hmm, the plot thickens...

[tufty]

>http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/Kawasaki+close+in+on+Melandri+deal+and+third+bike+for+2009<

Kawasaki is feeling their oats a little, 3 bikes in '09 maybe. Suddenly, silly season looks to get sillier.

[sqweak]

Didn't they say the same thing for most of last silly season only to eventually drop it?

Kawasaki sure likes throwing money around for a 9/10 team 5/5 manf.

[gm2]

Didn't they say the same thing for most of last silly season only to eventually drop it?

yep.  also talked about maybe bringing a 5-cylinder bike.

a factory-but-not-factory-colors bike would be interesting.. sorta like ultra-satellite.

a 9/10 team 5/5 manf.

huh? 

[sqweak]

huh? 

Team Standings has them in 9th (of 10th) place.
Manufacturer Standings has them in 5th (of 5th) place.

[gm2]

ah... 9/10 and 5/5 is a very high score.  guess it doesn't say which way the scale points  =)

anyway, true they suck in GP (and just about everywhere else) but KHI has very deep pockets and someone there has the will to turn it around.  or at least the budget. 

suppose if hopper hadn't had a million injuries and they had someone other than ant west on the other bike, those numbers could be a lot different. 

i just wish they'd go back to the early '07 dark green... that bike was a lot faster.  monsters are slow.   

[tufty]

Didn't they say the same thing for most of last silly season only to eventually drop it?

Kawasaki sure likes throwing money around for a 9/10 team 5/5 manf.

What's strange is that KHI is known for building blisteringly fast motors, so much so that their riders have been known to ask them to dial 'em back a little. They don't seem to be able to get the handling down though. I think having 2 or 3 veteran riders feedback could go a long way to helping them succeed.

[desmoquattro]

What's strange is that KHI is known for building blisteringly fast motors, so much so that their riders have been known to ask them to dial 'em back a little. They don't seem to be able to get the handling down though. I think having 2 or 3 veteran riders feedback could go a long way to helping them succeed.

Maybe they should race container ships 

[tufty]

Bye, bye Westy, WSB anyone.

www.visordown.com/motorcyclenews/view/motogp_melandri_deal_yet_to_be_confirmed/5370.html

[sqweak]

dude, that's like verbatim the same story as the one you posted from motogp.

[gm2]

it also says nothing concrete 

[derby]

now they're more almost there-er-er:

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=33813