a soap opera..............with out the good sorts

Sounds like blind panic and absolute desparation . Surely a privateer Kawasaki team with minimal expertise, money or experience would be hard placed to qualify for the grid, you would expect.

[Marc.com]

http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2009/01/17/kawasaki_testing_but_not_racing.html

Looks as though no ladies have sung just yet...............what a soap opera..............with out the good sorts

Sounds like blind panic and absolute desparation . Surely a privateer Kawasaki team with minimal expertise, money or experience would be hard placed to qualify for the grid, you would expect.

UNLESS the rest of the teams didn't turn up either 

[mx250]

The circus and uncertainity continues........

"Marco Melandri expects to hear by Jan 30 what his role will be in the 2009 Kawasaki MotoGP team. Kawasaki pulled their team from the MotoGP series last month but stories persist that Kawasaki will race MotoGP in some form in 2009.

Melandri seems to think that he'll either be riding for Kawasaki or will be paid to perform other services. "I just hope that I don't have to work in a store in Japan," he joked yesterday in a meeting with reporters.

In the meantime, Melandri has been linked with an unnamed Honda MotoGP team and had an offer to slot in at Marco Borciani's Ducati WSBK team, the latter of which he turned down"

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/Jan/090120a33.htm

[mx250]

The circus continues...........

Ya just gotta have 18 bikes on the grid .

"Melandri Agrees To Ride "Dornasaki"?
by dean adams
Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Sources in Europe this afternoon confirm that Italian Marco Melandri has agreed to ride the ex-Kawasaki MotoGP bikes this season. Insiders suggest that Dorna will run the team independently and the bikes will be not be branded with the Kawasaki logo.

Dorna is attempting to acquire the Kawasaki machines and run them through a self-sponsored effort in 2009."

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/Feb/09021033-2.htm

[Lozza]

This is just a Carmelo wish list/stunt.

CLICK HERE

[Marc.com]

wild fantasy alright, whats the point for corporation to develop the bikes and then trundle round at the back of the field without your name on the tank. Dorna has done its best to reduce the number of starters by effectively eliminating privateer efforts and now they have what they wanted. Plus you have the 250s limping about on 3 year old bikes.

Why don't they allow modified production bikes....but wait that is Super bike racing