Bemsee has been running the successful team Green Junior Cup since 2012 using Kawasaki Ninja machines. The recent introduction of the brand new Ninja 400 from Kawasaki will give this series a new boost for 2019.
Bemsee technicians have been working on how best to make adjustments to the out-of-the-box performance of the 400 so that it can run alongside the existing Ninja 300 bikes in the current Junior & Senior series. There was excitement when a black 400 rolled out onto the circuit for testing in race conditions over the club's Cadwell weekend in mid-August. This machine featured the first draft of technical adjustments that enabled its output to match the 300 almost exactly. The Club was delighted to find that the performance of the new bike was indeed almost exactly in line with the lead riders on the current 300s. Test Rider Harry Fowle, a former Ninja 300 rider pushed the bike to its limit at the front of the field. On-site dyno analysis and feedback from the rider confirmed that the initial settings were very accurate.
In conjunction with Kawasaki and other suppliers the Club is now working on finalising a package for new Ninja 400 race machines. As was achieved with the 300, the intention is to enable parents and teams to be able to buy and ride a new 400 as a race ready option for 2019. More details on this and pricing will be available towards the end of this season.
One of the key benefits of this strategy for the development of young talent in the UK is that the Kawasaki 400 is becoming the bike of choice at the BSB SuperSport series where this bike is eligible. The introduction of this machine for club level racing enables young talent to be developed through the Bemsee Rider Development scheme where they receive free coaching and mentoring. Parents then also have the option to adjust the very same machine for it to advance into the national series if the rider proves good enough - thus protecting their original investment. We would expect that race-ready 400s will also enjoy good second-hand value as the 300s have done. The Club and Kawasaki through the Team Green initiative has long thought that affordability for parents and teams is the key for longer term growth of young talent in our sport.
So look out for further announcements into October.