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Race Day
exhaust č i v o p a r and ak k awa s a k i ry by Primož Jurman ccess sto u s t n i o j – a
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photography Akrap
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ovič won its se brand, Akrap ne pa Ja is th cle racing.” / “Together with age of motorcy st ld or w e th y on first-ever victor
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m pa ny. Ak ra po vi č Co st or y of th e hi e th y on th e or in ct e sp ec ia l pl ac s fir st -e ve r vi a it s ha on w d č an vi ed br i ar k, Ak ra po ak i ha ve jo in Th e Ka w as ak ne se tr ad e m č an d Ka w as pa vi Ja po is ra th m Ak h To it on se as To ge th er w ld Ch am pi on e ra ci ng . Th is Cu rr en t W or as ak i of m ot or cy cl am pi on sh ip . Ch e ik w or ld st ag e co lo r of Ka w n rb ee pe e W or ld Su ti tl e an d gr e th th in n nd ai fe ag de fo rc es ed , Lo ri s Ba z w ill us ts ! Bu t, in de s te am m at e ra po vi č ex ha Sy ke s an d hi Ak of lp he s ep ro ot w it h th e br an ds ha s de -- th is se as on at io n fo r bo th er op co of y th e st or ci ng hi st or y. an d a ri ch ra *
t the full grid will looking likely tha s it’ en wh , on as se season placing w EVO rules. This be following the ne d to the develis strongly dedicate Salom inside KRT al of developZX-10R with the go opment of the Ninja for the future. To ll EVO race bike era ov st be the ing stralia with David in round one in Au take a double win cation that we d bonus and a justifi was indeed an adde T’s long expect well by using KR have begun the proje e.” rience with our bik
AND THE / STEPPIN G FORWARD LD TIT LE / FIRST WOR
nagawa rider Akira Ya hen Japanese w 97 19 uipped in eq as / It w een bike victory on a gr er ev st fir s n of a story hi io scored as the culminat w It . ts us ha č ex s, when with Akrapovi e early ninetie at began in th th n io at ghly er hi e op of co ting in th and was compe hl sc ut De perbike. i Su ak o Kawas onship Pr ational champi rn te in ntacted e iv co tit ey compe e power, so th or m d te an w ey to deAt Kawasaki th t devoted team d his small bu an č vi that po ra ed ov Ak Igor ey did and pr t for them. Th us n.” ha ee ex Gr an m p velo n for “Tea the best solutio as : w rs t us be ha em ex m their cing R&D re head of MC Ra nical k, ja co en ith st w Tr s z Aloj uction system od pr s rie se g of 0 in the first ”The beginnin asaki ZX-R 75 w Ka r fo d pe velo the comtubes were de milestone for nstitute a true co ey th hands of d e an th e plac (bikes!) in racing tracks so Al . 92 ined some 19 ga , in pany , for instance id hm Sc en ch d Jo Rob Phillis an lts.” su re time, nt lle exce anager at the asaki’s Team M w Ka , kl : “I still Ec en th ld Hara were back different times w ho winter of rs e be th in em rem Igor. It was et m I e tim st fir for our ZX-R remember the haust system ex an ilt bu he n self, 1996/1997 whe ld and Igor him was freezing co It e. ik ith his rb w pe ke Su bi 750 t, tested our ha ie an be d an place. wearing a coat l garage at his nojet in a smal Dy a on who t an us m exha this was a derstood that un ly te ia ed m I im s!” / make fast bike knows how to
ld Superbike, Enpionship races (Wor am ch al on ati ern int Kawasaki began At all the important Superbike series) an ali str Au d an perbike mbinadurance, AMA Su for the optimum co as well. Searching ns wi d an s which ult on res to collect top and consumpti , noise level, power rs; ete ram pa t en t system solution tion among differ to a double exhaus led , es rac ce ran du en the best. “Cois very important in m 1997 onwards fro s wa ich wh , ZX7-RR with one for the Kawasaki oper joint projects s one of the first pr wa ki sa wa Shinya Ka rs th de stenjak. Ri operation wi ds,” remembers Tr an br cle cy in tor mo zuka 8 hour race of the strongest 4th place at the Su k too a aw riz Se some years after Takeishi & Tamaki real success came the t Bu . rk wo s of thi Super1998 as the result Pitt won the World Australian Andrew ld r-o ea -y nless 24 wi s the wa Ninja he that: in 2001 brand new ZX-6R the rd oa Ab . hip tly s consisten colsport Champions er 11 rounds he wa eth og alt in t bu , on Assen, 3rd place throughout the seas Brands Hatch and , za on M in ce pla 2nd podium lecting points with en, just to mention itz and Oschersleb us La , go World Su ed d, an wn , he was cro at Phillip Isl y of action at Imola da al fin c ati hip am dr pio the 2nd Cham ns finishes. After a vantage. This was ad int po otw a or t the first W ld Champion with jus 00 season. Winning 20 the ce sin w ro in a the racing win for Akrapovič s a big surprise in le for Kawasaki wa tit hip ns pio before. am hip Ch ns Supersport the Champio yed a major role in pla t no , d ha ki sa ica ong techn l rules world, as Kawa were limited by str ine ch ma the to r on de le in or The modifications m played a key ro ovič exhaust syste rap Ak the e or ref and the ivability. performance and dr achieve maximum
ain. This y joined forces ag Akrapovič Compan the d an Kawasaki Racing LASS OF is a partner of the / IN THE TOP C season Akrapovič hip, support/ perbike Champions Su ld or W the in M OTOSPORTS Team z. But Sykes and Loris Ba s ing world Champion Tom wa GP oto saki’s M wa in Ka o supports saki Racing Team re – Akrapovič als mo d is In 2003 the Kawa ral re Ha the er rac lom and his Ninja 250cc Grand Prix O class: David Sa EV the lin formed by former ve try de e en m. Th n an SBK bike manager of the tea differences betwee in ma e Th . Eckl, who became 0R the -1 g ZX engines ady durin are related to the nja ZX-RR was ste in and an SBK Evo machine opment of the Ni me ca h rstand ug de ro un kth easy way to s. The main brea ics packages. The on ctr to 2003/2004 season ele ovič ed d ll cid an de m owner of the Akrap be to imagine a fu eason, when the tea ovič, founder and bike is like would rap O Ak EV or of the 2004/2005 off-s an Ig bed at n tea cwh tio ins ele bang,” the coopera engine and firing order to “big any commented on with a Superstock mp sis co as t ch us ha ike change its engine the ex rb few , pe a 05 Su owing re. In 20 d Kawasaki: “Foll guration used befo een Akrapovič an e, tronics package. the “screamer” confi tw oic ch Su od eration with go the a op in co be aunched our strong choice ion proved to rel a rat ve gu dy ha nfi ea co we alr ” ki tus ng sa ba hia “big year team d the best ever With Kawa of years, and with y team. Since the ivier Jacque recorde s superbike factor for the past couple ki’ ss sa cla wa k d as wild card rider Ol Ka oc 2n cting rst in , pe pe ine ing ex , finish we are ll SBK mach Kawasaki in China pionship last year, ng chassis in a fu am lli ch ro en the ov n pr ki MotoGP finish for wo llsa we wa th a of the Ka r focus wi Ka0R would be no, as official rider season as well. Ou that the Ninja ZX-1 s re thi we s ns ult tio res ica od in place. Shinya Naka ind go early and 10th fruits of that No one place at Spain’s GP s-within-a-class.” development, as the las 5th in “c n s w lie wo , ne y am inl the Te ma in g e ki Racin wasa ucts we ll 2005 season. competitiv restimates the chalferred to the prod pionship in the overa at Akrapovič unde n be directly trans or ca r ki sa ou nthe MotoGP Cham wa lab co Ka r e at fo gin ent en Winning ented with differ th the EVO project. to our customers.” Kawasaki experim der to lenges that come wi or in ” ng racing and offer ba of ig rt “b pa t to es er” rd ha am cre the s “s ay m ver, alw figurations fro ory. rapovič played real is, howe e in this new categ d drivability and Ak an on cti tra ice for the first tim e tw ov it pr im did lop T ve KR de the on GP th oto ZX-10R 12 le in Kawasaki’s M d his official Ninja fie ali qu ts a very important ro ou lom lay Sa t us ed exha n finish 9th in 2003. Various Island races, and the ip ill Ph the r ts. ment since starting fo ep id nc gr gine co best EVO enable different en e overall, including rac ch ea in th ič were necessary to ten ov and anager lp of Akrap n. KRT Team M saki, with the he er on each occasio t, rid Until 2009, Kawa es ss W cla ny now tho ha An dy concerned s d with riders like knows that everybo da d Ro exhausts, compete an im ing Gu rly ck ea s Ha e 14, but thi John Hopkins, Jami ier workload for 20 av he a on Randy de Puniet, ial en fic of tak Team EVO on an ofe Factory Kawasaki the decision to go t tha ed ow sh at s Marco Melandri. Th es succ ry good Championship e. “It has been a ve out of the MotoGP n- ficial basis was a good on ly decided to pull co t tha te s go in ya ng Ha thi have made 2009 it was Team and it looks like we , us r ič the end of 2008. In fo ov rt rap sta Ak d an so good for Race of Kawasaki bikes said Guim. So far y,” wa ct rre tinued the presence y. co or the teg ports ca o said: “To esnacle of the motos eve Guttridge, wh St er ag an M g exhausts in this pin nin Plan tory SBK team rider inside our fac sentially add a third G Kawasaki and so WINNIN a big decision for / 20 14 : ON THE for this year was to make it inside / clear of the reason PATH A G AIN we had to be very for the 2015 son was to be ready rea ll era ov e re Th T. mo KR ed to focus y lies in s, Kawasaki decid Kawasaki mainl ith From 2010 onward the w s on d cu an fo s ur hip / “O bour can be rbike Champions fruits of that la e th ds on the World Supe as an t, br en se ne pm Japa r develo the 2014 season, oducts we offe eve of the start of erred to the pr directly transf / Igor Akrapovič to our clients.”