The winter tests are over and now it’s time to get ready to fly to Australia, where the new season will start at the end of February. But before taking to the track, the Kawasaki team today unveiled the weapon it will have in 2023 to try to beat the Ducatis and return to the top of the Superbike world championship.
For the first time in the history of the brand, Kawasaki presented both the SBK and MXGP teams through an online video. In this way, the Barcelona-based team has unveiled the ZX-10RR which will be entrusted to Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes. The couple is very reconfirmed and returns to the battlefield strong from the Jerez and Portimao tests where they collected a lot of data and found a good feeling with the bike. As for the livery, the classic Kawasaki green stands out, accompanied by black and white, the latter much more present both on the fairing and on the overalls. The lines appear more aggressive, especially on the front, a sign of the fact that the great work done to improve the bike shows the desire for revenge.
But it’s certainly inside that a lot of work has been done at Kawasaki. The focus was on the engine, to offer greater power capable of countering the four-cylinder Borgo Panigale. The first impressions in testing were good for both riders, but it will be the season that gives the real answers. In particular, already in the Portimao tests, great satisfaction was perceived on the part of the Northern Irishman, who finally sees his wish fulfilled and will have more engine revs (the exact figure will only be known at Phillip Island).
Alex Lowes, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK
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Photo by: Kawasaki Racing Team
Alex Lowes, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK
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Photo by: Kawasaki Racing Team
Jonathan Rea, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK, Alex Lowes, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK
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Photo by: Kawasaki Racing Team
Jonathan Rea, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK, Alex Lowes, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK
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Photo by: Kawasaki Racing Team
Jonathan Rea, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK, Alex Lowes, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK
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Photo by: Kawasaki Racing Team
Jonathan Rea, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK, Alex Lowes, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK, Romain Febvre, Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, Mitch Evans, Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP
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Photo by: Kawasaki Racing Team
Alex Lowes, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK, Jonathan Rea, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK, Mitch Evans, Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, Romain Febvre, Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP
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Photo by: Kawasaki Racing Team
The 2023 project is ambitious and, after two years of fasting, Kawasaki wants to return to dominate, with a team that has always shown itself to be strong and solid. Jonathan Rea is the spearhead and aims for a seventh crown: “I’m really excited about this new season. We’ve had a really solid rest season. I’m also excited to go to Phillip Island and start the year in a way that it feels more normal. I feel I have prepared very well away from the track and during the winter testing we improved which is very motivating. It’s nice to have new people around us and it brings a different vibe. I’m eager to get started. We did “I’m making progress with the bike and we’re working hard to try and improve on our feeling and results from last season. Hopefully we can fight for race victories and the world title.”
But Alex Lowes will want to show that he can be in the game, so the goal is clear, to be able to fight with the top three: “I like the look of the bike and the design of the 2023. Last year I had good speed, I I did some great qualifying and I could stay with the top three. During the race, when the grip dropped, I struggled a little more. It’s something we focused on. I can’t wait for the year to start. I had a good winter of training and I can’t wait to get started I’ve been participating in the Superbike World Championship for a few years now, but I’m still as excited as I was for the first time, as I felt in 2014. Now I can’t wait to get to Australia and get to work.”
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