This has probably already been discussed, but how do you think the Kawasaki/Suzuki alliance is going to affect motorcycling? Motocross Action has an article about it in their latest issue. Personally, I didn't think Kawasaki was in any trouble, but Suzuki, I could understand. They don't have a personal watercraft line, their ATV's aren't hot-looking at all, and I see more KTMs in the back of pickups than I do Suzukis for crying out loud. They were talking about the possibility of shared parts and shared information. So maybe people who don't like Suzuki but like Kawasaki will stay away from Kawasaki as well because they know they have Suzuki engineering built-in, and vice-versa. Personally, I think it is a good thing as long as they continue to make bikes and can possibility team up to counter-attack Honda and Yamaha's four-strokes. It's not like it isn't done in the automotive industry all the time, for example Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable, Ford Ranger/Mazda B-Series, Ford Windstar/Mercury Villager/Nissan Quest, etc. I still just find it puzzling as to why they seem to be in financial trouble, when these manufacturers seem to be doing okay, they have Pastrana and had Carmichael, and even have new models coming out: the new KLX 110, the DR-Z 125, and the new DR-Z 400-powered sport quad. Suzuki having Pastrana would make you think they'd have a surge in sales of RMs, and that Hyabusa street bike is super fast I hear. I am seriously considering attending MMI in Phoenix, and today I called one of the advisors with a list of questions, and one of them was what did she think of the Kawasaki/Suzuki alliance, and would it affect the individual K-TECH and F.A.S.T. training programs? She said there were a majority of Kawasaki and Suzuki dealerships out there, and that Kawasaki and Suzuki are actually pushing to increase their program length from 6 weeks to 12 weeks. Currently, the other 3 Japanese manufacturers have 6 week courses, and Honda requires 12. I asked if MMI was trying to get KTM to sponsor factory training and she wasn't familiar with the name KTM. :p That doesn't mean they aren't doing it though; that's just one person.
