FOUR-TIME 500cc GRAND PRIX CHAMPION EDDIE LAWSON
P94
INTERVIEW
That was from Kawasaki for winning the
'81 championship. They gave me bike num-
ber 21 (Lawson's race number). They did
offer bike number one, but I said I'd rather
have 21. Now looking back on it, if I had
known how popular they would be, I would
have got both!
You seem to be almost more known
in the US for your association with Ka-
wasaki than Yamaha.
For sure. You don't know how good
you have it until many, many years later, of
course. Everyone at Kawasaki at that time
was really into the racing. All the people up
front in the offices and the corporate part of
it were attached to it. They were really into
the races. They would go to the races. The
popularity of superbike racing back then
was really at a high level. Honda hated us
and we hated them. Suzuki hated us and
we hated them. We were all at each other.
Lawson (left) and
Gardner's (2) rivalry
would define 1980s
Grand Prix racing.
What are your thoughts on
Kawasaki essentially recreating
your bike for the current gen-
eration in the Z900RS Café?
I like the retro stuff anyway,
but what they've done with this is
very cool. I hope I can get one.
I haven't had the chance to ride
one yet. I have the old version,
but the new one, I can't wait to
take a spin on.
Do have a 900RS yourself?
No, I have the ELR (after
this interview was completed,
Kawasaki gifted Lawson his own
Z900RS Café).
When you got one of those
bikes, was that was a gift
from Kawasaki?
Lawson on
the gas on the
factory Kawasaki
in the 1981
AMA Superbike
Championship.
