Kawasaki

mac · 2 May 2003, 02:18 (Ref:586920)

Three questions:

1) Will Kawasaki ever get to the top of the MotoGP pile? And if so, how long will it take?

2) Does Garry McCoy still have what it takes to win Grands Prix?

3) How good is Andrew Pitt?

f1manoz · 2 May 2003, 02:56 (Ref:586937)

1. Probably not. Against the likes of Honda, Yamaha and Ducati, IMO they don't really stand a chance.

2. Perhaps, but I don't think he'll ever get back on a bike capable of victories.

3. Very good. He won the Supersport title, which is a fiercely contested category.

wreckless · 2 May 2003, 06:59 (Ref:586994)

1) not using dunlops

2)who really knows, he has had 2 bad years with injuries and stuff, this is the only season for a while where he has started fully fit

3)Pretty darn good id say, it wouldnt be easy to change from a supersport to a gp bike, He is a very consistant rider too

Gerrit · 2 May 2003, 08:38 (Ref:587046)

Tyres will matter very little in my opinion. Kawasaki's race history is full of almost-commitment..... but never a full-scale, all-out effort. Sometimes I get the feeling that Kawasaki's participating is more of a " showing that we are there too" rather than a " we're here to win no matter what" mentality.
The KR500 is a case in point. Lots of potential, but a one-rider only effort; this against a horde of works and private RG500s plus the various Yamahas and, in 1982, Hondas. A wasted effort and opportunity, not helped by the wrong rider being on the bike. Greg Hansford should have been on the bike from the start.

asha · 2 May 2003, 09:20 (Ref:587069)

1. when? never
2. I doubt McCoy will be back
3. Pitt? Quite good i think, i hope to see him on a Yamaha (or something) next season (its hard to command a ride with a bike that is so bad).

and i'll add a question
4. Will the V5 KR-Proton be faster then the Kawasaki out of the box? i think so

Gerrit · 2 May 2003, 11:04 (Ref:587165)

Re (4): it will be faster in time than the Kaw and the WCM, and about as fast as the Suzuki... but that will be all. No track time, no test riders to aid development and sorting out. All it has in its favour is two riders who are better than those on the WCM team.

BootsOntheSide · 2 May 2003, 11:19 (Ref:587182)

1) Only if Kawa put in a really committed long-term effort. So far they just haven't put enough behind it.

2) I think he's got the talent despite his recent injury problems, but he will struggleto get onto a winning bike. New guys are coming through all the time - Poggiali, Rolfo, Matsudo, Elias and co could be in MotoGP next year.

3) He's got real potential that he isn't yet being allowed to show. Comparing him against McCoy is seeing him show well though.

4) Maybe not immediately, it depends on how race-ready it will really be when introduced. Kawa, WCM and Suzuka are realistic targets as the season goes on though.

wreckless · 3 May 2003, 00:10 (Ref:588113)

Quote:

Originally posted by Gerrit
Tyres will matter very little in my opinion.

Can you remember the last time a dunlop shod bike won a motogp race? Wasnt last season

f1manoz · 3 May 2003, 05:04 (Ref:588185)

Wasn't it Simon Crafar at Donington Park?

That's the last one I remember.

wreckless · 3 May 2003, 11:44 (Ref:588392)

i dont really know, but it was ages ago, and i dont think it is a co-incadence that all the top bikes choose dunlops

x_dt · 3 May 2003, 11:49 (Ref:588396)

The last non-Michelin win in the top class was indeed Crafar at Donington in 1998 on Dunlops. IIRC the Dunlops had an advantage that day. Also isn't Crafar said to be "Michelin-phobic"?

As for Kawasaki the tyres alone cannot explain them bringing up the rear. What sort of resources do Kawasaki have?

f1manoz · 4 May 2003, 02:18 (Ref:588851)

Kawasaki are probably the smallest manufacturer besides Suzuki. Their resources are far, far smaller compared to the likes of Honda.

That does not stop them making good machines though. It's just that taking on the big guys like Honda takes serious cash and talent.

wreckless · 4 May 2003, 12:04 (Ref:589049)

Quote:

Originally posted by f1manoz
Their resources are far, far smaller compared to the likes of Honda.
That does not stop them making good machines though.

true, ducati have one third the manpower of honda apparently

elephino · 6 May 2003, 13:05 (Ref:590943)

1. Maybe, but it would take a huge amount of work
2. Yes, he's already done so
3. Very

CleanTone · 6 May 2003, 19:43 (Ref:591420)

The remarkable Kawasaki news is that Alex Hoffman will ride in Jerez. It is remarkable since 1 day before this news I saw Hoffman on RTL. 1 week before that RTL has announced that they would broadcast MotoGP. From my point of view this is an indication that BMW will join MotoGP. Hoffman is a weak driver and RTL has a huge influence(I didn't know that)

mac · 7 May 2003, 06:15 (Ref:591936)

So who's missing out!!!???

Hoffman's useless!

f1manoz · 7 May 2003, 08:37 (Ref:592049)

Perhaps Kawasaki will run three machines. I think that would be the most likely reason.

As for BMW joining up (if or when they do), the more the merrier in my opinion.

Gerrit · 7 May 2003, 11:01 (Ref:592209)

v.d. Goorbergh is missing out, for one!!!!!!!!

x_dt · 10 May 2003, 16:14 (Ref:595450)

Theres an article on Crash.net which points out that Garry McCoy's Jerez qualifying time (1:44.985) was beaten by three riders (de Puniet, Poggiali and Battaini) in the subsequent 250cc qualifying session.

Kawasaki have a long struggle ahead of them.

f1manoz · 11 May 2003, 00:10 (Ref:595801)

Quote:

Originally posted by Gerrit
v.d. Goorbergh is missing out, for one!!!!!!!!

I think he's enjoying his time in Supersport though. But I'd like to see him on the MotoGP grid as well.

Rambo · 20 May 2003, 08:38 (Ref:604358)

McCoy is good enough. Pitt is quick, maybe not super-fast but devilishly consistently quick. It's the Kawasaki that's simply abyssmal - they're embarassingly slow.

Rambo · 20 May 2003, 08:39 (Ref:604360)

Oh, and it's great seeing VDG on a competitive bike in a competitive class - you get to see his talents which at times in the GP world were sorely wasted.

f1manoz · 20 May 2003, 09:28 (Ref:604403)

Rambo, your first post hit the nail right on the head. It's the Kawasaki, not the riders.

Amaroo Park · 20 May 2003, 10:17 (Ref:604459)

Kawaski aren't like they where in the good old days when Gregg Hansford was riding for them

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