A productive work for Kawasaki

_{source: moto.racing-live.com}

The Kawasaki Racing Team have completed their 2005 season with an exhausting, but very productive, three day test at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia.

And although todays third and final day was shortened by heavy rain showers in the morning, both Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet, were able to post impressive lap times.

Nakano set the unofficial sixth fastest time of the test with a lap of 2'02.93 late on the final day. Meanwhile his new teammate, French rookie De Puniet, made a strong impression with a best lap of 2'04.27.

Riding the first prototype of the 2006 Ninja ZX-RR, Nakano completed 152 laps over three days despite being hampered by bruised ligaments in his left hand, an injury suffered at Valencia three weeks ago.

De Puniet made the most of his track opportunities to complete 183 laps, all but ten of these laps aboard the 2005 race version of the ZX-RR. Late on the final afternoon De Puniet ran 10 laps on the 2006 prototype.

The new machine features a new chassis and swinging arm combination fitted with a smaller, and more compact, in-line 990cc motor. Apart from a range of chassis and suspension set-up options, Nakano also evaluated two different firing order motors in preparation for the 2006 season, plus a range of the latest Bridgestone rear tyres.

De Puniet's main task was to continue his transition from the 250cc class to the much faster and heavier MotoGP machine.