Kawasaki Indo MotoGP

Even Team Green's little Ninja 250R wasn't left out of the upgrade parade. A number of changes to Kawasaki's original entry-level Ninja have taken it a step closer in looks and performance to its high-performance brethren. ZX-10R Like last year's ZX-6R, Kawasaki engineers employed the services of a top-flight racer to help with machine development. In the new ZX-10R's case, it was former World Superbike and MotoGP contender Akira Yanagawa, who still competes in the All-Japan Superbike Championship (in fact, at press time, he was a close second in the title chase with two rounds to go). sport rider

Kawasaki competition manager Michael Bartholemy is 'completely convinced' that Team Green can challenge for the 2009 MotoGP World Championship. "[At the end of 2008] I will be saying that after a successful season we are now ready to go for the world championship in 2009. I am convinced we can do this. Completely convinced," Bartholemy told the Kawasaki MotoGP website, when asked to predict the future. "We have some very, very good people with us at Kawasaki and I think we have the best team in MotoGP. We have gone through many ups and downs but together we have created an incredible motorcycle and built a factory team: I feel extremely proud of all of them." uk.eurosport.yahoo.com