Knight links up with Paul Bird Kawasaki

From Paul Bird Motorsport

Acknowledged as one of the top Enduro riders in the world, Manxman David Knight has chosen to move to Kawasaki machinery for the remainder of the 2009 season.

Having already campaigned his own Kawasaki KX450F in the most gruelling GNCC race of the season so far in America, Knight was understandably happy to win first time out on the lime green machine, which was standard except for some exhaust and suspension parts he personally fitted just before the race.

Moving things up a gear from the lone KX450F that he recently purchased, Knight's new race partners have just collected two further machines for the multiple champion to compete on in 2009.

Recognized as much for his promotion of the sport as for his international successes, the 31-year-old has now added the support of the Paul Bird Motorsport-run Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team to his growing list of sponsors.

Competing for the remainder of 2009 with the support of the Cumbrian-based racing specialists, Knight will be supported by members of the same team that currently run the Kawasaki Official Factory World Superbike effort. With team owner Paul Bird's strong links to the off-road and rallying world, combined with those of PBM Team Co-ordinator Stuart Bland, there could be no better home for the 2007 and 2008 GNCC Champion, 2007 AMA Enduro Cross and FIM World Indoor title holder, as adjacent as their Penrith headquarters are to his Isle of Man home.

Next on the agenda for Knight is the British Enduro Championship this weekend at Knighton in Powys. Having already won the first round, Knight is in with a great chance to win this prestigious title for Kawasaki, despite having had only a few hours to familiarize himself with his new mount.

Knight will also compete in other selected GBXC three-hour races and World Championship events on his modified KX450F before moving onto the ISDE and other high-profile events as opportunities arise.

"I've been in the lucky position to choose whatever bike I wanted to race on for the rest of 2009," Knight said. "I'd heard such good things about the KX450F that I had to have a ride on one. It's so good straight from the crate that it needs very little in the way of changes, even at world championship level, to be a race winning package. I'm really enjoying my racing again and the results so far back up my decision to choose Kawasaki. I even won the GNCC race by five minutes despite starting on the back row so what a result!"