OFFICIAL PROGRAMME
We move to another area of Japan for the Kawasaki take on WorldSBK participation . The same key question , ‘ Why is WorldSBK in its present form still an important series for your company - for any motorcycle company ?’ was asked of Steve Guttridge , Racing Manager Corporate Planning Department , Kawasaki Motors Europe N . V . “ There are two primary reasons for Kawasaki to compete in WorldSBK . Firstly , it provides a worldwide platform to expose Kawasaki and the Ninja brand to the many millions of fans globally . Of course there is a direct connection to Ninja ZX-10R fans but the link goes way beyond that and we feel that anyone who owns , or seeks to own , a Ninja – or any other Kawasaki – can easily witness our engineering and performance credentials on track and in the same arena as our competitors . Secondly , it allows Kawasaki to test or debut new concepts , to investigate issues such as durability and fine-tune aspects of future street motorcycles . One good example of this is the use of integrated winglets on the latest Ninja ZX-10R and ZX-10RR which can create up to 17 % more maximum downforce . Other examples may be less easy to spot but as a “ test bed ” for new engineering and technology , WorldSBK is a natural environment for Kawasaki .”
He described the unique aspects of WorldSBK that cannot be reached by other championships thus , “ For Kawasaki it is the global reach and the depth of competition that appeals . Of course we support teams in important national championships , but to be able to perform on a global stage in the premier series based on production street motorcycles is important . We have always strived to keep a strong connection between the bike on the track and the machine in the local Kawasaki dealership . Whether it be a Ninja ZX-10R or even a Ninja ZX-10RR , it is possible to buy the machine that the race bike has evolved from and both street and track motorcycles share a large number of identical components . Within a racing season the machinery used by KRT and the other Kawasaki teams is pushed to the very limit in the pursuit of podium places and race wins . Having achieved six championships in a row with the combination of Jonathan Rea , the Ninja ZX-10RR and Provec , our management team for WorldSBK , we have demonstrated the durability and performance of the Ninja package . In recent seasons that performance has been managed by rules that have successively reduced the maximum engine revs which , as winning manufacturer , has affected us more than our competition . The racing in 2021 is now closer than ever and the performances of Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes are indeed impressive given the maximum
Yamaha Motor Europe President and CEO , Eric De Seynes , was first to asked about why WorldSBK is such a compelling competition for manufacturers .
EXCITING CONTENT rev restrictions dictated by the rules .” Kawasaki , like BMW , does not race in MotoGP , so what does WorldSBK give that MotoGP cannot ? “ Ever since the first days of WorldSBK and Kawasaki ’ s first win by Adrien Morillas in the inaugural 1998 season our philosophy has been constant . WorldSBK is street based , it accurately reflects the motorcycles that are ridden to fans and that they can see in any Kawasaki showroom . From 1988 to 2021 the same internal rule at Kawasaki has been applied , all machines used for WorldSBK are selected from warehouse stock motorcycles , the same machines that are shipped around the world to our dealerships . We do not start with a special non-production machine or prototype such as are used for MotoGP . It is that tangible , direct connection between the bike on track and the fans ’ own machine that separates WorldSBK from MotoGP .” The freedom to do your own electronic development is a theme running through all the manufacturers ’ comments , and Guttridge ’ s opinion was no exception . “ The electronics are obviously a very important aspect of the final overall performances of our race bike and the fact that we can work with and develop our own strategies are a big reason also for our interest in the class .” Kawasaki also goes , in a sense , its own with with its choice of suspension and engine development technical partners . Showa and Akira , respectively . “ Showa are a superb partner to our programme working closely with our engineers and riders both at the circuits and behind the scenes ,” said Guttridge . “ We have made good progress in developing suspension products together over the collaboration in WorldSBK with KRT which have again been passed on into our latest street motorcycle range . Akira as our engine partner are able to qualify and quantify information precisely back to our Factory engineers seeking improvements all the time in both areas of peak performance and durability and so I would say it is very important for future road bike development overall .” Yamaha Motor Europe President and CEO , Eric De Seynes , was first to asked about why WorldSBK is such a compelling competition for manufacturers . For Yamaha , like some other manufacturers , WorldSBK is by no means its only top line race series where they play official cards . A Yamaha rider is leading in MotoGP , after all ? If you are winning big in the biggest game , why also this production-derived WorldSBK game ? So , in a nutshell , why is Yamaha fully committed to WorldSBK ? “ Because we need ,” said De Seynes . “ Here , this championship is for my customers . This is the way you are connected with your customers . This is the bike we sell , the product . So for me , I want to support my business . If I support my business , it ’ s not MotoGP . MotoGP is supporting my brand image . It ’ s supporting my engineering capacity , but it ’ s not about business .” Given all the above reasons it is clear to see that WorldSBK is still a compelling series for manufacturers to race and develop their real motorcycles , their highest performance consumer products , at the highest level possible
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