Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR Kawasaki Racing Team - Moto GP World Championship 2006
Motorbike scale model kit in 1/12 scale manufactured by Tamiya (ref. TAM14109, also 4950344141098 and 14109)

At the end of the 1970s, Kawasaki dominated the 250cc and 350cc categories of the motorcycle world championship. In 1980, it introduced the KR500 GP racing bike, with a revolutionary monocoque chassis. Despite the fact that this bike ensured a prominent place in the motorcycling world, Kawasaki withdrew from the world championship in 1982 and did not return until 20 years later. In the final race of the 2002 world championships, fans enjoyed the return of a lime green Kawasaki motorcycle. From the 2003 session, the Japanese house participated in all the races. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR incorporates all the advances obtained thanks to the experience gained in the Superbike World Championship. It is equipped with a 990cc in-line 4-cylinder engine and Bridgestone tyres. In the 2004 season, Japanese rider Shinya Nakano joined the Kawasaki team, which was in the process of updating its racing technology. These efforts paid off when Nakano finished third in the twelfth race of the championship, and precisely at his home, the Japanese GP. In 2005, a number of improvements were made to the engine, such as the electronic injection system and delayed combustion. In 2006, the ZX-RR had been completely overhauled, from engine to chassis, with the aim of entering the 800cc class for the 2007 season. The position of the engine was changed, in order to achieve a lower center of gravity. The frame and rear swingarm were made stronger. Braking stability and cornering speed were also improved. The team's drivers, S. Nakano and Frenchman Randy De Puniet, showed great potential throughout the 2006 season. Nakano took 7th place in the first race and almost took pole position in the fifth, the GP of France. He took the podium in the Netherlands, race 8, when he finished second.