MCN reports today that Kawasaki have set a date as to when they will cease development on the Hayate project. New parts for the bike will be developed until the final pre-season test session (Jerez, Spain on March 28/29). After this, Kawasaki will only provide maintenance support for the existing parts and engine.

Marco Melandri will effectively be stuck with the same spec bike through the entire season, whilst the other teams continue develeopment on the 2009 bikes thoroughout the season.

Melandri recently stated that he’d rather be riding in the premier class to try to secure some meaningful results in the hope of securing a ride with a new team for 2010 season. At this rate he’ll be hoping for a load of DNFs in each race to be able to get close to doing this – 2009 is beginning to look as bleak as 2008 was for melandri.

Hayate team manager and Melandri’s crew chief Andrea Dosoli told MCN:
“We have all the conditions to move forward for 2009. Kawasaki will supply the bike and the spare parts and take care of engine maintenance.

“We will have development until the end of March and then it will stop or be reduced quite a lot.

“For sure the wish of any engineer is to develop the bike during the year but we have some budget reduction and that is the main reason why they suspended their racing activity. But we have enough parts to run for the whole season.

“We just won’t have any updates once Kawasaki scales down its involvement at the end of the month.”

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