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

2011 Ninja ZX-10R Teaser [video]

UPDATE:  Check out the preview article on Motorcycle.com Very little in the way of detail has been announced, but Kawasaki says the literbike will have a new engine, frame and suspension. Kawasaki has created a new site for the new Ninja at http://www.kawasaki-challenge.com/ with a brief teaser video. Kawasaki has also set up a Twitter feed to reveal more hints about the new ZX-10R.

What it's like to fall off at 170mph...

Here at Visordown Towers, we've been leafing through loads of issues of the magazine for a couple of days. The reason? Visordown.com is ten years old and our next issue will celebrate this monumentous occassion.

Kawasaki Supports International Female Ride Day

In recognition of International Female Ride Day, Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. will conduct a special one-day promotion. For 24 hours, starting at 12:01 a.m.

Learn on track with Mackenzie and Whitham at Focused Events

Focused Events Rider Development Days at Silverstone offer a new, intense tuition-based experience on a selection of new Supersport machines, hosted by high-level instructors including Niall Mackenzie, Jamie Whitham and Steve Plater.The courses will be situated at Stowe circuit, Silverstone and will be aimed at Novice and Intermediate riders. Dates for the events have been confirmed as 14th May and 2nd September.Pupils will not only be taught by World class instructors, the machinery available for use will be high-end Supersport machines from Ducati, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. Total cost for the day is £339 including bike hire with a £50 premium for use of the exotic Ducati 848.Chief Instructor and Visordown Road Test Editor Niall Mackenzie explained, “A track day can be an intimidating place to learn circuit and road skills, especially for less experienced riders.

Put a sting in your 2010 Z1000's tail

SCORPION has released an all-new new silencer for the 2010 Kawasaki Z1000.   The slip-on silencer requires no additional modifications: bolt on and go.Consistent power improvements throughout the rev range have been seen, with no adjustments to the fuelling, say Scorpion, with an average increase 3bhp.The new silencer has been acoustically developed to provide a greatly enhanced engine note.  This means the bike will be as loud as the original in terms of a dB reading, but the exhaust note offers a deeper growl. However, removable baffles allow the rider to dramatically alter the tone of the exhaust by simply removing one bolt per silencer.

Kawasaki UK announce 2010 touring dates

KAWASAKI UK is offering an organised European touring holiday for owners of the company's motorcycles.The trip is centered around the Loire Valley in central France, with the initial event running between 1 and 3 May 2010. Priced at £450 for riders and £125 for pillions, the tour includes a pre-event pack with maps and guides for the route, accommodation for two nights at the Panoramic Hotel in Sancerre, return ferry tickets and even a dedicated support vehicle, carrying tyre fitting equipment and tools, staffed by a qualified mechanic.A highly experienced rider will lead the tour, with another Kawasaki Tours staff member at the back, providing reassurance for all riders and the confidence to fully enjoy their continental trip. The event is to run in partnership with Focused Events Ltd, one of the UK’s leading organsiers of motorcycle experiences.

Top Motorcycle News of 2009

The year is coming to a close so let’s take a look back at the top stories of 2009 in the world of motorcycles after the jump. Buell Motorcycles Shut Down Harley-Davidson made the shocking announcement Oct. 15 it would discontinue Buell Motorcycles.

2010 Kawasaki Z1000 – First Ride

UPDATE: Full Review now available on Motorcycle.com Almost forgotten among a group of new high-profile sportbikes is the new Kawasaki Z1000. After having ridden it yesterday in the twists and hills of the Central California coast, I’m here to tell you that this is a real-world sportbike to be reckoned with. Forget the old Z1000.

2009 Carole Nash International Motorcycle & Scooter Show [video]

NEC Birmingham 2009 – The bikes, the babes, the kit and the people. Raptors & Rockets present the 2009 Carole Nash international motorcycle & scooter show from Birmingham, UK. Check out the video highlight list and Tor Sagen’s video walk through from the 2009 NEC show.

2010 Kawasaki KLX110 Launch

The last time I rode one of Kawasaki’s 110cc MX bikes, I was banging elbows with Gary Nixon in a journo race on Max Yasgers, I mean Mertens Dairy farm in beautiful Sonoma, California. Battling against experienced racers, a muddy track and humorous rider-to-motorcycle ergonomics, I managed to outshine all of the racing glory at the nearby Infineon raceway by taking home the gold, shoes. Top prize for endangering my life in a battle of laughter and pocket-sized Singles was a pair of size 13 sneakers spray painted gold.