I read that the money offered by Gresini Honda and Kawasaki was about the same and, in the end, the prospect of a pukka factory team bike rather than a customer Honda swung it for him. Can't say that I'll be expecting much from him or Kawasaki in 2009, but I would like to be proved wrong. The more the merrier at the front of the grid.

I also heard a rumour that he had had a secret test at Autopolis with Kawasaki during the summer break.