Kawasaki

OPINION: Does MotoGP Really Need More Than Five Factories?

By David Emmett |

It is almost a ritual at this point. Every few months, a news story or rumor will pop up suggesting that a major motorcycle manufacturer is considering joining MotoGP. Usually after a senior executive has given a wide-ranging interview on a host of subjects relating to their brands, and at the end is asked, "oh, what about MotoGP?" and doesn't immediately reject the idea out of hand.

Earlier this year, it was BMW which was going to enter MotoGP. That theory grew off the back of two pieces of news. Firstly, an interview with the new CEO of BMW Motorrad, Markus Flasch, in which he was asked about MotoGP, and said that he would not rule it out. And secondly, the news that BMW had bought Suzuki's MotoGP data.

The latest set of rumors (as I referred to last week) refer to an interview given by Suzuki Motor CEO Toshihiro Suzuki about their position in the market and range of models. Suzuki-san was asked if there were any plans to enter MotoGP, and responded that though they were proud of having won the MotoGP title in 2020, "it doesn't make much sense if we don't have a complete and varied range of models to offer all motorcyclists. And I don't think we are in this situation at the moment."

Feed the beast

That hasn't stopped the MotoGP media from launching a barrage of stories stating that Suzuki is considering a return to premier class racing. The explanation is fairly simple. It is December, and very little is happening in the world of motorcycle racing. But the insatiable hunger for content must be filled (and for websites which rely on internet advertising income, the existential need for clicks and ad impressions), and so yarns get spun out to seem as large and significant as possible.

Silly Season Round Up: Mir To Stay With Honda, Seats Filling Rapidly, WorldSBK Moves

By David Emmett |

With Marc Marquez slotting into the second factory Ducati seat, prompting Jorge Martin to leave for the factory Aprilia squad, the other pieces of the MotoGP rider puzzle are starting to fall into place. With Assen now just under two weeks away, the rider market is starting to move.

Motorsport.com's Germán Garcia Casanova brings news of one of the most surprising moves on the market. Motorsport is reporting that Joan Mir is set to sign a new two-year deal with Repsol Honda. This is rather unexpected, as Mir has suffered a difficult first part of the season, and has been open in his criticism of HRC and the current iteration of the Honda RC213V. There were even credible rumors that the 2020 MotoGP champion was pondering retirement.

Bimota And Kawasaki - A New Focus And A New Branding Strategy

By Steve English |

The news that Bimota is returning to WorldSBK in 2025 came as a surprise to the paddock. The withdrawal of Kawasaki as a full-factory effort from the series, after eight World Championships, blindsided many but what does it actually mean for the series?

In many ways it will be business as usual. Provec Racing, the Catalan team that has morphed into the Kawasaki Racing Team over the years, has been the factory supported squad for the championship since 2011. In that time the team, led by the Roda brothers, became the standard bearer of the series. This success culminated in Jonathan Rea’s unprecedented six titles in a row. Since 2021, though, the team and manufacturer have fallen on harder times.

Switching from Kawasaki to Bimota is a decision that has been a considerable time in the making. In 2019 Kawasaki Heavy Industries purchased Bimota. KHI is a massive company and their motorcycle division is a tiny part of a massive empire. With almost 40,000 employees KHI is involved in a myriad of industries including aeronautical, shipping, off-shore structures, rail and many more. Motorcycling is the part we care about but it’s only a small part of what makes that company tick.

Brand value

Bimota To Return To WorldSBK, Joining Forces With KRT

By David Emmett |

A new name is to enter the WorldSBK paddock. Or rather, an old name is to make a return. Today, Kawasaki announced that Italian bike builder Bimota are to take over the running of their WorldSBK program, with the KRT team switching from Kawasaki to Bimota.

Though at first glance, it looks like a withdrawal by Kawasaki and the entry of Bimota, it is a little more complicated than that. As a major shareholder in Bimota, Kawasaki have decided to switch their focus from promoting their own Kawasaki brand to marketing the more upmarket and sports-oriented Bimota brand.

The KRT team, currently fielding Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani, will continue in 2025, though they will be running Bimotas - Kawasaki ZX10-RR engines in Bimota chassis. The team will run under the name Bimota by Kawasaki, to make the link between the two clear.

Steve English On The Barcelona WorldSBK Round - Making Magic Happen

By Steve English |

“Toprak tries things that seem to be impossible but he makes them possible,” said a smiling Michael van der Mark following the Catalunya Round of WorldSBK. It’s hard to argue with the BMW Motorrad rider because his teammate, Toprak Razgatlioglu, dominated the headlines at the second round of the 2024 WorldSBK season.

Smashing the lap record in Superpole was impressive. Taking two last lap victories was stunning and tallied into a weekend that BMW will never forget. Toprak was the top points scorer in Catalunya and has immediately proved himself as a title contender once again. Winning races on the Kawasaki in 2019 or the Yamaha for the last four years was meeting expectations, but to do so with BMW has left his rivals with furrowed brows.

Scott Redding, a title contender when he was racing with Ducati, has been left scratching his head. When Toprak was signed Redding commented that he didn’t think Toprak was a better rider. After Catalunya he had changed his view. Garrett Gerloff, a podium finished in Catalunya in the past, said that he was in awe of what Razgatlioglu has been able to do.

Rider and bike

It was only Van der Mark who had a strong weekend and it was his performance that really proved that BMW has made progress. Qualifying on the second row and coming away with fourth in Race 2 was a good showing from the Dutchman ahead of his home round.

Gordon Ritchie WorldSBK Blog: Rules Of New Engagement

By Gordon Ritchie |

Gordon Ritchie has covered World Superbikes for over a quarter of a century, and is widely regarded as the world's leading journalist on the series. MotoMatters.com is delighted to be hosting a monthly blog by Ritchie. The full blog will be available each month for MotoMatters.com subscribers. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here.

Phillip Island WorldSBK Notes: A Brand New Era Dawns At The World's Greatest Racetrack

By David Emmett |

It is fitting that the world championship motorcycle racing season should open at the greatest racetrack on the face of the earth. Phillip Island never disappoints, and it is a source of eternal envy in the MotoGP paddock that it is World Superbikes that get to visit Phillip Island at the end of summer, when the weather is at its best, while MotoGP is left with the dregs of winter.

As wonderful as it is to see bikes on track at the world's greatest racetrack, Phillip Island is such a unique place that it is unwise to read too much into the results of the opening weekend of the World Superbike championship. Phillip Island is a riders' track, where bravery and talent count for more than having a perfect setup or a superior motorcycle. The rider can make up for a lot.

Throw in a new surface, and you muddy the picture even further. The new track was so much faster than the old surface that Pirelli was forced to introduce compulsory pit stops to change front and rear tires. Both outright and race lap records were demolished, the Superpole record by 1.3 seconds, the race lap record by 1.5 seconds. That is a lot more speed, and a lot more speed means a lot more stress on the tires. Despite pit stops and shortened races, tires at the end were looking very chewed up and right at the edge of endurance.

Jumping to conclusions

WorldSBK 2024 Preview, Part 4: Kawasaki - Green with envy?

By Steve English |

It’s all change for Kawasaki in 2024 with Jonathan Rea having departed and a new structure left in his wake. Kawasaki dominated WorldSBK for the best part of a decade but now, as Steve English assesses, it would be easy to be left looking enviously at others

Unparalleled success brings with it impossible pressure. From 2012 onwards Kawasaki expected success. Race wins were the norm and even titles were almost guaranteed. That ship sailed over the last few years and now the Provec Racing run operation has been rebuilt for the 2024 season.

Losing their star rider Jonathan Rea meant that a rethink was in order. Alex Lowes retains his spot in the squad, but Axel Bassani brings in fresh eyes and a fresh attitude. The Italian isn’t in racing to make friends and that’s a good thing. His style has meant that he’s grudgingly respected by rivals. That hard-nosed approach might be what Kawasaki need in the post-JR age.

For 2024 the biggest change in Kawasaki isn’t the new regulations, although 500rpm and new crankshaft weights won’t do any harm. The biggest change is internal. The structure of the team remains the same, but with Lowes moving to Rea’s side of the garage the atmosphere is different. After four years with Marcel Duinker it will be a new sensation for Lowes to turn right upon entering the pit box and to see Pere Riba staring back at him waiting for feedback.

Taking the lead

Ranking The Riders: The WorldSBK Top Ten According To Steve English

By Steve English |

Before I even start here, I have to say I struggle with top ten lists. As ever it’s a subjective view of the WorldSBK season. So here’s my top ten list for 2023 anyway. I think that it’s only the top three that I have an ironclad belief in my choices, because beyond that you could make a case for almost any rider on the grid. As I found as I made my list, as I changed people around time and again, putting riders further up or lower down the list.

Everyone in racing has a story to tell of their season and there’s so much that goes unnoticed but this is the list I settled on. Get involved in the comments with your lists and I’ll come back to see what everyone has to say, and by all means throw egg in my face for this list!

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (7 wins, 33 podiums, 34 Top 5, 2 DNF)

Is it possible to argue with Toprak as the leading man in WorldSBK? Over the last three years he has, for me at least, been the most impressive rider in the world. He might be racing a lesser level in WorldSBK but the Turkish rider isn’t a star; he’s a superstar. Other than Valentino Rossi or Marc Marquez I’ve never seen a more “box office” rider. When Toprak is on track you can’t take your eyes off him.

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