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maybe they should try the set-up Febre is using
I haven’t looked into it but it seems from what informed commentators are saying that Febvre is the only who’s been able to make it work well at that level. Might be a bit like the Ducati back in the Casey Stoner days - no-one else could seemingly ride it well but he won a MotoGP title or two on it.
Pure speculation on my part but Kawasaki hasn’t had a championship contender on the bike since Eli left, which is probably at least one bike generation ago, and the guys like Ando and AC were happy enough with what they got and they haven’t pushed development as much as they could.
Everyone that has been Febvre’s team mate on the new Kawi has gone there and got worse. He seems to be the only rider who can get it to work, and who knows what bespoke factory parts he has on it to help him do that.
If you listen to this weeks LiveMotocross podcast with JT and Ben Townley, JT says that both Anderson and AC have said that it’s down on power, and Townley stated that he knows for a fact that the bike being slow was a contributing factor for Tomac leaving, and his starts improved significantly once he got on the Yamaha
My biggest frustration with Prado is that none of it is a secret. It’s well known that many riders have struggled on the Kawi, that it’s slow by comparison. If we all know that then he also should have known that, but he still signed for them, and now he’s stuck on a team that can’t give him what he wants/needs
I could see that happening
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In all fairness, Febvre’s teammates of late have all been coming off pretty significant injuries. Seewer had some good results on the bike and finished 4th overall in the ‘24 championship. He’s currently 10th on the Ducati.
Umm because Prado has said so? 🤷♂️
Yeah, MXGP factory riders can have bespoke chassis.
And I think Prados Kawi is his first bike with alu frame.
All fair points except Prado’s main reason for going to the US was to race SX, where power is not an issue. Maybe he didn’t realise the Kawi MX bike was not going to be up to his standard? Or maybe he just figured they could easily change it to whatever he wanted?
Either way he was mistaken, but he still has time to build and improve imo.
Herlings said in an interview somewhere he tried prados engine and he couldnt ride it as it was too powerful, so would make sense when hes saying he doesnt have enough power on the kawi.
coming over to the US i would imagine his main focus would have been on sx where you wouldnt want an insanely powerful motor.
Then getting injured and having little time to test for outdoors guessing he probably wouldnt have realised how down on power it was outdoors until it was too late.
Yeah I believe the chassis is the only thing Prado had positive comments about on the Kawi
Listening to the JT/Townley interview posted above though, he had ridden it last year and told them before he had basically signed that he needed the motor faster. The fact they're now at this stage of the season and they still haven't provided him with a motor fast enough, is probably why he is finally speaking out publicly about it, to take some of the pressure off people blaming him only.
Hopefully they sort him something ASAP, he gets his starts back, and he can begin to build in the right direction. Once he's comfortable again he'll be in the top 3 I'm certain.
I’m sure Kawi is just as motivated to get this turned around. They have a lot on the line here and can’t afford for things continue as is.
250 guys were turning faster laps. Pure HP cannot be the only issue. If not chassis, then what? Injury?
All just speculation on our part, I hope he gets it sorted.
I definitely get what you are saying I’m only telling you what Prado is saying. I think as he goes faster some chassis issues might arise. I know for me even at a local level as my speed gets better more things are noticeable. I would guess he will experience that at an even greater level.
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