Kawasaki Motorcycles

About Kawasaki

Kawasaki motorcycles are manufactured by the Motorcycle & Engine division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

The Kawasaki Company was founded in 1896 by Shozo Kawasaki as a shipyard meant for building oceangoing steel ships. At the beginning they constructed marine steam turbines, locomotives, freight cars, passenger carriages and bridge girders. In 1918 the Aircraft Department is established and after prolonged research Kawasaki succeeds in building Japan's first metal aircraft. Then came 1949 and they turned towards the motorcycles industry by making engines suited for motorcycles.

Kawasaki Aircraft initially manufactured motorcycles under the Meguro name, having bought out an ailing motorcycle manufacturer called Meguro Manufacturing Co. Ltd with whom they had been in partnership earlier, but later formed Kawasaki Motor Sales. Some early motorcycles display an emblem with "Kawasaki Aircraft" on the fuel tank. Kawasaki motorcycles from 1962 through 1967 used an emblem which can be described as a flag within a wing.

Kawasaki came out with their first bike in 1954, called Meihatsu. This bike had Kawasaki's own KB-5 engine. An improved model of the Meihatsu, called Meihatsu 125 Deluxe, was introduced in 1956.

Kawasaki was producing bikes for a while without much popularity, but technically progressing. Kawasaki started to be noticed as a big player on the motorcycles market due to the release of the 500cc H1 model (also known as Mach III). In 1973 Kawasaki introduced their first superbike, the Z1 which had a 903cc engine.

One of the most notable bikes in Kawasaki history, the GPZ900R came in 1983. This was the first model ever produced by Kawasaki to have a liquid-cooled engine and to reach 250 km/h. A year later they started to sell this bike in the US and they renamed it Ninja, thing which proved to be very benefactor, registering huge sales.

Their first ever motorsports victories were obtained by Dave Simmons in the FIM World Road Racing 125cc Championship. He won the West German and the Isle of Mann TT races and the series championship riding a KR-1. Then came 1981 and Kawasaki won the manufacturer's title in the FIM World Road Racing 250cc Championship, courtesy of A. Mang who was riding the KR250. Kawasaki's most notable win in their motorsports history was the Le mans 24-Hour Race back in 1983. The model which participated in that race was the ZXR-7.

Moto blog

2015 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R Revealed

Kawasaki revealed the 2015 edition of the Ninja ZX-10R as well as a special anniversary edition marking 30 years since the debut of the Ninja GPZ900R in 1984. The 30th Anniversary Ninja ZX-10R features a Lime Green/Pearl Stardust White paint job similar to the design of Kawasaki’s World Superbike Championship racer. The special edition model also features 30th Anniversary badging on the side of the fairing behind the headlights.

Ryan Villopoto Out For 2014 Motocross Title Defense

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto will be unable to defend his 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship title after opting to get knee surgery to fix a lingering injury. Villopoto battled with the knee issue throughout the Monster Energy Supercross season, and after consulting his medical team, it was decided he will undergo surgery on his knee as soon as possible. Monster Energy Kawasaki has signed the 2013 Canadian Monster Energy Motocross Nationals Champion Brett Metcalfe to join Jake Weimer for the 2014 AMA Pro Motocross season.

Coffee & Autographs With Villopoto This Weekend

Get up-close and personal with the newly crowned, four-time Supercross Champion, Ryan Villopoto this Saturday, May 10, 2014 at Kawasaki headquarters in Irvine, California. Villopoto and Team Monster Energy Kawasaki and the Pro-Circuit Kawasaki team riders will be on hand for a special autograph session from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Saturday morning. The KX-inspired “Koffee Break” invites you to bring your family and friends and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the KX motorcycles.

2014 AMA Supercross Season Wrap-Up

With the AMA Supercross season now over, the American Motorcyclist Association congratulates the three riders who claimed AMA No. 1 plates during the 2014 AMA Supercross season — Ryan Villopoto, 450SX champion; Justin Bogle, 250SX East champion; and Jason Anderson, 250SX West champion. Ryan Villopoto, from Seattle, Wash., locked up his fourth straight AMA Supercross premier class title in the series’ penultimate round, clinching at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

2014 AMA Supercross – Las Vegas Results

Ryan Villopoto capped off his fourth-consecutive AMA Supercross championship with an impressive victory at the season finale at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider clinched the title at last week’s New Jersey round so he didn’t have to prove anything in Vegas. But he did, leading all 20 laps and winning by nearly 14 seconds.

Kawasaki Title Sponsor For AMA Road Race Finale At New Jersey Motorsports Park

Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA and New Jersey Motorsports Park have announced a new partnership that will see the manufacturer become the title sponsor for AMA Pro Road Racing’s visit to New Jersey Motorsports Park this fall. The weekend of September 13-14, 2014 will be branded as the Kawasaki Devil’s Showdown, and will feature AMA Pro SuperBike, AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro SuperSport and AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series classes. The Kawasaki Devil’s Showdown in Millville, N.J.

Kawasaki Z250 SL Launched In Asia

Kawasaki, today, launched the long-awaited streetfighter version of the Ninja 250 in Asia. Dubbed the Z250 SL (Super Lightweight), some may call it the baby Z1000. That nickname, while fitting, is already reserved for the standard Z250, which draws a middle ground in terms of riding position (and amount of plastic) between the Z250 SL and the supersport Ninja 250.  Designed for the sports-minded urban commuter, Kawasaki heralds this lighter, racier alternative to the Z250 as the perfect companion for someone looking for Ninja-based performance, quick, nimble handling, and aggressive ergonomics.

2014 WSBK – Assen Results

Heavy rains and a fortuitous red flag were the difference in the World Superbike Championship‘s visit to The Cathedral of motorcycle racing, the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands. Aprilia‘s Sylvain Guintoli captured his second win of the season in Race 1, which was halted early by a red flag with five laps to go just as it looked like reigning WSBK champion Tom Sykes was gearing up for a final challenge. The second race was also shortened, not by a red flag but because of a rain, turning the 21-lap race into a 10-lap sprint.

2014 AMA Supercross – New Jersey Results

A crowd of 62,217 fans in East Rutherford, N.J. witnessed the coronation of Ryan Villopoto as the 2014 AMA Supercross Champion. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider took the holeshot and led very lap in a decisive victory to clinch the championship, his fourth in a row.

2014 AMA Supercross – Seattle Results

Ryan Villopoto won his fifth race of the season while James Stewart took second place to just barely remain in contention for the 2014 AMA Supercross title. Meanwhile it was a bitter-sweet podium for third-place finisher KTM‘s Ryan Dungey who was officially mathematically eliminated from title contention. Racing in his home town of Seattle, Wash., Villopoto led every lap en route to an easy win, his fifth of the season.