Even though this article doesn't confirm it, all other spanish/italian and similar newspapers already confirm the news: Kawasaki won't compete in MotoGP 2009.

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/moto...t_motogp?.html

 

Read this on another forum this morning. Honda out of the AMA...now Kawi out of the GP. What next?

 

I was just about to post that... i said it before and ill say it again, the world is coming to and end

 

It's not 100% yet. Jan. 5th will be the date to find out. http://2wheeltuesday.com/2008/12/kaw...l-from-motogp/

 

NNNNNOOOOOOOoooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOOOO

 

is honda outta the entire ama series? all the events or just some of the events they compete in

 

ouch. didn't hopkins state he was ready to do much better this year. amazing if kawi does pull out. Considering motorcycles are a drop in the bucket for them since they are primarily heavy industries.

confirmation from the UK
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sp...uit-bombshell/

 

From John Hopkins' website:

"Now, though, press reports from one of Italy's many sports daily's Tuttosport suggest that Kawasaki have decided not to wait that long. Tuttosport is saying that Kawasaki has already decided to withdraw from MotoGP, and that the riders and team have already been informed, pending an official announcement. Yoshio Kawamura, head of Kawasaki Racing, is said to have informed Hopkins and Melandri personally.

So far, no confirmation has been forthcoming, though ominously, nobody from the team has been available for comment. The holiday season may well be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this, but then again, it may just be that the team members are under strict instructions not to speak to the press until after an official announcement has been made."

 

No more green machines....????

 

i dont understand how they can do this. isnt motogp where they do their reaserch and come up with new chassis....? their bikes are already a step behind the other three, and this will not help.
they could terminate the WSB program instead

 

their WSBK efforts is also up in the air, rumored to be canceled aswell.

 

What a poorly written headline:
Also, I read on another forum that this would put MotoGP under the required minimum number of bikes on the grid . . . any thoughts on who might put up another bike?

 

I read somewhere that another privateer Ducati may be coming in to fill the gap. Don't quote me though...

 

Aparently ducati is hurting for $ too... wierd... http://www.crash.net/motorsport/moto...wn_to_one.html

 

Ducati isn't hurting for money. Pramac is a satellite team. They were sponsored by Alice, which has pulled it's sponsorship money. So another satellite team has picked up a second ducati, which will be ridden by Canepa. There's still going to be 5 ducatis on the grid.

 

The was also talk of hopper riding a honda for the 09 season.

 

Kawasaki was reminded of their dorna contract so they are back racing. I wonder how much development will be done over the course of the year?

 

none cause they are out.

 

So is it official? I saw an article on motogp website.

 

Their factory team is out, but they are in negotiations to set up a satellite team.... hopefully.

 

Thats kinda stupid, who wants to have a Satelite team with the shittiest bike on the grid. wonder if they are gonna get the "screamer" engine this year

 

A satellite team wouldn't get much development, would they. Man, this blows.