HEADS ROLL AT KAWASAKI

Let the good times roll, and some heads too...

The board of directors at Kawasaki Heavy Industries has voted to sack a trio of top management.

Apart from dissenting votes from the three members involved, the rest of the board unanimously passed a resolution on 13 June to dismiss company president Satoshi Hasegawa, senior executive vice president Mitsutoshi Takao and senior vice president Masahiko Hirohata. They will formally resign their directorships at Kawasaki’s forthcoming annual general meeting.

An explanatory statement said: “This is due to arbitrary management actions of the above personnel in neglect of the view of the majority of the board of directors. The board had but to deem such actions questionable and unaligned with what the board considers as good corporate governance and compliance, and made appropriate decisions.”

Following this cull, Shigeru Murayama was elected as the new president. Murayama had previously headed up Kawasaki’s aerospace division and been a senior vice president on the main board. Motorcycle division supremo Hiroshi Takata was elevated to a senior executive vice president role, along with three other directors. Shigehiko Kiyama will take over as president of the motorcycle business.

Story first seen on www.britishdealernews.co.uk

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Nurburgring for sale- a cool £100 million

Bidding for the Nürburgring has begun, with the race track and its associated facilities expected to sell for around £100 million.

fancy a piece of The Ring? So to speak...

Constructed in 1927, the ‘Green Hell’ fell into bankruptcy last July and the track has been in need of a buyer since then. The new owner will take over 300 employees and 12.8 miles of tarmac famed for its danger and risk.

The 90-year old Nordschleife has the possibility of being sold to more than one investor, who would purchase the Nürburgring free from the £338 million worth of debt that caused the previous government-supported owners to file for bankruptcy. Currently the Nürburgring has a yearly turnover, estimated at around £50.7 million.

Can't beat a bit of Ring action...

Unique in its appeal, the Nürburgring sale has drawn protesters who voiced their opposition to the track’s private sale. Many of those protesters would rather that the Nürburgring went back into public ownership as it had been previously, securing the Nordschleife as a public facility rather than a private acquisition.

Hmm. Doing the Maths- investment paid back in two years.... (Strokes beard....)

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RIDE TO ITALY FOR THE LAST FLYING VULCAN

*British bikers prepare for 1,300 mile journey to raise money in support of the last flying Avro Vulcan, XH558
*A classic Harley Davidson Superlow® is being offered as a prize for the Vulcan summer Raffle

Bikers: raising money for the Avro Vulcan

A team of British motorcyclists will journey over 1,300 miles across Europe, from the last flying Avro Vulcan’s Doncaster Hangar to a global Harley Davidson meet in Rome, to raise money for the iconic cold war bomber. Vulcan to the Sky Trust, which operates the aircraft, has also announced that a Harley Davidson Superlow XL 833 will be one of the main prizes in this year’s summer raffle.

“As an ex-serviceman who has also done contract work for the Vulcan to the Sky Trust I am acutely aware of XH558’s historical importance,” says Adam Fleming, who will lead the group. “We are all huge fans of the project, and have been looking for ways to support her for a while. This trip ties in our enthusiasm for the Vulcan with our love of adventure, motor bikes and the Harley lifestyle, so everyone involved is really looking forward to it.”

The three day journey to the Italian capitol is part of an international pilgrimage to the 110th anniversary of Harley Davidson celebrations being held around the city. The team of 4 riders will set off on June 10th, taking their motorbikes across the channel, through France and down to Rome to meet up with thousands of other Harley aficionados. Adam, who is an experienced charity fundraiser and currently runs a recycling business, will be riding a Harley Davidson Dyna Fatbob 1690cc while sporting a specially designed one-off biker’s back patch bearing the Vulcan’s name on his leathers.

Following a challenging restoration programme, XH558 was restored to airworthiness in 2007 and is now the last flying Avro Vulcan. The stunning cold war bomber is based at Doncaster’s Robin Hood Airport where the Vulcan to the Sky Trust maintains and operates her. This iconic piece of British engineering has become one of the most popular attractions at airshows around the country where she performs annually.

“XH558 relies on donations to keep her maintained, and we are very close to the funding target to enable her to reach the first display of the 2013 season,” says Vulcan to the Sky Trust’s business development director, Michael Trotter. “Events like the ride to Rome will provide the last vital push over the line and it is great to see that members of the public are so passionate about her and wanting to get stuck in with the fundraising efforts by doing things that are a bit different and special like this.”

The Riders, with their bikes, will join XH558 for a photoshoot on Saturday 1st of June with the aim of releasing a collector’s edition poster. Adam also intends to continue his fundraising efforts after the trip by starting a Harley Davidson enthusiasts club bearing the Vulcan’s name and running regular events with XH558 as their chosen charity. The team’s motorbikes have been given a £250 service by ‘Fatboyz’, V-twin specialists in Doncaster as sponsorship for the journey.

The bike being offered as a prize at the Vulcan raffle is a classic Harley Davidson Black Superlow XL 883, a timeless design featuring a sportster tank, longer travel rear suspension, low seat height and comfortable rider cock-pit. Anyone wishing to donate towards the ride to Rome can do so through the Vulcan to the Sky Trust’s Just Giving page: http://www.justgiving.com/vts.

For more information on and to sign-up for regular email news about Vulcan XH558 and where to see her, visit www.vulcantothesky.org. To purchase a range of memorabilia, books and DVDs go to http://www.vulcantotheskystore.co.uk/ where all proceeds go towards keeping the Vulcan flying. There is also a popular Facebook community - Vulcan XH558, a Twitter feed - #XH558 and Pinterest page - vulcanxh558.

Press enquiries and interviews
Ken Pike at Market Engineering  
+44 (0) 1295 277050 / +44 (0)7810 774105 
Ken.Pike@m-eng.com

Richard Clarke at Vulcan To The Sky Trust 
+44 (0) 7541 133683
(regional and aviation press)  
richc63@ymail.com

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