Kawasaki to Suspend MotoGP Racing Activities

Tokyo, January 9, 2009 — Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced today that it has decided to suspend its factory MotoGP racing activities from 2009 season.

Amid quickly changing business environment, Kawasaki has been promptly taking countermeasures to cope with the situation. As the world economy is not likely to recover in a short period due to the major impact of the financial crisis, Kawasaki decided to suspend its MotoGP racing activities from 2009 season onward and reallocate management resources more efficiently.

Kawasaki will continue racing activities using mass-produced motorcycles as well as supporting general race-oriented customers.

Kawasaki would like to thank all the fans and all those who have forwarded us great help.


www.khi.co.jp/ba/2009data/ba_c3090109_1.html

(youtube)


i guess when you are not winning and the best teams keep getting better it sadly makes sense...i will miss the green bikes out there and at least framed a poster from 2008 of their motogp bike...here is gary mccoy doing his thing on a green machine...peace craig

I wonder how this will affect Kawasaki racing in Canada.
Kawasaki teams did well in 2008 in Canada: www.kawasaki.ca/news/kawasaki-racing .

"Tuesday September 2nd, 2008 - Kawasaki Race Team dominates at season’s finale in Shannonville"

I saw that on BBC this morning here in Norway. Kawasaki says they spemd $40 million a year on the GP teams. In these tough times it only makes sence to cut back but they need to understand that in many people eyes this will put them behind Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda in the all important performance field.

Wow that stinks! I hope the AMA teams are not in danger.

Cool vid!

kind of goes back to the old saying about race on saturday and sell on monday!

it's too bad that they had to pull out but if that means more help for little guy's racing then that's allright too. hey kawi. ive been racing your stuff for 15 years how about a little of that left over money my way please.

I think you'll see more of this sooner than you think. The AMA is a joke too. All the veteran riders are getting past their prime and no new young guns coming up. It will be interesting to watch.

trianglelaguna wrote:

here is gary mccoy doing his thing on a green machine...

Kawasaki has always been the thermometer for economic times. They pull out of racing faster in troubled econmic times faster than a teen finding out his partner did not take the pill.

I guess they believe they will get there fair market share of sales, so why blow $100mill on racing.