About
Derek Keyes:
I am a professional motorcycle test rider for Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. Research and Development. My main responsibility is the development and testing of street motorcycles. I have been riding motorcycles for 28 years (since age 2) and have raced professionally in AMA, WERA, CCS, F-USA. ASRA and AHRMA. Joining Kawasaki Team 38 for the Suzuka 8 hour is a great privilege and honor for me, especially since I will be the first American ever invited to join the team. Suzuka will also be my first World Championship event. I’m looking forward to working with the team to achieve a good result!
The Suzuka 8 Hour Race:
The Suzuka 8 hour began in 1975. It quickly became the most prestigious road race in Japan as well as one of the most popular races in the World. Suzuka is special because it is in the “back yard” of the World’s four biggest motorcycle manufacturers (Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki). Held at the end of July in the dead heat of summer (average temp this time of year is 90 F and 90% humidity) , the race tests the endurance of man and machine, putting both to their limits in the name of victory.
Kawasaki Team 38:
The team is named after the R+D testing building (building #38) at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries factory in Akashi, Japan. Kawasaki Team 38 has a long history with the Suzuka 8 hour race, dating back to the race’s inception in 1975. The team was started by a group of R+D test riders with a strong desire of competing at Suzuka. The team was then, and always has been privately funded by the team members. Riders as well as mechanics pitch in during their spare time to prepare the race machines and equipment (myself included). Today, the team is managed by Mr. Yamashita, also one of my team mates for the event. His passion for preserving this piece of Kawasaki tradition and history has allowed Team 38 to thrive over the years. To date the best result at the Suzuka 8 hour for Team 38 was 14th (out of over 70 teams), but this year our goal is to finish in the top 10.
The 2011 ZX-10R
For 2011, Kawasaki introduced the all new Ninja® ZX™-10R. As a test rider for Kawasaki I was involved with the development of the new bike, so getting an opportunity to race this bike with this team of guys I worked with during its development is a great opportunity! From the very beginning we knew the bike was something special. It was the first redesign of the ZX-10R since its birth in 2004. Not only was the chassis and engine all new, Kawasaki also applied electronic rider aids originally developed in Moto GP. After my first ride on the prototype I knew that the new traction control was going to be the new bench mark for the industry. The development went along smoothly, despite a very wet year in Japan, and we are very proud of the finished product. The new ZX-10R will be a strong contender on the race track and I am looking forward to jumping on one for Suzuka!