Editorial Note: Americans Julian Correa and Eli Banish were seventh and 16th, respectively, in R&G British Talent Cup Free Practice Two (FP2) at Thruxton.
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
O’Halloran lights up Thruxton to lead Free Practice with top 16 covered by 0.884s
Jason O’Halloran maintained his position at the top of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship Free Practice times at Thruxton this afternoon, holding a slender 0.192s advantage over local hero Danny Kent in the closing stages of the second session.
O’Halloran had been the rider to set the pace this morning and the McAMS Yamaha rider carried the momentum into the afternoon to hold off the chasing pack as he bids to add to his winning tally, having won five of the last six races at the Hampshire circuit.
Kent fired himself into second place ahead of the home round for himself and the Lovell Kent Racing Honda Team with Luke Mossey having his strongest start to an event this year in third place for Tactix by Lloyd & Jones BMW.
Lee Jackson was fourth fastest for Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki as four different manufacturers locked out the leading four positions ahead of tomorrow’s eBay Qualifying and BikeSocial Sprint Race.
However, just 0.002s adrift was Charlie Nesbitt on the MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing who in turn was just 0.001s ahead of Jack Kennedy who completed the top six times for Mar-Train Racing Yamaha.
Christian Iddon surged into seventh in the final stages of Free Practice, as the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team bid for home round success after their podium finishes at Brands Hatch. They were narrowly ahead of the BeerMonster Ducati teammates with Glenn Irwin and Tommy Bridewell in eighth and ninth places respectively.
Kyle Ryde completed the top ten for LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha, with teammate Ryan Vickers dropping just outside the 12 riders who will progress through to eBay Qualifying 2 tomorrow after a crash at Campbell which ended his session prematurely.
Peter Hickman for FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team and Danny Buchan on the SYNETIQ BMW completed the top 12 riders ahead of tomorrow’s opening race of the weekend.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Thruxton, Combined Free Practice result:
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 1m:15.380s
Danny Kent (Lovell Kent Racing Honda) +0.192s
Luke Mossey (Tactix by Lloyd & Jones BMW) +0.353s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +0.416s
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing) +0.418s
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) +0.419s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +0.436s
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.530s
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.549s
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.570s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +0.581s
Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) +0.604s
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Jason O’Halloran
McAMS Yamaha
“I always love coming to Thruxton, it has been a special place for me in the past, I have won a lot races here in the last couple of years, so naturally I have a good feeling coming here. The Yamaha works really well here too, so it’s a good combination.
“Today was all about long distance runs on the tyres as it is a bit of a strange place here. You go as fast as you can for as long as you can, whereas here you try to manage the race – you’re trying to figure out what’s the best lap time you can do for the longest period that you can do it.
“We did two long runs this afternoon, so I think for tomorrow we’ve got a pretty good plan. Now we’re going to try and put it together and I’m sure tomorrow we will come up with a good package to be fast. It’ll be tight tomorrow, but we’ll see in the races who has done their homework.”
Follow The WagBar MP13 Racing, Team Owner Melissa Paris, and young riders Aiden Sneed and Kayla Yaakov as they take on the 2023 MotoAmerica motorcycle racing season.
In Episode Six, The WagBar MP13 Racing’s Aiden Sneed and his Yamaha YZF-R3 take on the Kawasaki Ninja 400s and KTM RC 390s of the MotoAmerica Junior Cup class at Brainerd International Raceway, while Kayla Yaakov patiently waits her turn as the Twins Cup class was not on MotoAmerica’s racing program in Minnesota.
Jason O’Halloran led Bennetts British Superbike Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Thruxton Circuit in England. Riding his McAMS Yamaha YZF-R1 on Pirelli spec tires, the Australian lapped the 2.356-mile track in 1:16.071 for an average speed of 111.49 mph.
Americans Julian Correa and Eli Banish were sixth and 12th, respectively, in R&G British Talent Cup FP1 at Thruxton.
Crutchlow Shows Off YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team YZR-M1 at Private Motegi Test
Cal Crutchlow successfully completed a private test at the Mobility Resort Motegi, riding the YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team YZR-M1.
Iwata (Japan), 11th August 2023
Ahead of his wild card entry at Round 14 of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship, Cal Crutchlow completed a successful private test at the Mobility Resort Motegi (formerly known as Twin Ring Motegi) on 8th August 2023.
At the test, the YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team made their first steps towards their mission to accelerate bike development. It also was Crutchlow‘s first opportunity to show off his YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team special bike livery and his new racing gear – all matching with the YAMALUBE RS4GP (a high-performance motor oil) branding – in a natural setting. The occasion adds to the building excitement for the Grand Prix of Japan, held from 29th Sept-1st Oct 2023.
Marcos Ramirez steps in as Sean Dylan Kelly continues recovery.
Despite the progress in his recovery from forearm surgery so far, Sean Dylan Kelly will be side-lined to give him the best chance possible to return to full fitness.
With the long-term implications that can occur from rushing the return to competition, it’s better to play it safe, given the physical nature of the upcoming rounds.
Marcos Ramirez will be returning to the American Racing Team where he rode for two seasons having mutually agreed with the Forward Team to substitute SDK.
Dominique Aegerter and Yamaha Racing Extend Agreement for 2024
Yamaha Motor Europe is pleased to announce that Dominique Aegerter will remain with Yamaha in the FIM Superbike World Championship until the end of the 2024 season, after agreeing terms with the 32-year-old Swiss rider to extend the existing contract for an additional year.
The 2024 season will be Aegerter’s fourth as a Yamaha rider, having joined the Japanese manufacturer in 2021 to contest the FIM Supersport World Championship with the Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team. The former Moto2 race winner made an immediate impact, winning ten races on his way to securing the world championship title on his first attempt. The following season saw Aegerter on the top step of the podium an incredible 17 times as he successfully defended his title, to become only the third rider in the history of the intermediate class to be crowned World Champion in consecutive years.
This achievement was recognised with promotion to the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team, with whom Aegerter has enjoyed a strong start this year in his debut season. The likeable Swiss rider currently lies ninth in the championship standings and has been a frequent visitor to Parc Fermé, having so far finished three races as the top independent rider, a tally he is keen to increase before the end of the year.
For 2024, Aegerter’s aim is clear; to build on his solid performance this season and emerge as one of the frontrunners in the series, able to fight regularly for top-three finishes aboard his Yamaha R1.
Andrea Dosoli: Road Racing Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe
“It’s been a pleasure for us to see our double Supersport World Champion, Dominique, adapting so quickly to WorldSBK. He has impressed us all, starting from the first race, where he put in a phenomenal qualifying performance to secure a front-row start at Phillip Island. I don’t think there is a better way to introduce yourself to your teammates and rivals! His progression since then has been solid, improving every weekend and finishing as the top independent rider in three races so far. I am confident that he will add to this number before the end of the year, which is why I am pleased to announce the extension of the current agreement for a further season. I wish Dominique and his team all the best as they continue their progression, and we hope they reap the rewards they deserve.”
Dominique Aegerter
“I’m happy and proud to have extended my agreement with Yamaha to stay in WorldSBK with my R1 in 2024. I have two WorldSSP titles with Yamaha, but now my aim is to improve my results and be more competitive in the WorldSBK class, and I’ll give my best to achieve that goal. My season started quite well as a rookie, and although I haven’t been on the podium yet, there are still a few races to go, and I’ve had some great battles on track that have taught me a lot. I want to be at the front regularly, and that will be my focus for next season. I’d like to thank Yamaha for their continued faith in me and everyone who has helped put me in this position, and among them I would especially like to remember Mirko Giansanti who recently passed away and who played an invaluable role in the GRT Yamaha Team.”
Dunlop Motorcycle Tires introduces the new Sportmax Slicks, the latest in high-performance race tires! Available in 17″, 12″, and 10″ sizes, the Sportmax Slicks have been updated with new profiles, compounds, and construction to make the most advanced road race tires Dunlop has ever produced!Dunlop’s Sportmax Slicks are the Official tires of the MotoAmerica series and will remain the official tire supplier of MotoAmerica through 2025, continuing the partnership since 2015.
Dunlop is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S.A. For more information, visit www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments
Foothill Ranch, Calif. – In September of 2023, Kawasaki Motors celebrates its 70th anniversary of making motorcycles, first making its forays into the motorcycle business in 1953. After the end of World War II, Kawasaki produced motorcycle engines under the name of “Kawasaki Machine Works.” Since then, Kawasaki has continued to Let the Good Times Roll® and has strived to share “Fun to Ride” motorcycles with our customers around the world. Today, Kawasaki motorcycles are sold in more than 90 countries and regions.
To commemorate Kawasaki Motorcycles’ 70-year anniversary, a special exhibition will be held at Kawasaki USA Heritage Hall in Foothill Ranch, California as well as Kawasaki Good Times World in Kobe, Japan starting in September 2023. The display will focus on the history of the motorcycle business in the U.S. market, which marked a major turning point in Kawasaki’s overseas strategy. It will be the first in a series of events to commemorate this special anniversary.
Working toward upholding our mission statement of “Working for the happiness and joy of all those whose lives Kawasaki touches,” Kawasaki aims to keep moving forward and growing into the future.
Kawasaki’s path to success in the motorcycle industry, which began with the launch of the KE-1 motorcycle engine in 1953, was not a smooth one. Several efforts were made to try to expand sales, including working with trading companies to expand to overseas markets, in addition to a business alliance and subsequent merger with the Meguro Manufacturing Company. However, each of these efforts failed to produce the sales results that Kawasaki had hoped for.
It was decided that selling directly to dealers would be the better business model, so in 1966 American Kawasaki Motors was established. Kawasaki’s US operations began with only 10 employees and adopted an innovative policy of “localism” before going on to develop motorcycles like the Kawasaki A1 Samurai 250, Kawasaki H1 500 Mach III and iconic Kawasaki Z1 900 for the U.S. market. Early on, Kawasaki USA launched a new kind of sales policy aimed at expansion that included the industry’s first model year system and worked to strengthen relationships with dealers by setting up branches in every region of the U.S., thereby consolidating its base in the U.S. market.
A 1968 Kawasaki H1 500 Mach III. Photo courtesy Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
In 1974, Kawasaki made a $20 million investment to build a manufacturing plant in Lincoln, Nebraska to be in-line with a coming shift to a floating exchange rate in the U.S. Kawasaki’s Lincoln plant became the first plant built by any Japanese auto or motorcycle manufacturer in the U.S., and it remains Kawasaki’s main plant to this day. It is where all Kawasaki Jet Ski® personal watercrafts and side x sides including the Teryx® and MULE™ are still manufactured today.
Along with this year marking the 70th anniversary of Kawasaki Motorcycles, two other well-known brands in the U.S. market the KX™ and Jet Ski® brand will mark their 50-year anniversaries, while next year the American-born Ninja® brand will mark its 40th anniversary.
ABOUT KAWASAKI
Kawasaki started full-scale production of motorcycles over a half century ago. The first Kawasaki motorcycle engine was designed based on technical know-how garnered from the development and production of aircraft engines, and Kawasaki’s entry into the motorcycle industry was driven by the company’s constant effort to develop new technologies. Numerous new Kawasaki models introduced over the years have helped shape the market, and in the process have created enduring legends based on their unique engineering, power, design and riding pleasure. In the future, Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. is committed to maintaining and furthering these strengths which will surely give birth to new legends.
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) markets and distributes Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, side x sides, and JET SKI® watercraft through a network of approximately 1,100 independent retailers, with close to an additional 7,700 retailers specializing in general purpose engines. KMC and its affiliates employ nearly 3,100 people in the United States, with approximately 260 of them located at KMC’s Foothill Ranch, California headquarters.
Kawasaki’s tagline, “Let the Good Times Roll.®”, is recognized worldwide. The Kawasaki brand is synonymous with powerful, stylish and category-leading vehicles. Information about Kawasaki’s complete line of powersports products and Kawasaki affiliates can be found on the Internet at www.kawasaki.com
Editorial Note: Under MotoAmerica rules, only some competitors are allowed to test at a MotoAmerica race venue within 30 days prior to a race event. Refer to the 2023 MotoAmerica rulebook or call MotoAmerica to see if you are allowed to ride in this event.
Ridesmart Motorcycle School has an exciting announcement for the upcoming Labor Day COTA event!
With MotoAmerica racing the weekend of Sept 8th, many MotoAmerica racers will be attending the RideSmart Labor Day Event. Due to this we have added a “MotoAmerica Only” level. This level addition will have minimal impact on everyone else’s day, everyone still gets 6 full sessions. To accomplish this, we worked with COTA to add 2 more hours of riding. The track will go hot at 8am, we will ride through lunch, and will end at 6pm. This MotoAmerica Only level was added to ensure everyone enjoys their day in the safest possible environment. You must be a licensed MotoAmerica rider to register in this special group. We have moved those MotoAmerica riders that responded to our prior emails concerning this adjustment.
Spaces for both days in most levels are open now on our website.
Editorial Note: Americans Julian Correa and Eli Banish were seventh and 16th, respectively, in R&G British Talent Cup Free Practice Two (FP2) at Thruxton.
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
O’Halloran lights up Thruxton to lead Free Practice with top 16 covered by 0.884s
Jason O’Halloran maintained his position at the top of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship Free Practice times at Thruxton this afternoon, holding a slender 0.192s advantage over local hero Danny Kent in the closing stages of the second session.
O’Halloran had been the rider to set the pace this morning and the McAMS Yamaha rider carried the momentum into the afternoon to hold off the chasing pack as he bids to add to his winning tally, having won five of the last six races at the Hampshire circuit.
Kent fired himself into second place ahead of the home round for himself and the Lovell Kent Racing Honda Team with Luke Mossey having his strongest start to an event this year in third place for Tactix by Lloyd & Jones BMW.
Lee Jackson was fourth fastest for Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki as four different manufacturers locked out the leading four positions ahead of tomorrow’s eBay Qualifying and BikeSocial Sprint Race.
However, just 0.002s adrift was Charlie Nesbitt on the MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing who in turn was just 0.001s ahead of Jack Kennedy who completed the top six times for Mar-Train Racing Yamaha.
Christian Iddon surged into seventh in the final stages of Free Practice, as the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team bid for home round success after their podium finishes at Brands Hatch. They were narrowly ahead of the BeerMonster Ducati teammates with Glenn Irwin and Tommy Bridewell in eighth and ninth places respectively.
Kyle Ryde completed the top ten for LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha, with teammate Ryan Vickers dropping just outside the 12 riders who will progress through to eBay Qualifying 2 tomorrow after a crash at Campbell which ended his session prematurely.
Peter Hickman for FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team and Danny Buchan on the SYNETIQ BMW completed the top 12 riders ahead of tomorrow’s opening race of the weekend.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Thruxton, Combined Free Practice result:
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 1m:15.380s
Danny Kent (Lovell Kent Racing Honda) +0.192s
Luke Mossey (Tactix by Lloyd & Jones BMW) +0.353s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +0.416s
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing) +0.418s
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) +0.419s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +0.436s
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.530s
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.549s
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.570s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +0.581s
Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) +0.604s
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Jason O’Halloran
McAMS Yamaha
“I always love coming to Thruxton, it has been a special place for me in the past, I have won a lot races here in the last couple of years, so naturally I have a good feeling coming here. The Yamaha works really well here too, so it’s a good combination.
“Today was all about long distance runs on the tyres as it is a bit of a strange place here. You go as fast as you can for as long as you can, whereas here you try to manage the race – you’re trying to figure out what’s the best lap time you can do for the longest period that you can do it.
“We did two long runs this afternoon, so I think for tomorrow we’ve got a pretty good plan. Now we’re going to try and put it together and I’m sure tomorrow we will come up with a good package to be fast. It’ll be tight tomorrow, but we’ll see in the races who has done their homework.”
Follow The WagBar MP13 Racing, Team Owner Melissa Paris, and young riders Aiden Sneed and Kayla Yaakov as they take on the 2023 MotoAmerica motorcycle racing season.
In Episode Six, The WagBar MP13 Racing’s Aiden Sneed and his Yamaha YZF-R3 take on the Kawasaki Ninja 400s and KTM RC 390s of the MotoAmerica Junior Cup class at Brainerd International Raceway, while Kayla Yaakov patiently waits her turn as the Twins Cup class was not on MotoAmerica’s racing program in Minnesota.
Jason O'Halloran (22). Photo courtesy McAMS Yamaha.
Jason O’Halloran led Bennetts British Superbike Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Thruxton Circuit in England. Riding his McAMS Yamaha YZF-R1 on Pirelli spec tires, the Australian lapped the 2.356-mile track in 1:16.071 for an average speed of 111.49 mph.
Americans Julian Correa and Eli Banish were sixth and 12th, respectively, in R&G British Talent Cup FP1 at Thruxton.
Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow and his YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team YZR-M1 at Motegi. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Crutchlow Shows Off YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team YZR-M1 at Private Motegi Test
Cal Crutchlow successfully completed a private test at the Mobility Resort Motegi, riding the YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team YZR-M1.
Iwata (Japan), 11th August 2023
Ahead of his wild card entry at Round 14 of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship, Cal Crutchlow completed a successful private test at the Mobility Resort Motegi (formerly known as Twin Ring Motegi) on 8th August 2023.
At the test, the YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team made their first steps towards their mission to accelerate bike development. It also was Crutchlow‘s first opportunity to show off his YAMALUBE RS4GP Racing Team special bike livery and his new racing gear – all matching with the YAMALUBE RS4GP (a high-performance motor oil) branding – in a natural setting. The occasion adds to the building excitement for the Grand Prix of Japan, held from 29th Sept-1st Oct 2023.
Marcos Ramirez. Photo courtesy American Racing Team.
Marcos Ramirez steps in as Sean Dylan Kelly continues recovery.
Despite the progress in his recovery from forearm surgery so far, Sean Dylan Kelly will be side-lined to give him the best chance possible to return to full fitness.
With the long-term implications that can occur from rushing the return to competition, it’s better to play it safe, given the physical nature of the upcoming rounds.
Marcos Ramirez will be returning to the American Racing Team where he rode for two seasons having mutually agreed with the Forward Team to substitute SDK.
Dominique Aegerter and Yamaha Racing Extend Agreement for 2024
Yamaha Motor Europe is pleased to announce that Dominique Aegerter will remain with Yamaha in the FIM Superbike World Championship until the end of the 2024 season, after agreeing terms with the 32-year-old Swiss rider to extend the existing contract for an additional year.
The 2024 season will be Aegerter’s fourth as a Yamaha rider, having joined the Japanese manufacturer in 2021 to contest the FIM Supersport World Championship with the Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team. The former Moto2 race winner made an immediate impact, winning ten races on his way to securing the world championship title on his first attempt. The following season saw Aegerter on the top step of the podium an incredible 17 times as he successfully defended his title, to become only the third rider in the history of the intermediate class to be crowned World Champion in consecutive years.
This achievement was recognised with promotion to the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team, with whom Aegerter has enjoyed a strong start this year in his debut season. The likeable Swiss rider currently lies ninth in the championship standings and has been a frequent visitor to Parc Fermé, having so far finished three races as the top independent rider, a tally he is keen to increase before the end of the year.
For 2024, Aegerter’s aim is clear; to build on his solid performance this season and emerge as one of the frontrunners in the series, able to fight regularly for top-three finishes aboard his Yamaha R1.
Andrea Dosoli: Road Racing Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe
“It’s been a pleasure for us to see our double Supersport World Champion, Dominique, adapting so quickly to WorldSBK. He has impressed us all, starting from the first race, where he put in a phenomenal qualifying performance to secure a front-row start at Phillip Island. I don’t think there is a better way to introduce yourself to your teammates and rivals! His progression since then has been solid, improving every weekend and finishing as the top independent rider in three races so far. I am confident that he will add to this number before the end of the year, which is why I am pleased to announce the extension of the current agreement for a further season. I wish Dominique and his team all the best as they continue their progression, and we hope they reap the rewards they deserve.”
Dominique Aegerter
“I’m happy and proud to have extended my agreement with Yamaha to stay in WorldSBK with my R1 in 2024. I have two WorldSSP titles with Yamaha, but now my aim is to improve my results and be more competitive in the WorldSBK class, and I’ll give my best to achieve that goal. My season started quite well as a rookie, and although I haven’t been on the podium yet, there are still a few races to go, and I’ve had some great battles on track that have taught me a lot. I want to be at the front regularly, and that will be my focus for next season. I’d like to thank Yamaha for their continued faith in me and everyone who has helped put me in this position, and among them I would especially like to remember Mirko Giansanti who recently passed away and who played an invaluable role in the GRT Yamaha Team.”
Dunlop Motorcycle Tires introduces the new Sportmax Slicks, the latest in high-performance race tires! Available in 17″, 12″, and 10″ sizes, the Sportmax Slicks have been updated with new profiles, compounds, and construction to make the most advanced road race tires Dunlop has ever produced!Dunlop’s Sportmax Slicks are the Official tires of the MotoAmerica series and will remain the official tire supplier of MotoAmerica through 2025, continuing the partnership since 2015.
Dunlop is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S.A. For more information, visit www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments
Foothill Ranch, Calif. – In September of 2023, Kawasaki Motors celebrates its 70th anniversary of making motorcycles, first making its forays into the motorcycle business in 1953. After the end of World War II, Kawasaki produced motorcycle engines under the name of “Kawasaki Machine Works.” Since then, Kawasaki has continued to Let the Good Times Roll® and has strived to share “Fun to Ride” motorcycles with our customers around the world. Today, Kawasaki motorcycles are sold in more than 90 countries and regions.
To commemorate Kawasaki Motorcycles’ 70-year anniversary, a special exhibition will be held at Kawasaki USA Heritage Hall in Foothill Ranch, California as well as Kawasaki Good Times World in Kobe, Japan starting in September 2023. The display will focus on the history of the motorcycle business in the U.S. market, which marked a major turning point in Kawasaki’s overseas strategy. It will be the first in a series of events to commemorate this special anniversary.
Working toward upholding our mission statement of “Working for the happiness and joy of all those whose lives Kawasaki touches,” Kawasaki aims to keep moving forward and growing into the future.
Kawasaki’s path to success in the motorcycle industry, which began with the launch of the KE-1 motorcycle engine in 1953, was not a smooth one. Several efforts were made to try to expand sales, including working with trading companies to expand to overseas markets, in addition to a business alliance and subsequent merger with the Meguro Manufacturing Company. However, each of these efforts failed to produce the sales results that Kawasaki had hoped for.
It was decided that selling directly to dealers would be the better business model, so in 1966 American Kawasaki Motors was established. Kawasaki’s US operations began with only 10 employees and adopted an innovative policy of “localism” before going on to develop motorcycles like the Kawasaki A1 Samurai 250, Kawasaki H1 500 Mach III and iconic Kawasaki Z1 900 for the U.S. market. Early on, Kawasaki USA launched a new kind of sales policy aimed at expansion that included the industry’s first model year system and worked to strengthen relationships with dealers by setting up branches in every region of the U.S., thereby consolidating its base in the U.S. market.
A 1968 Kawasaki H1 500 Mach III. Photo courtesy Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
In 1974, Kawasaki made a $20 million investment to build a manufacturing plant in Lincoln, Nebraska to be in-line with a coming shift to a floating exchange rate in the U.S. Kawasaki’s Lincoln plant became the first plant built by any Japanese auto or motorcycle manufacturer in the U.S., and it remains Kawasaki’s main plant to this day. It is where all Kawasaki Jet Ski® personal watercrafts and side x sides including the Teryx® and MULE™ are still manufactured today.
Along with this year marking the 70th anniversary of Kawasaki Motorcycles, two other well-known brands in the U.S. market the KX™ and Jet Ski® brand will mark their 50-year anniversaries, while next year the American-born Ninja® brand will mark its 40th anniversary.
ABOUT KAWASAKI
Kawasaki started full-scale production of motorcycles over a half century ago. The first Kawasaki motorcycle engine was designed based on technical know-how garnered from the development and production of aircraft engines, and Kawasaki’s entry into the motorcycle industry was driven by the company’s constant effort to develop new technologies. Numerous new Kawasaki models introduced over the years have helped shape the market, and in the process have created enduring legends based on their unique engineering, power, design and riding pleasure. In the future, Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. is committed to maintaining and furthering these strengths which will surely give birth to new legends.
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) markets and distributes Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, side x sides, and JET SKI® watercraft through a network of approximately 1,100 independent retailers, with close to an additional 7,700 retailers specializing in general purpose engines. KMC and its affiliates employ nearly 3,100 people in the United States, with approximately 260 of them located at KMC’s Foothill Ranch, California headquarters.
Kawasaki’s tagline, “Let the Good Times Roll.®”, is recognized worldwide. The Kawasaki brand is synonymous with powerful, stylish and category-leading vehicles. Information about Kawasaki’s complete line of powersports products and Kawasaki affiliates can be found on the Internet at www.kawasaki.com
RideSmart instructors in action in 2021. Photo courtesy RideSmart.
Editorial Note: Under MotoAmerica rules, only some competitors are allowed to test at a MotoAmerica race venue within 30 days prior to a race event. Refer to the 2023 MotoAmerica rulebook or call MotoAmerica to see if you are allowed to ride in this event.
Ridesmart Motorcycle School has an exciting announcement for the upcoming Labor Day COTA event!
With MotoAmerica racing the weekend of Sept 8th, many MotoAmerica racers will be attending the RideSmart Labor Day Event. Due to this we have added a “MotoAmerica Only” level. This level addition will have minimal impact on everyone else’s day, everyone still gets 6 full sessions. To accomplish this, we worked with COTA to add 2 more hours of riding. The track will go hot at 8am, we will ride through lunch, and will end at 6pm. This MotoAmerica Only level was added to ensure everyone enjoys their day in the safest possible environment. You must be a licensed MotoAmerica rider to register in this special group. We have moved those MotoAmerica riders that responded to our prior emails concerning this adjustment.
Spaces for both days in most levels are open now on our website.
A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to inform
the public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemed
to have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers.
A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.
Accessibility
Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
April 9, 2026
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
