AFP/Saeed Khanview photoTOKYO (AFP) - Kawasaki on Friday pulled out of the MotoGP, becoming the latest Japanese company to withdraw from motor sports as the global economic crisis inflicts a heavy toll.
Kawasaki's decision comes a month after Honda's shock exit from Formula One racing to refocus on core businesses as the global downturn saps global demand.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, a major builder of motorcycles, ships and machinery, said its earlier measures to cope with the global downturn had proven insufficient.
"As the world economy is not likely to recover in a short period due to the major impact of the financial crisis, Kawasaki decided to suspend its MotoGP racing activities from 2009 season onward and reallocate management resources more efficiently," the Netherlands-based racing division said in a statement.
"Kawasaki would like to thank all the fans and all those who have forwarded us great help," it said.
Kawasaki spends roughly four billion yen (43.8 million dollars) annually to run the team, said an official of the company based in the western Japanese city of Kobe.
Kawasaki had two drivers on its team for this season -- American John Hopkins and Italian Marco Melandri. The Japanese team has been in MotoGP for 17 years and was once a major player but never reached the top of the podium.
Analysts warned that more Japanese companies could exit such prestigious but expensive sporting competitions.
"Like other companies, Kawasaki does not have extra capacity to take care of non-core businesses," said Takeo Shibaoka, an auto analyst at Okasan Securities.
"The prospects for motor businesses are quite uncertain as consumers are losing their interest in motorcycles, which appear to go against environmentally-friendly technology," Shibaoka said.
"This could be a first step for Kawasaki to fully review its motorcycle businesses," he added.
Besides Honda's pullout from Formula One, fellow Japanese carmakers Subaru and Suzuki have also pulled out of the World Rally Championships.
However, Honda has stayed in MotoGP as have fellow Japanese companies Yamaha and Suzuki.
Japanese carmakers for years enjoyed healthy profits thanks largely to demand in the United States for their smaller and eco-friendly cars.
But the Japanese companies have been cutting thousands of jobs as consumer demand plummets and the yen soars against the dollar. Credit rating firm Moody's said Friday it may downgrade Honda due to the effects of the financial crisis.
Kawasaki joined the 500cc racing circuit in 1970 and immediately took second place among constructors thanks to New Zealander racer Ginger Molloy, who was number two among riders after Italy's Giocomo Agostini (MV Agusta).
Kawasaki left competition from 1976 to 1978 but returned to the scene in the 1980s under South African racer Kork Ballington.
The team has had little fortune since the advent of the current MotoGP circuit in 2002. Last season, Hopkins placed 16th.
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let`s all see wsbk, more human factor less technology... less budget more independent teams and more riders...Rossi we are waiting for you!!!!
lets get Rossi on a yamaha WSB and see him racing in grids of 40 not 17 .
Ironically, MotoGP was born on the insistance of the bike manufacturers - INCLUDING Kawasaki!
Honda also ran a similar project in the later part of the 1990's using their v2 500cc bike as the platform. They leased out 12 bikes in the first season and created 7 new teams. A similar initiative is needed to save the class. Why aren't their teams willing to run other people's bikes? The Ilmor project could be a life line, a team could easily use their engine and their expertise, recruting ROC or Harris to build a frame for it. The problem now it simple and easy to see. The days of privateers has been killed off by the huge money needed for a Motogp effort. I remember Honda saying four strokes would cut the costs. Back in 2000 the running of the Repsol Honda 500cc team cost 18 millions dollars. Did the four strokes really do anything for the sport?
Honda also did a similar scheme to promote the use of their 500v2 bike during the later part of the 1990's...
Well, the slim light that Motogp had is fading. The tracks are too easy and overly safe to ride. The bikes are too easy to ride and rely to much on rider aids and not enough on rider skill. There's not enough action to attract fans to stay tuned. And finally, only 17 on the grid. Why is it, that in the early 90's Yamaha agreed to distribute customer YZR engines to ROC and Harris to build and promote. The system worked well and saved the class from imminent doom. It produced a grid of over 25. Before the agreement there were on 15 on the grid. It's time for action. Surely, Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Ilmor and Kawasaki can agree to do a similar style project. It looks like the deal with Jorge Martinez hit the rocks because his sponsors wanted the rights to select riders for 2010 of their own choosing. What a situation to be in, Kawasaki don't want to run the team, but they want to dictate who rides their bikes still.
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