Beschreibung:

Kawasaki’s ZXR-7 racer debuted in 1988 at a time when the premier endurance series was run to liberal TT F1 regulations that permitted race engineers almost unlimited freedom as long as they retained the basic engine castings of the homologated road bike. Ridden by Alex Vieira, the works Kawasaki France ZXR-7 won the Endurance World Championship in 1991, including the prestigious Bol d’Or, and earned a place in the affections of British race enthusiasts by providing Carl Fogarty and Terry Rymer with the means to claim the world title the following year. This machine is one of four works bikes supplied to Kawasaki France in 1989 for the World Endurance Championship. Together with its sister machine (frame number ‘0389’, Lot ???) it is one of only two to survive. ‘0289’ did not enjoy the success of the other surviving 1989 ZXR-7 (‘0389’), its only recorded achievements in 1989 being DNFs at the Bol d’Or and Suzuka 8 Hours. Nevertheless, the list of riders to have raced ‘0289’ reads like a roll call of the top endurance racers of the day: Jean-Louis Battistini, Pierre Bolle, Christophe Bouhen, Thierry Crine, Eric Delcamp, Patrick Igoa, Christain Laveille and Emmanuel Lentaigne. This machine, like ‘0389’, was used as a support bike during 1990 by the three winners of the Kawa – Moto Revue Cup, and finished 5th in that year’s Bol d’Or. Finished in Kawasaki’s classic team livery of green/white, ‘0289’ is offered with a detailed Rapport d’Expertise (appraisal) prepared in November 2000 by Conseil Auto, of Eaubonne, for Kawasaki Motors France, authenticating the machine and its competition record, and stating that it has been rebuilt to original specification by KMF technicians. The vendor advises us that the machine was serviced by Kawasaki Motors France mechanics immediately prior to sale in March 2002 and that this is the last occasion it ran. A rare opportunity to acquire an ex-works, Bol d’Or and Suzuka 8 Hours endurance racer.