There's a press release on their KMC's website that reads...
Kawasaki & Suzuki Announce Alliance
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Suzuki Motor Corporation have agreed to join forces in the development, procurement and production of motorcycles and ATVs.
The alliance is expected to strengthen the companies' global motorcycle and ATV businesses through combining resources. It will allow production of more new and improved models for our customers at competitive prices.
Kawasaki and Suzuki will each continue to maintain their own brands, completely separate and independent from each other. We will each market and sell only our own brand motorcycles and ATVs through our respective dealer networks.
The companies will begin utilizing each others' expertise for cruiser, scooter, motocross and ATV models. Each company will continue its independent development of large displacement sport bikes.
Kawasaki feels that through this alliance we will be able to better meet the varying needs and expectations of our customers and more strongly compete in the global motorcycle and ATV industries.
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
On Kawasaki Heavy Industries site, it goes like this...
13.September 2001
KAWASAKI AND SUZUKI ANNOUNCE BREAKTHROUGH ALLIANCE
Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (KHI) and Suzuki Motor Corp., the Japan-based manufacturers of various types of vehicles, announced a unique alliance that will see the two companies join forces in the areas of product development, parts procurement, and production of motorcycles and all terrain vehicles (ATVs).
Similar to the business model that has been widely adopted in the automobile industry, the alliance allows the two brands to cooperate in various early-stage research and development activities while maintaining complete independence in the distribution and marketing of their own models.
According to Masamoto Tazaki, KHI president, the joint product planning effort will initially be evident in the marketplace with the 2003 model year.
The joint arrangement calls for supplying OEM products, sharing and purchasing of parts, and seeking long-term production efficiencies that will support the common goal of increased profitability. The two companies will share certain technical resources and new product development will benefit from shared functional components.
BTW - This is what KHI said about GP racing...
1.October 2001
We will be racing in Grand Prix!
Beginning in 2003 Kawasaki will be racing a 4-stroke GP machine in Grand Prix road racing.
Details of this ground-breaking machine will be released at a later date, so, please stay tuned. This important move is in line with our company-wide slogan: "Having The Spirit of Challenge."
This spirit of challenge is embodied in all Kawasaki products- in the quality we strive for, in new technologies and, ultimately, in the machines we offer to our customers.
Man! Those japanese can't write a press release worth a shit!