Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Kawasaki to stay in MotoGP after all?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/16/kawasaki-to-stay-in-motogp-after-all/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/16/kawasaki-to-stay-in-motogp-after-all/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/16/kawasaki-to-stay-in-motogp-after-all/#commentsFiled under: , ,



To quote Mark Twain, "The rumors of Kawasaki's death in MotoGP may be greatly exaggerated." Fine, so it's not an exact quote, but the point is the same. Despite Kawasaki's assertion that it was indeed suspending its factory support from MotoGP, the threat of lawsuit may cause the team to change its mind. According to Carmelo Ezpeleta, who heads Dorna, the company that holds the rights to MotoGP, Kawasaki is contractually obligated to stay in MotoGP through 2011 and must ensure that its two ZX-RR race bikes take part in the series in 2009. Assuming this happens, Dorna will release the team from its commitment for the final two years. If Team Green chooses not to comply, Dorna will seek financial compensation. Perhaps it's not surprising, then, that Kawasaki has indeed been testing its bikes in Australia, seemingly in preparation to race in the first event of the season on April 12 in Qatar.

[Source: 2 Wheel Tuesday]

Kawasaki to stay in MotoGP after all? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kawasakikawasaki moto gpKawasakiMotoGpmotogpmotogp 2009Motogp2009Fri, 16 Jan 2009 07:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Kawasaki to withdraw from MotoGP?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/31/kawasaki-to-withdraw-from-motogp/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/31/kawasaki-to-withdraw-from-motogp/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/31/kawasaki-to-withdraw-from-motogp/#commentsFiled under: , ,



These are not happy days for Japanese motorsport fans. Following Honda's withdrawal from Formula One and Suzuki and Subaru's dual withdrawals from the World Rally Championship come reports that Kawasaki is pulling out of MotoGP.

The Japanese motorcycle manufacturer entered the premier two-wheel racing series in 2003 with hopes to take top honors, but in its five seasons of competition, it has failed to record a single victory. The factory team had hoped to make a go of it with a pair of new riders and their new ZZ-XR racing bike, but hard times mean that it's time to call it quits. Confirmation of Kawasaki's decision is expected to come on January 5, leaving MotoGP in an even tougher spot as it watches rival series World Superbike Championship gain BMW and Aprilia.

[Source: Autosport]

Kawasaki to withdraw from MotoGP? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kawasakikawasaki moto gpKawasakiMotoGpmoto gpMotoGpWed, 31 Dec 2008 10:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Kawasaki updates entire motorcycle line for '09]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/28/kawasaki-updates-entire-motorcycle-line-for-09/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/28/kawasaki-updates-entire-motorcycle-line-for-09/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/28/kawasaki-updates-entire-motorcycle-line-for-09/#commentsFiled under:


Click above for more shots of the 2009 Kawasaki ZX-10R

Kawasaki has pulled the covers off its new motorcycle line for '09, and there's lots to discuss. A revised, lithe ZX-6R sheds about 20 pounds, much of it from the engine itself. It also gets updated Showa Big Piston forks and a new look based on its big brother, the ZX-10R. Speaking of which, Kawi's literbike sees only a few changes for '09, most notably a new green, white and black color scheme that looks excellent. Moving from the top of the performance ladder, the middleweight Ninja 650 gets a new fairing that brings it more in line with the rest of the Ninja line, plus a few engine mods to meet new emissions regulations. In a bit of really cool news, the U.S. finally gets the ER6-n, essentially a naked version of the popular Ninja 650 -- we likey.

On another sporty note, Team Green has unveiled the KLX250SF, a supermoto bike with a 250cc four-stroke engine, grippy 17-inch tires and long suspension travel. The 'moto is based on the KLX250S, a small-bore dual-sport bike that's finally 50-state emissions legal for '09. On a surprising note, the venerable Super Sherpa is back, along with its 250cc engine and old-school looks. Cruisers are still big sellers in the U.S., so the new 1700 Vulcans are likely to be a hit with a new V-Twin engine derived from Vulcan 2000's monster mill. The rest of the Vulcan line, along with the Versys, ZX-14 and Concours 14 see no real changes for '09 other than some new colors. And that about wraps it up. Look for the new Kawasakis in dealerships soon and check out our galleries of the new-for-'09 models below and after the jump.

Gallery: 2009 Kawasaki ZX-10R


[Source: Kawasaki]

Continue reading Kawasaki updates entire motorcycle line for '09

Kawasaki updates entire motorcycle line for '09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1700 vulcan1700Vulcan2009 kawasaki2009 kawasaki ninja2009 ninja2009 zx-10r2009 zx-6r2009Kawasaki2009KawasakiNinja2009Ninja2009Zx-10r2009Zx-6rer6nkawasakikawasaki ninjaKawasakiNinjaklx250klx250sklx250sfsuper sherpaSuperSherpaversyszx-10rzx-14zx-6rSun, 28 Sep 2008 18:19:00 EST<![CDATA["Twist the Throttle" motorcycle documentary series launches online]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/21/twist-the-throttle-motorcycle-documentary-series-launches-onli/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/21/twist-the-throttle-motorcycle-documentary-series-launches-onli/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/21/twist-the-throttle-motorcycle-documentary-series-launches-onli/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Over the weekend, Dylan Weiss from Cry Havoc Productions, Inc. let us know that his latest motorcycle-specific documentary went live at Discovery's Turbo online site. We've spent some time watching the footage, and we think it's awesome. Focusing in on Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, BMW, Ducati, MV Agusta and Bimota, the crew took plenty of footage home with them and managed to ride some of the greatest modern sportbikes ever created along the way. Best of all, over four hours of video is available online for free at their mini-site, broken down into 50 segments.

The whole shebang was shot in High Definition, so we have some serious hopes that it will air on The Discovery Channel, be offered on DVD or both. It's extremely entertaining and we definitely recommend checking it out. Thanks for the tip, Dylan!

[Source: Cry Havoc Productions, Discovery Turbo]

"Twist the Throttle" motorcycle documentary series launches online originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bimotabmwdiscoverydiscovery channeldiscovery-channelDiscoveryChannelducatihondakawasakimotorcyclemotorcyclesmv agustamv-agustaMvAgustasuzukitwist the throttletwist-the-throttleTwistTheThrottleyamahaFri, 21 Mar 2008 19:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Montreal Auto Show: 2007 T-Rex bears its teeth]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/25/montreal-auto-show-2007-t-rex-bears-its-teeth/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/25/montreal-auto-show-2007-t-rex-bears-its-teeth/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/25/montreal-auto-show-2007-t-rex-bears-its-teeth/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click on the image above to see our 24-image high-resolution gallery

The Quebec-built T-Rex has been on the market since 1996, and at the recent Montreal auto show the wraps were taken off the newly-revised model. For 2007, the T-Rex ditches the old carbureted 1200cc, 152-hp engine for a bigger, more powerful fuel-injected Kawasaki unit displacing 1400cc and pumping out 200 horsepower. On a motorbike, two hundred horses go a long way - now imagine saddling that with more traction and better stability than any motorbike could and you begin to fathom the kind of performance the T-Rex serves up: 0-60 in 3.6 seconds (in first gear) and 1.3 g's of lateral acceleration. Intriguingly, to get the engines and other components from Kawasaki, the makers of the T-Rex buy the full bikes from the factory, take the parts they need and sell the rest to shops in the US.

For 2007 the T-Rex also gets new lights, new instrument gauges and a covered engine. They also offer carbon-fiber body-kits, a wind deflector, larger outboard storage bins capable of holding a full-face helmet in each and special-order paints.

We got a chance to check out the T-Rex at the Montreal show, and have the pictures to prove it. The blue model pictured is the updated 2007 version, while the white and green ones are first-gen models, both featuring special-order Lamborghini colors for a customer in Dubai.

Check out go-t-rex.com for more details.

Gallery: 2007 T-Rex

Montreal Auto Show: 2007 T-Rex bears its teeth originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2007autobikecycleenginekawasakimontrealmotorrexshowtthreetrikewheelThu, 25 Jan 2007 18:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Gas prices are driving more towards motorcycles - or at least providing a great excuse]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/08/gas-prices-are-driving-more-towards-motorcycles-or-at-least-pr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/08/gas-prices-are-driving-more-towards-motorcycles-or-at-least-pr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/08/gas-prices-are-driving-more-towards-motorcycles-or-at-least-pr/#commentsFiled under: , ,

With yet another summer of record gas prices looming just over the horizon, more and more Americans are turning in their wheels... or at least a couple of them. Sales of motorcycles and scooters are up 8 percent over 2005, and according to the American Motorcycle Association, 35 percent of its members intend to ride more this summer because of gas prices.

Of course, it's probably possible to poke a mathematical hole into this rationale with but a few pecks at the ol' calculator, unless one chooses only the most frugal of two-wheeled conveyances (and a look at the best-selling list, full of Harleys, indicates that this is definitely not the case). According to one dealer, "People are looking for reasons to justify that want, and gas prices do that." Not like there's anything wrong with that, of course; we'd just be a lot happier if new riders would get some training before hitting the streets so that the annual death rate reverses its decade-long ugly trend.

[Source: USA Today]

Gas prices are driving more towards motorcycles - or at least providing a great excuse originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Jun 2006 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AMAapriliabikesducatigold wing wheeliesGoldWingWheeliesharley-davidsonhondakawasakimoto guzzimotorcyclessuzukiyamahaThu, 08 Jun 2006 12:53:00 EST