Features 10 Jun 2014

Industry Insight: Kawasaki Motors' Robert Walker

National sales and marketing manager speaks racing and more.

Kawasaki Motors Australia’s national sales and marketing manager Robert Walker speaks to CycleOnline.com.au about its motorsport program and how racing is linked to its overall marketing and product development base.

Source: Kawasaki Motors.

Source: Kawasaki Motors.

We’re two rounds in to the Ninja 300 Cup now, how do you feel it is progressing in terms of participation and the racing it’s producing?

We think we’ve had a pretty good start with it. We’ve had 20 plus riders on the grid for the first few rounds, so its been a good result. We’d been hoping to get 20 plus so its met that target, and obviously the promoter is involved in that sense and doing a good job there. We’re obviously sponsoring the series and part of that is to put the Kawasaki Insurances Ninja Australian Cup in there. Kawasaki Insurances is actually underwritten by Swann Insurance, the series’ major sponsor, which ties things together.

We’ve seen a handful of young guys up there and battling it out for the podium places so far, an outcome you would no doubt have predicted?

We always expected there would be fast, young guys up the front, and [Kyle] Buckley and [Brandon] Demmery are up there and doing a good job. At the same time, we’ve also got Sophie Lovett, who is our female ambassador, racing in the Ninja 300 Cup, and she’s placed right up there in fourth after two rounds. There’s actually three divisions in the Ninja 300 Cup which you may know from the rules. There’s the Open class, which is for anybody to win. There is also an Under 21s in there, and also the Womens class.

The category is, in a sense a development series, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the riders have to be in their teens or taking their first steps in road racing, does it?

We haven’t limited it just to be a young person’s category but it obviously is an entry level format. The idea was to introduce a race series which was economical, and it is. The plan was for people to go in there, even if they’d bought a new Ninja 300, to get a bike set up and go racing for 10 grand. Within the series we’ve also got our Kawasaki Motors Finance bike, which is owned and run by Kawasaki Motors Finance. What they’re doing with that is to try to put a wildcard rider in there each round to bump up the series a little bit and inject that interest.

Any hints on the upcoming wildcards?

We’re just finalising plans for Queensland where it will likely be a local rider, and for the following three rounds we have people pencilled in.

Given the noticeable shift of domestic and international racing back to more production-spec machinery, how important is it for Kawasaki to link its racing programs to its sales and marketing?

It’s very important. In Australia we haven’t had a road race team specifically since 2009, We’ve spent the last year or two trying to develop a couple of different things. One is obviously the entry level with the Ninja 300 Cup, but we also privately sponsor a couple of privateers and provide a bit of support there. On a global level, obviously Kawasaki isn’t involved in MotoGP, but we’re heavily involved in World Superbikes. Kawasaki won last year and are doing well again this year, with Tom Sykes still leading the points after the weekend. It’s a strong program which highlights the flagship sport bikes.

Image: Keith Muir.

Image: Keith Muir.

Kawasaki backs a handful of top-level Australian racers in the domestic Swann Series. How do you feel these guys are progressing after the first few rounds and what do you think Queensland Raceway holds in terms of results?

Yes. The guys we’re supporting directly on the ZX-10s are Matt Walters and Sean Condon. And both run as privateers, so they’ve got their own team and own family backing there, but we do provide levels of support and parts and bits and pieces there. Matt, certainly after two rounds has not produced what he’d hoped to, and he’s trying to work out some ways to stick on the bike and go a bit faster. One of those ways is working on his fitness a bit more. And Sean is riding quite fast. Certain tracks suit certain people, and we do know Matt in particular likes Queensland Raceway so he’ll probably ride quite well.

The changes in World Superbike rules ahead of next year certainly open some exciting doors for Australians, especially with wildcard opportunities, don’t they?

That’s right. Even Matt Walters this year got a chance to step in for somebody at Phillip Island. Unfortunately he didn’t come off too well with a crash, but obviously the race team has had a bit to do with him so there’s always that opportunity. The whole EVO class shift will change the landscape of World Superbikes and it’s promising that Kawasaki also leads that class at present. We’ve also got Bryan Staring in the mix there on Kawasaki, and while that’s nothing directly to do with us, it’s a good thing.

Thanks for your time and insight, Rob. Good luck for the remainder of this year.

Any time. Thanks.

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