[sadsack]

Crash.net quoting Speedweek.com has said that Moto2 racer Dominic Aegerter has been invited by Kawasaki to test an unspecified "prototype" at the Jerez circuit. The speculation is that with all leading manufacturers including Suzuki, Aprilia and KTM deciding to enter the MotoGP series, Kawasaki has found interest in competing with the big names in the MotoGP series. Dominic Aegerter is quoted as having said that the prototype will also have Michelin tyres but not those which Michelin seeks to bring to MotoGP from 2016 on, when Bridgestone quits the series.

The story on Speedweek.com is a little clearer. It talks about the legality of this move by Kawasaki to have a test during the time when testing is banned by using a rider who is a part of the series though in Moto2 and at a circuit which hosts MotoGP races. The report also claims that the said prototype has a 1000 cc engine and that Aegerter could be punished for participating in the test. However, since Kawasaki has not confirmed its interest in participating in the MotoGP series anytime soon, Aegerter is unlikely to get into trouble. From the tone of the article in Speedweek.com it appears as if the test has already been conducted.

And that raises the question, what is this mystery bike that Kawasaki is testing? Punters point out that the fact that Michelin tyres are being used indicates Kawasaki's return to MotoGP sometime in the future; possibly 2017 or maybe even 2016.

For now however, everything is firmly in the domain of speculation and nothing can be confirmed, especially since Kawasaki is maintaining a stoic silence. But Kawasaki fans (like me) are all getting excited about the marque coming back to MotoGP. In the end it could all be one big meaningless story, since it is well known that Kawasaki has never had a commitment to MotoGP preferring the WSBK series.

[sadsack]

The mystery around Kawasaki's rumoured return to MotoGP has thickened and it is now impossible to predict if the manufacturer has any interest in MotoGP. Dominic Aegerter stirred a hornet's nest by saying he was invited by the Kawasaki factory to test a new prototype at Jerez. This got the hopes of all the fans of the marque and MotoGP up but when the test actually happened, everybody was bemused.

1. There were no official Kawasaki personnel at the test

2. The itself was conducted by long time Kawasaki partner and tuner Akira based in France.

3. The body shell seemed like the one that Kawasaki had used while in MotoGP.

4. The engine is rumoured to be the ZX-10 R version that Akira gave to the Avintia MotoGP team while others claimed that it was of unknown origin. Aegerter himself has only said that he was testing that engine without any electronics and that it has endless power delivery.

5. The tyres on use were Michelins which are used in the CEV National Moto2 Championship of Spain.

6. The motorcycle was terribly slow, falling short of standards by more than 4 seconds.

The question then is what was this test all about? Some believe that Akira want to make a road going motorcycle out of the FTR-Kawasaki that was used by Avintia Racing, while others believe that Kawasaki could be plotting a silent return and does not want publicity. All the rumours are as ridiculous as the other. So what is this mystery about? As of now, no one seems to know. Maybe time will tell.