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

Kawasaki Reports Q1 2013-2014 Sales Results

Kawasaki reported net sales of 67.4 billion yen (US$686.5 million) from its Motorcycle and Engine division for the first quarter ended June 30, 2013. That represents a 26.2% increase from the net sales of 53.4 billion yen reported in the same period of 2012. According to Kawasaki’s first quarter report, the Motorcycle and Engine division (which includes Jet Skis, ATVs and UTVs) saw sales of 127,000 units over the quarter, up from 115,000 units in the same period last year.

Kawasaki Entering Chinese Market

Kawasaki announced the start of operations in the world’s largest motorcycle market, China. The company actually established its new subsidiary, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Management (Shanghai), in April but the subsidiary will begin importing and selling motorcycles Aug. 18.

2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 Recalled for Engine Stalling Issues

Transport Canada has announced a recall for the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 because of a risk of the engine stalling during deceleration. No recall has yet been posted for the U.S. though the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website, though members of the KawasakiNinja300 forum report they received letters from Kawasaki Motor Corps.

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days A Rousing Success

AMA members and motorcyclists from across the country celebrated the people, machines and sport of motorcycling at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, featuring the riders and champions of Husqvarna, over the July 19-21 weekend. The annual gathering of tens of thousands of motorcycling enthusiasts participated in vintage racing, took in numerous bike shows, met their motorcycling heroes, purchased vintage parts and motorcycles in the massive swap meet, spent time with old friends, and met new ones, all at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The AMA and the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, which oversees the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, extend their appreciation to AMA members, racers, enthusiasts, collectors, restorers, fans, clubs, companies and others who supported the three-day celebration of motorcycling’s history and heroes.

2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 Recalled for ABS Modulator Issue

As we expected, a manufacturing error for a Nissin anti-lock brake modulator has led to a recall in the U.S. for the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300. (UPDATE: Transport Canada has also issued a recall for 745 units, in addition to the 1,083 units recalled in the U.S.) Kawasaki had already issued a recall in Japan for ABS-equipped versions of the 2013 Ninja 250, so it was no surprise that the 300, which uses nearly all of the same parts, would fall victim to the recall as well.

Nissin ABS Modulator Recall Explained in NHTSA Documents

Earlier this month, we published news about an issue with certain Nissin anti-lock brake system modulators that have been connected to recalls in Canada and Japan from Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki, with the possibility of it expanding to further models and manufacturers using the same component. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now released documents from American Honda’s recall of ABS-equipped CTX700 and CTX700N that shed some more light into the issue. According to the documentation, a manufacturing error may have resulted in Nissin ABS modulators being contaminated with aluminum chips.

WSBK 2013: Moscow Race Report

Marco Melandri captured his third win of the season, the Ducati 1199 Panigale scored its first podium while Sylvain Guintoli regained the championship lead despite dislocating his collarbone days before the race. But the big news at Moscow Raceway of course was the tragic death of Andrea Antonelli in the World Supersport race. The opening-lap crash in severely wet conditions naturally led to the cancellation of the rest of the events as the World Superbike community mourns the loss of the 25-year-old Antonelli.

Andrea Antonelli Dies After Moscow World Supersport Crash

Italian racer Andrea Antonelli succombed to injuries suffered in a crash during the World Supersport race at Moscow Raceway in Russia. The Go Eleven Kawasaki racer crashed on the final corner of the opening lap in very wet conditions, and was struck by Pata Honda racer Lorenzo Zanetti. The race was immediately red-flagged and Antonelli was taken away by ambulance while medical staff attempted to resuscitate him, but the 25-year-old was pronounced dead at 2:10 pm local time.

Kawasaki And Costco Continue Referral Program

Pedestrian Costco members may have seen the Kawasaki motorcycles on display within the giant warehouses. Motorcycle riding Costco shoppers certainly did. The effort is part of referral program originally developed for automobile purchases. And now, after two successful years, Kawasaki and Costco are renewing their partnership.

Nissin ABS Modulator Recall Affects Honda CTX700, Suzuki Hayabusa, Kawasaki Ninja 250R and Possibly More

Last week, we wrote about a recall in Canada for the ABS system on the 2014 Honda CTX700N and the CTX700T (known everywhere else as simply the CTX700), affecting 13 units north of the border. We can now confirm that the recall also affects U.S. models as well as models from other manufacturers using the same components from Nissin.