Kwak OUT?!?!
 

Kawasaki poised to quit MotoGP
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72588

By Simon Strang and Toby Moody Tuesday, December 30th 2008, 13:22 GMT

Jamie Hacking, Kawasaki, US GP practiceKawasaki is poised to withdraw from the MotoGP World Championship with immediate effect, autosport.com has learned.

According to sources, the Japanese manufacturer is set to make an announcement regarding its plans for 2009 on Monday, January 5, when it is expected to confirm details of its withdrawal from the premier motorcycle racing class.

It remains unclear why Kawasaki is quitting, though both the global economic crisis and a lack of results are likely to have been factors in the decision.

The news is a blow to MotoGP's organisers, who will have the number of factory teams reduced to four at a time when the rival World Superbike Championship has gained another two in Aprilia and BMW.

Kawasaki's imminent withdrawal will leave Marco Melandri and John Hopkins without a ride for next season. Melandri had hoped to revive his career with the team after a catastrophic season with the factory Ducati squad in 2008.

"I have to wait and hear some words, as at the moment I hear nothing," Melandri told autosport.com.

"If it is true, then I can only hope that when I wake up on January 1st it is all a nightmare."

Kawasaki returned to the premier MotoGP class in 2003 with bold plans to become regular contenders, but has so far failed to record a victory in the premier class.

The closest the team came were three second places in three years with Randy de Puniet (Motegi 2007), Shinya Nakano (Assen 2006) and Olivier Jacque (Shanghai 2005).

Kawasaki secured big-money signing John Hopkins from Suzuki at the beginning of 2008 and it was hoped that this would trigger an upturn in results. But the American was hampered by injuries and both he and teammate Anthony West struggled with the inconsistent handling of the ZX-RR.

In the end, fifth places for Hopkins (at Estoril) and West (at Brno) were the best the team could manage.

Nevertheless, Kawasaki was set to enter 2009 with optimism, having landed former GP-winner Melandri, alongside the fired-up Hopkins to lead the development of the ZZ-XR in the new one-make tyre era.

Kawasaki's withdrawal will be the fourth time a Japanese manufacturer has pulled out of a major motorsport category in recent weeks. Honda announced in early December that it was quitting Formula One, while Subaru and Suzuki confirmed later in the month that they were stopping their programmes in the World Rally Championship.

aww that sucks

I hate to hear this.

The big boys need to leave Moto GP and head over to WSBK... at least till they bring back the 990 :D

anyhow...does suck.

hmm wasnt expecting to hear something like this this morning. hopefully doesnt pan out

:panic:

Its all Olivie Jaques and Randy Depuniets fault. They cost Kwak so much money in bodywork all those seasons that now they can't operate! I blame the French!

The article reads like it's already a done deal, they're just waiting for the 5th to make the announcement.

Between this and Rossi hinting at leaving MotoGP at the end of his contract, the organizers must not be sleeping much at night.

Kawi was in MotoGP? Hmmmm :idk:

fuck that sucks ass for them to do this, this late in the off season... doubt Hopper or Melandri have any chance of find'n a ride...

wonder if they'd jump to WSBK for a year or two... but most of the factory bikes (if not all) have all their riders already... :idk:

http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/20...rds_melan.html


Kawasaki Fallout: Hopper vs Edwards, Melandri vs De Angelis?
Submitted by Kropotkin on Tue, 2008-12-30 17:06.
in

* Alex de Angelis
* Colin Edwards
* Ducati
* Honda
* John Hopkins
* Kawasaki
* Marco Melandri
* Yamaha
* MotoGP

The withdrawal of Kawasaki from MotoGP - which Ian Wheeler, the team's press officer has told Motorsport-Total.com that he knows nothing about - is likely to blow the MotoGP riders market completely open once again. With the MotoGP merry-go-round seemingly all done and dusted before the end of the season, the sudden availability of two big name riders is likely to have satellite team managers consulting their lawyers.

Of the Kawasaki pairing of John Hopkins and Marco Melandri, Hopper is likely to be the name most in demand. Hopkins is the rider carrying the Monster Energy sponsorship, and with Kawasaki out, Monster's budget is likely to go to whoever signs the American. And in a time of hardship, that money will be very welcome indeed.

The most probable casualty of the Hopkins / Monster duo is Colin Edwards. The Texan's position in the Tech 3 Yamaha squad had already become less certain after Bridgestone were awarded the single tire contract for MotoGP. Edwards has been closely associated with Michelin for a very long time, and was their lead development rider in MotoGP until their forced withdrawal. With the tire development role gone, along with the Michelin money which was said to be funding Tech 3, Herve Poncharal may feel that Hopkins and his Monster millions are a far more attractive proposition.

The problem for Poncharal is that Edwards is not in the employ of the Tech 3 Yamaha team, but has a contract with Yamaha directly. Consequently, Poncharal has less control over the hiring and firing of the Texan than he may wish. And with Yamaha seats in the other major racing series all filled, it may prove difficult to convince Edwards to move elsewhere.

Another possibility is of course that Yamaha supply a bike to a new satellite team, set up especially for Hopkins. There are plenty of experienced team managers available, and men such as Sito Pons have made no secret of their desire to return to the premier class in one form or another. Though Monster Energy's sponsorship was nowhere near enough to cover all of Kawasaki's costs, it is likely enough to fund a satellite team with relative ease.

The one thing blocking such a move would be Yamaha's policy of keeping the satellite bikes and the factory machines as close in spec as possible. Paradoxically, this helps to keep costs down, as the engineers in Yamaha's racing department can focus on a single bike, and not have to support multiple specs of machine for extended periods. Adding a fifth bike would make this policy more difficult to maintain, and was one of the reasons Yamaha spurned the advances of Jorge Martinez when he came looking for a bike to field Alvaro Bautista on earlier in the year.

As for Marco Melandri, the rider likely to be losing the most sleep at the moment will be Alex de Angelis. The San Marinese rider had a commendable, if not exactly explosive, rookie season, but did enough to secure his seat for this year. However, Fausto Gresini, boss of the eponymous Honda satellite squad, made no secret of his desire to have Melandri back riding for him, and it looked for a long time that the Italian would end up back in the team he'd left a year previously. In the end, though, Melandri decided that the best way of ensuring full support from a factory is by riding for the factory team, leading him to finally sign for Kawasaki instead.

Melandri must surely regret that decision now, but Gresini will not. Melandri is still a much bigger draw in Italy than de Angelis, and Gresini's sponsors - an Italian snack company - would have no compunction in welcoming Melandri back.

But it would not be all good news for Gresini. Signing Melandri would open up for discussion the question of who will get the factory support from HRC. When Toni Elias signed for Gresini, he stipulated that he would only ride the satellite Honda if he was given factory-level equipment, a promise honored by Gresini and HRC. But with Melandri back, both Gresini and HRC may feel that Melandri should be getting the hot HRC parts rather than Elias, and the situation could easily descend into internal strife, and sure to erupt into the pages of the Spanish and Italian press.

But neither of these proposals are anywhere near being a foregone conclusion. There are already rumors emerging that Kawasaki's withdrawal saw Jorge Martinez immediately on the phone to Suzuki and Carmelo Ezpeleta at Dorna. Martinez is almost certain to try and resurrect his Aspar MotoGP project, which saw him trying to get Alvaro Bautista into MotoGP in 2009. Bautista is now tied up in 250, and set on trying to win the world championship he missed out on in 2008, but Martinez may instead try and secure the services of John Hopkins instead.

With the money from Monster Energy, and the return of their prodigal son, Hopper having ridden for the marque between 2003 and 2007, Suzuki could well be persuaded to field a third bike for Hopper. What's more, the Monster millions could also help fund Suzuki's own ailing MotoGP effort, with contract discussions still ongoing with Rizla about a sponsorship extension for 2009.

But if attempts to keep either or both men in MotoGP fail, the big winner in all of this could well be World Superbikes. Both men would be welcomed with open arms into the rival series, where fielding extra machines for riders can be done at a fraction of the cost of MotoGP equipment. MotoGP is already in some trouble, with Kawasaki's withdrawal leaving just 4 manufacturers in the series. World Superbikes, on the other hand, will see 7 manufacturers field factory or near-factory teams, with an 8th (KTM) waiting in the wings for its RC8R project to start yielding results. In the battle between Dorna and Infront Motor Sports, Dorna's position is looking weaker and weaker.


Source:

http://www.gpone.com/news/News.asp?NNews=3250

http://www.motorsport-total.com/moto...saki-Team_weis...

http://www.motoblog.it/post/16932/un...-motogp-il-pro...

I'd like to see Hopper and Edwards team up... but that'd leave DeAngelis and Melandri out... both are good riders... so :idk:

Hopper back on a suzy would be interesting...

DaAngelis sucks and his helmet is gay :p

his helmet is gay... but last year was his rookie season! dude did alright IMO...

yeah i agree wit ya, he did do alright... still that seat should have gone to someone better..

ehh I dunno... Depuniet's seat would be the first I'd change...

Depuniet's seat...Since when did he ever stay in it for long? I could run a season on the $$ he throws away in body work!

Oh hell yeah.. Randy DeTumble should have got the axe years ago :lol:

and to be honest... I can't believe suzy kept Cap over Spies... and now to be talk'n about MAYBE a third bike for Hopper... I like Cap... but his time has passed... he won't finish in the top 10 at the end of next season i don't think... Spies could have

why the fuck didn't they offer the third bike to Spies??!?! insane IMO...

Apparently Suzuki did not know that their AMA pet would die. I mean Mladin and Spies salaries at Yosh cost the factory, not Yosh or their title sponsor and they $$ was pretty big.

Feel the same way brother... But i think it had to do with money... Supposedly Spies was asking too much... but a..you get what you pay for right... i love Capi..been watching him race for decades...

yeah Capi is a class act... had rossi not come along... he'd have a few titles to his name I believe.

I find it hard to believe that spies was asking too much for Factory MotoGP Suzy to provide... but WSBK Yamaha could... :idk:

From superbikeplanet.com :


Melandri Gets Dear John Letter
kawasaki out of motogp
by dean adams
Tuesday, December 30, 2008

According to sources close to Italian Marco Melandri, he is in possession of a letter from Kawasaki Motorsports President Yoshio Kawamura informing him of Kawasaki's decision to pull out MotoGP effective immediately.

Melandri spent a hard season with the Ducati MotoGP team in 2008 and his salvation was that he was allowed out of his contract in order to join the Kawasaki team.

Presumably American John Hopkins will also be informed that Kawasaki has pulled the plug on their MotoGP team.

ENDS

no shit :lol:

fuck that's complete bs that they didn't get warning... wonder if they at least have to pay the contracts... :idk:

from RRW:

This just in:

Returning a phone call to Roadracingworld.com, John Hopkins said, "I haven't heard anything official. I haven't been told anything official, and I haven't been sent anything official so far. Bob Moore and his team are working on taking care of the situation."


(Editorial note: Bob Moore is Hopkins' manager.)

wow... how fucked up would it be to hear you lost your job from some stranger calling you... "hey I heard you got fired"

Fuck Kawi... complete bs

I hope Monster comes through with Suzuki for a 3rd bike.. :(

Just thought of this...Isn't there a rule that requires a certain amount of bikes on grid to run a series???

What does it cost? Will it survive?

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Dec/081230uq.htm

I dunno... be interesting to find out... but shit... they could always just adjust the rules... I seriously doubt they'd go... sorry.. no motogp this year... we needed 2 more bikes according to rules... :lol:


speaking of that... fuck'n WSBK has like 5000 bikes start the race... it's awesome....

long live wsbk! is motogp failing really that bad of a thing? wsbk's rules are much more favorable towards pushing top notch technology into our hands. suddenly i think the likelyhood of us seeing a gsv-r 1000 and rvf 1000 in the next few years has risen greatly.

yes... cause WSBK only has 1 race in the us!!! :lol:

honestly though... I would HATE to see MotoGP fail... I don't want any motorcycle class to fail... we don't see enough races here in the US as it is... and with out motogp... it'd be even less... AMA having no factory support isn't a good thing either imo... that'd leave WSBK as the only road racing league with factory support... right? :idk:

I do think WSBK is more entertaining than motogp has been the last couple years... even the 250's are more exciting... but I still love MotoGP. what would be awesome is see WSBK merge with Motogp... but it'll never happen... the only reason people stay in WSBK is $$$... and with MotoGP being all about prototypes... the cost isn't going down...

what motogp needs to do is get rid of the fuck'n electronics... most riders don't like them... so what's the point? limit speed? obviously that's not work'n... :idk:

ya know guys...

I've been doing quite a bit of reading about this whole thing, Smilies article and quite a few other places... and honestly... if Kawi goes... given the state of the world economy... I think the privateers are next... and with Rossi's contract up in 2010 and him hint'n that he may not return.. I think this may be start of the end of MotoGP...

WSBK is cheaper to field a team in... they're very nearly as fast... Rossi himself says it's more exciting... and if next year anyone runs away with the title... it'll be one more nail I believe.

All I can hope is that WSBK capitalizes and adds Indy or Barber to the schedule and sucks in fans that are left behind...

I highly doubt Hopper and Melandri both will find a last minute motogp ride... I fully expect to see one or both in WSBK... and honestly... I think that'd be the best thing right now...

this from the story about Honda maybe pulling out of MotoGp a few weeks back not found the official ruling on this yet

If Honda did pull out of MotoGP, it would have a devastating effect on the series. Honda currently provides 6 of the 19 bikes on the grid, and with FIM rules requiring a minimum of 15 entries for a world championship series, the prospects of the 2009 MotoGP season being run as a cup

if Honda pulls out... I can almost guarentee WSBK will have 10+ new riders next season.

fuck... I really hope the WSBK folks realize the market in the US if MotoGP fails and AMA runs with out factory support of any kind...

F1 has had bad years before, they always manage to survive.

WSBK has a crowded grid already and WSS is practically flooded. Talent pool runs pretty deep as well.

but has F1 ever had two major manufactures possibly drop out in a year? shit in the last 2 years MotoGP has lost 3 teams... Kawasaki, Team Roberts, Ilmo... now maybe a 4th and one that supplies 1/4 of the grid?


and yes WSBK does have a crowded grid... but can you imagine 1-15 being world championship contenders? mother fuck'n :drool:

Thats what I like about WSBK. The spec tire puts them all within 2-4 seconds of the pole time. Sure there are some who can't ever hope to close that gap, but each weekend different people go to the front and there always seem to be 5-6 that have the pace to challenge any given race, sometimes even different between race 1 and race 2! I would hate to watch MotoGP and see 8 bikes on the grid. Can't imagine that it would get that bad but even with a 20 bike grid there are usually only 3-4 on the pace and always one who has them covered...

I've never been big into WSBK... and I dont know why. I mean when SPEED actually covers a race or two, I'll sit down and watch them. And it does generally seem like good racing, with the likes of Haga, Bayliss, Biaggi, Fabrizio, and Tamada....

But it would be immensly sad if GP were to fizzle and die. Theres just something about the prototypes and riders that I enjoy so much more...

You lost me there... Speed covers the entire WSBK season.

good to know! thought I can't stand Greg White so hopefully they have the British commentators...


you can also just go here and watch the full races for free

http://www.worldsbk.com/pubb_EN/sbkTV.php#

things get more interesting. got the latest fast bikes tonight and in the back it has mentions of rumors about mv entering wsbk as well. makes one wonder, if mv does enter would buell follow?

it'd be awesome to see Buell there... I think it'd really pay dividends for the 1125r... in sales as well as R&D

as hideous as i find their products id really like to see it as well. competition improves the product, and id really like to see them put their money where their mouth is on some things

ehh I think they're an aquired taste... I personally think the 999 and the MV F4 are ugly... but most love'm... :idk: not say'n I think the buell's are gorgeous... but not hidious.

The only thing is the 1125R was never built to be a racer... it was built for the street first... I think it'd do alright... I think I remember reading a 1125r vs 1098 and there wasn't much between them... :idk:

Remember, Erik Buell was a racer. He loves racing...Buell has a great contingency program for it's racers.

First and foremost, Buell makes street bikes...but they'll go racing. Give it time.

They've gone "racing" several times.....

Yeah but WSBK gets the red headed stepchild treatment... they usually don't play the weekends WSBK races until Tuesday.

Nah I think that they have been playing the SBK races "same day" but the SS races and a repeat of the SBK races on Tuesday. I didn't have Speed last season so I'm not sure...

Greg White isn't a commentator for anything that rolls outside the US - thank GOD. The BEST footage can be downloaded. BitTorrent and www.racing-underground.com FTMFW :dthumb:

wonder if that'll change with AMA loosing factory support? as I assume it was because AMA gets preferential treatment over WSBK :idk:

Really I just wish I had the money to buy ESPN or something... start a channel 2wheeled ESPN... nothing but motorcycles... :dool:

While I appreciate a fellow motorcycle enthusiast... Greg White has to be the most annoying announcer ever... I understand that they're try'n to bring in new audiences... but damn... seemed like every race he explained what/where the throttle, clutch, or some other basic equipment was... mean while... missing a lap or two of the race... do that shit prior to a race... and if they're replaying the race... STOP the recording during commercials... fuck'n HATE that shit.


but yeah I've known about racing-underground.com for a while... though to be honest... up until recently didn't pay attention to WSBK... so never downloaded a race...

HD races FTMFW though!:rockout::rockout:

Yeah, I do, and they didn't. I think once they played wsbk same day.

Well that sucks! I remember watching the Phillip Island round at 2 or 3 in the morning before....

I dont believe that... i sit down and DVR every motorcycle race i cant see, and there is no way they cover the entire season. Unless they show them at 3 am on a tuesday morning.

I do remeber though, that when they dont have time to show Moto GP 125 and 250 on a Sunday that they show them like Wednesday at like noon-ish...

that's if they show them... not a big deal... but as the 250 races are usually more exciting than the GP races.. it's nice to at least see...

Ok, don't believe it then. I set my DVR to record WSBK last year and don't recall missing a race. Like someone else said, they will show race 2 on a Tuesday, but that was the only drawback.

ehh I wouldn't go with SPEED unless there was absolutely no other way to see the races... I'm not sure if they stream live from the WSBK site or if they're only up after each race or what... but Racing-underground.com has the races as soon as they're done pretty much...

but yeah I remember year before last (when I was back in the states) catch'n WSBK on speed once or twice on some odd tuesday or so... at like 3 am :lol:

All WSBK needs is the GP.com commentators ;)

amen!

"this is MotoGp at it's very best! They're going at it hammer and tongs and you could cover them with a very small blanket indeed!":dthumb:

yeah they crack me up...

"Mr. Depuniet... you need to stay on you're ride young man... " gets me roll'n every time they say it... so about once or twice every race weekend... :lol:

Ahhh... dont laugh at Randy DeCrashdummy.... :whistle:

CONFIRMED

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sp...m-motogp-exit/

Shitty.


On a side note...I've been looking at alot of pics and vids of the Desmosedici. I FUCKING WANT ONE BAD.

no doubt... thing is fuck'n sick..

and officially Kawasaki sucks balls... shitty fuck'n thing to do.

I wonder what they had to pay to buy out of the agreement to provide bikes till 2011

:rofl:

:( I was hoping it was a big fat rumor.

actually I just read that though FACTORY KAWI may be out... there may be a privateer Kawi team... though other than giving Hopper and Melandri a ride... there's no point... can't see them finishing better then the factory team could...


but then again... they couldn't finish any worse :lol:

tis a true shame. i was really hoping they would bring back the screamer and be the only company selling what they raced. well, thats not true. yami's new R1 fits that bill. now honda and zuk need to step up with v4 litrebikes

Wow this sucks. I mean other than rooting for Nickey and Vale... i tend to root for tiny little Kawasaki, being that it is my favorite manufacturer.... tis a sad day for the sport.

Go Ducati.

heh you're right. let me make that afforably sell what they race

I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about.

honda and suzuki race layouts that have jack diddely shit to do with their production lines. to my mind that means that any technology or lessons learned are either NOT being passed down or are passed less efficiently to production bikes. yami' is aping their prototype with a crossplane crank, ducati has the desmo and kawi was at least testing a screamer crank.

dont take this as me bashing the cbr1000rr or gsxr 1000 i think they are both excellent machines, but couldnt an rvf or gsv-r 1000 be better?

Mmmmm...not necessarily.

yeah yeah i know all those guys with "GIXXXER" tattoos would be extra upset :lol:

Kawasaki testing 2009 MotoGP bike in Australia!

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sp...?&R=EPI-105485

another nail in the coffin

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/21012009/...ki-rescue.html

According to MotoGP.com Kawasaki has a team for 09. John Hopkins and Marco Melandri.

MotoGP needs bikes on the grid, maybe they coughed up some Euros? It has to be more than a 3 manufacturer series...

well I'll be watch'n Motogp this year... but if it and WSBK are on at the same time... WSBK gets watched first...

Spies has my attention first, Rossi will be the show

for me it's just the fact that I think there's gonna be OUTSTANDING racing going on in WSBK next year...

MotoGP... not so much... if Rossi were not racing this year... I'd probably only watch one or two races... :idk:

Spies on a cross plane R1 V Haga and the Duc 1198. Corser and Xaus on Beemers, While Max and the wild japanese guy on 'Prillers. You bet I am tuning in....

Ebbs.... I bet you a burger that Rossi doesn't take the Championship this year... I'm feeling a young upstart rise this season.

I'll take that! I think he'll take it again this year... Stoner will not be 2nd...
I'm gonna say Nicky finishes top 4


if nothing else... we'll share a burger and a couple drinks :dthumb:

Im thinking its a young guns year. Maybe Lorentho? Dovizioso?

lorentho? you mean Jorge LORENZO? I think he'll place in the top 3... but I don't think they'll beat Rossi unless he takes himeslf out... ie wrecks or mechanical...

I think it'll be
1. Rossi
2. Lorenzo
3. Stoner
4. Hayden
5. Pedrosa
6. Dovizioso

poor child can't say his z's :lol: therefore, lorentho :)

:lol: I thought I'd missed someone moving up from the 250's

LINK

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.

ENDS

Post this story to: digg

Here's MY BIG CHANCE!!! I have always said I can crash so much more entertainingly than DePuniet!

need a team-mate!? :rockwoot:

That's pretty pathetic when the sanctioning body has to field teams to fill up the grid. I think we're seeing the beginning of the end boys!

Exactly what I was thinking. RIP

def called it.