KAWASAKI PRE-SEASON TEST - SEPANG, MALAYSIA
13 FEBRUARY 2005

NAKANO EVALUATES NEW NINJA ZX-RR ENGINE AT SEPANG

Shinya Nakano today concluded a successful evaluation of a big bang version of
Kawasaki's 990cc, inline four-cylinder Ninja ZX-RR engine during two days of
testing at Malaysia's Sepang circuit.

Sepang marked the first track test for the big bang ZX-RR motor, which is a
result of an extensive winter development programme at Kawasaki's development
facility in Akashi, Japan.

Nakano led an intensive evaluation programme over the course of the two-day
test, as Kawasaki engineers collected and collated the on track data necessary
for the next stage in the engine development programme.

And while the new engine is in the early stages of development, Nakano's
comments at the conclusion of the test would indicate that development is moving
in the right direction. The 27-year-old Japanese rider liked the characteristics
and feel of the engine, whilst also identifying some areas for improvement.

Development will continue in Japan, with Nakano and his Kawasaki team-mate, Alex
Hofmann, scheduled to test a revised version of the new engine at the Jerez
circuit in Southern Spain at the end of February.

Shinya Nakano: #56

"The first day I rode both the old and new versions of the ZX-RR engine for
direct comparison purposes, but on the second day I stayed with the big bang
version because it felt like there was a definite improvement in both
acceleration and driveability. The new engine also makes the bike feel more
stable and improves rear traction. Like all new developments, we still have
quite a lot of work to do to get the best out of the engine, but overall I am
happy with the progress we made in Sepang. It's only just over a week before
testing continues at Jerez, but the aim is to carry out some changes to the
engine to improve throttle response between now and then."

Naoya Kaneko: Technical Coordinator

"Sepang was primarily a shakedown test for the big bang engine, and a chance to
collect the data that Kawasaki's engineers need to continue the development
programme. The latest engine is still in the early stages of development, but
the results so far have been positive. Shinya liked the feel and the
characteristics of the new engine, but he also identified a few areas for
improvement. The engine definitely has potential, which we'll be looking to
unlock during further pre-season testing in Europe."

Harald Eckl: Team Manager

"The aim of this test at Sepang was simple; we were here to evaluate the latest
version of the Ninja ZX-RR engine which features a revised firing order. By
focussing only on Shinya, we have been able to collect comparative data that
will prove invaluable to our development programme, and will allow our engineers
to make the next step with the engine before we resume testing in Europe. We
still have a number of other concepts to evaluate before making a final decision
regarding engine specification for the coming season, but I definitely think our
development programme has moved on a step as a result of this test."