MOTOGP » 'Wake up call' for West

Sorry chu. I didn't mean to steal your thunder. I guess we posted at the same time.

Hey Saltbush,
You said the Kawasaki, "screaming it's head off & going no where"
Do you, or anyone else, know if they were testing the screamer, not the Big bang??

ZX-RR:

Kawasaki had a very good bike the last year. I've spoken with some insiders (mechanics) and most considered the ZX-RR 2007 being the 2nd best bike at the field. Only the Ducati was considered better, but ONLY with Stoner riding it. That seems strange if you look at the results, but Kawasaki were usually very unlucky.

RIDERS:

De Puniet was very fast but usually crashed a lot. West started awesome and improved his position at every race except for the last few races. I think that he can be a big surprise if he's at 100%. He is a fighter, and has already proven himself. Give him a chance!

I'm not sure if Hopkins is the right man for the job, but is the best available rider!

All of you should go out and read Wayne Gardners review of all the GP bikes from last year in Rapid Bikes, an Australian publication. Wayne knows a thing or 2 about bikes and he says he says, the seat is too high and too far back to locate the airbox and engine, the suspension skips over bumps and doesn't absorb them and the initial throttle hit is too aggresive.

Yes Hopper was faster than West first time out, but where did he end up, too injured to continue. Maybe there is something in that........

West will be given his cahnces,and i think this is his last chance as there are riders begging to get factory rides,and get 1 st Class treatment all the way.Best wishes to Westy for 2008 and hoping that we can see All Aussies doing great.I would also want more Aussies in Motogp, Josh Brookes etc etc.Just so many talented riders from Down Under.Enjoy and looking forward to the season.:

What it shows mainly is Kawasaki MotoGP team's poor ability as regards riders management : hiring OJ back from retirement was silly, paying USD 4 Million for Hopper was silly, thinking AntWest was a valid alternative to Randy de Puniet was silly, losing Randy therefore was silly, and now putting that kind of public pressure on AntWest just because some Kawasaki guy in Japan went mad seeing the green machines last and second to last at Phillip Island is silly.

AntWest is doing his best, and you can't ask someone to do more: he is no slower nor worse at setting up his bike than last year, so they can't complain while they stated many times how great he was!

I would be keeping an eye on Ants V Hoppas times during the first few rounds before passing any judgement... anything else now is pissing in the wind

It does help if you know which direction it's blowing from

Jonny H.I doubt if Kawa used the screamer,although I believe they tried everything else,there could have been panic in the pit box after losing Hoppa it seemed that they didn't perservere and refine a set up,just put another new part on and back to the track,believe me Westy looked very uncomfortable and not the Westy we know, ring its bloody neck and hang on,I was very disappointed all around,I am a member of the Kawa fan club and as yet no email from them on PI there could be disaray somewhere.
I did find some pictures of Westy on the net(I don't which site)and these made him more uncomfortable than I thought,I just hope they sort things out quick at Sepang

"Wayne Gardner ... says, the seat is too high and too far back to locate the airbox and engine, the suspension skips over bumps and doesn't absorb them and the initial throttle hit is too aggresive."

Interesting. Have you seen the pictures of the Kawa engine over on superbikeplanet? The engine seems very tall. That jibes with the seat too high and too far back analysis.

Hopper is known as a hard rider, but not a crasher. Yet he sure got airborne at PI. Maybe the power delivery does need remapping.

I'd really like to see the gents in green do well. I hope they work it out.