【 Lean, Green, Racing Machine 】 After
an absence of 20 years, Kawasaki returned to MotoGP as a works team in
2003 with their first racing bike with a 4-stroke engine, the ZX-RR. The
2003 racing season proved difficult, but 2004 saw the arrival of
Japanese rider Shinya Nakano and a lot of development progress was made.
The 2006 machine featured eye-catching cowl designs and the 990cc
inline 4-cylinder engine featuring the unique variable ignition timing
system. Ridden by Nakano and Randy de Puniet, the lime green machine
challenged the top teams for race honors, with Nakano taking 2nd place
at Round 8 in the Netherlands for his best finish of the season.