Keny Schwantz rode the Suzuki motoGP bike!
2014/4/18
Keny Schwantz joined the Suzuki motoGP Ôeam along with Nobuatsu Aoki and Randy De Puniet at the COTA track in Texas to ride the motoGP XRH-1 bike. After the ride Schwantz said that the motoGP prototype bike is a step above the GSXR 1000 AMA Superbike which he also rode at the track.
Schwantz said that the GSXR resembled to a 500 c.c. bike whilst the motoGP prototype XRH-1 resembled to a 250 c.c. bike, being so small, yet very fast.
Schwantz¢s lap times were about 6 seconds off De Puniet¢s pace, quite an impressive performance for a 11 lap run! Naturally, Schwantz had a great time testing the Suzuki motoGP prototype bike, urging Suzuki to enter the races now than wait for the 2015 season!
2014/3/1
Kevin Schwantz will race at the 2014 Suzuka 8 hours.
Schwantz raced also at the 2013 Suzuka 8 hours, with team Kagayama on a Suzuki GSXR1000. The team finished third, an astonishing result for the three riders Schwantz, Kagayama and Haga.
This year 50 y.o. Schwantz will be a part of the special Yoshimura Suzuki “Legends Team”. The second rider will be 54 y.o. Satoshi Tsujimoto, 1985-6 All Japan Formula 1 class Champion who had been Kevin¢s team mate at the 1986 Suzuka 8 Hours race when the pair claimed the third place finish.
2013/7/14
Kevin Schwantz in Japan testing the Suzuki GSXR 1000 for the Suzuka 8 Hours race.
From the left: Schwantz, Yukio Kagayama, Yuichi Takeda, Noriyuki Haga
2013/5/1.
Schwantz had some issues lately, first with the COTA circuit in his homeland Texas where he was banned and then made some useless statements about motoGP rider Dani Pedrosa.
2013/3/21.
Circuit of the Americas Press Release:
It is well known that Kevin Schwantz filed suit against Circuit of The Americas last year, and that case is working its way through the legal system. The MotoGP test that was hosted by the Circuit last week was a private event, and open only to participating teams and invited media.
Mr. Schwantz was not invited to attend the session by Circuit of The Americas, and as a private property owner, the Circuit determines who has access to its facility.
Mr. Schwantz does not have any relationship with Circuit of The Americas. He is not one of the investors who spent $400 million to design and build the facility.
Finally, Circuit of The Americas is the organization responsible for bringing MotoGP to Texas through its promotional agreement with the commercial rights holder Dorna.
Last Thursday, March 14, 2013 Schwantz visited the track which is located in Texas for the MotoGP tests and he was asked to leave although he had the credential, he was there as a coach and had an invitation by LCR Honda.
The statement by Schwantz follows about the incident: "I had been in Switzerland over the weekend where I was the guest speaker at the St. Gallen University. I returned to Texas on Tuesday evening and on Thursday I was at CotA for the MotoGP test, with a proper credential supplied by the Attack team, to coach Blake Young. Additionally I was an invited guest of the LCR Honda team.
While there, CotA security informed me that CotA management requested I leave the track immediately and was not welcomed at the circuit. CotA's security force also accused me of criminal trespass and warned I would be arrested the next time I entered the track.
This comes as a tremendous disappointment to Honda, Blake Young, and myself. Especially because I am single-handedly responsible for bringing MotoGP to Texas and for the initial design of the facility to accommodate MotoGP racing."