About the Company


1. Overview

Motorcycle & Engine Company is the sole division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. that provides products directly to general consumers. The company manufactures a broad range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs (all-terrain vehicles), recreation utility vehicles, utility vehicles, JET SKI® watercraft and general-purpose gasoline engines; and supplies them to markets around the world.

Kawasaki has introduced a number of historically renowned motorcycles, including the "H1," "Z1" and "GPz900R" utilizing its development/production know-how for aircraft engines, since it first began manufacturing motorcycle engines in 1953. The motorcycle department has expanded its range of products while accurately meeting market needs, and has contributed to the enhancement of the overall Kawasaki brand reputation.

JET SKI® watercraft, developed by Kawasaki in 1973 as the world’s first personal watercraft, now has main models with environmentally superior 4-stroke engines and models with superchargers, highlighting Kawasaki’s technological superiority. The company has also been marketing various kinds of general-purpose gasoline engines, ranging from palm-sized 23cc engines to 1000cc V-twin engines, as well as brush cutters, blowers, etc., equipped with those engines.

All Kawasaki divisions have strict quality control standards which integrate high-powered engines and highly-accurate power control technology. These standards have also been applied to all of the company's products, including motorcycles. Moreover, Kawasaki gives top priority to environmental issues, and believes the fuel-efficient and clean engines necessary for the low environmental impact technologies can be manufactured only with a high standard quality control system.

The company's mother factory is located in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture and its production bases are deployed in the United States, South America, and Asian countries. The Akashi Works also continues striving to preserve the global environment through its production activities, including the recycling of materials in the factory and converting to easy-to-dispose packing materials, while also harmonizing with local communities.

The Consumer Products & Machinery Company was renamed “Motorcycle & Engine Company” as of April 1, 2010. The new company name emphasizes the core business of motorcycles and general-purpose gasoline engines, on which the company’s foundation is built.

The company will continue pursuing customer satisfaction, setting its basic idea to develop products that are “Advanced Environmental Technologies,” “Fun to Ride,” and “Ease of Riding.”

2. History

1953
 

First motorcycle engine “KE-1” released
Meihatsu Kogyo, domestic sales company, founded in Japan

1957

First general purpose gasoline engine “KF4” released

1960

Integrated motorcycle production started

1961

First Kawasaki brand motorcycle “B7” released

1963

“Kawasaki B8” took 1st to 6th places in 125cc class motocross race at Aonogahara, Japan

1965

Motorcycle “W1” released

1966
 

Domestic sales company changed its name to Kawasaki Autoby Hanbai
American Kawasaki Motorcycle Corp., sales company, founded in U.S.

1967

First appearance in road race World GP, the Singapore GP

1968

US sales company changed its name to Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC)

1969
 

Motorcycle “H1” released
Iseki Kawasaki Service (IKS), domestic general purpose engine sales company, founded in Japan

1970

Kawasaki Motors N.V., spare parts sales company, founded in the Netherlands

1972
 

First portable generators, “KG600,” “KG900” and “KG1300” released
Motorcycle “Z1” released

1973

First JET SKI® watercraft “JS400” released

1974


 

Kawasaki Motors (UK), Ltd. founded in U.K.
Canadian Kawasaki Motors Inc. founded in Canada
Motorcycle assembly plant launched in Lincoln, Nebraska in U.S.
Kawasaki Motors (Phils.) Corporation founded in the Philippines

1975
 

Kawasaki Motoren G.m.b.H founded in then-West Germany
Kawasaki Motors Pty. Ltd. founded in Australia

1976

Thai Kawasaki Motors Co., Ltd., manufacturing company, founded in Thailand

1978
 

Took a stake in Thai sales company, Glory Kawasaki Motors Co., Ltd.
Won Road Racing World Championship GP with “KR250” and “KR350”

1981
 
 

First ATV (All-terrain Vehicle) “KLT200-A” released
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. (KMM) founded as a subsidiary of KHI
        and separated from KMC

1984
 

Motorcycle “GPz900R” released
General purpose gasoline engine “FB460V” released

1985

ATV “Bayou 185” released

1986

JET SKI watercraft “JET SKI X-2” released

1987
 

ATV “Tecate 4” released
General purpose gasoline engine “FC150V” released

1988
 

First Utility Vehicle “MULE 1000” released
Kawasaki Sunrock Sdn. Bhd. founded in Malaysia

1989
 

Motorcycle “ZEPHYR” released
KMM launched general purpose engine manufacturing plant in Maryville, Missouri in U.S.

1990

Motorcycle “ZZ-R1100” released

1992

JET SKI watercraft “JET SKI 750SX” released

1993
 

Utility Vehicle “MULE 2510” released
Domestic sales company changed its name to Kawasaki Motors Corporation Japan

1994

P.T. Kawasaki Motor Indonesia founded in Indonesia

1995

JET SKI watercraft “JET SKI 900 ZXi” released

1997
 

Domestic general purpose engine sales company IKS changed its name to K-GES Co., Ltd.
Kawasaki Motors Enterprise (Thailand) Co., Ltd. founded in Thailand

1998

Motorcycle “W650” released

1999

JET SKI watercraft “JET SKI Ultra 150” released

2000

 

Motorcycle “Ninja ZX-12R” released
JET SKI watercraft “JET SKI 1100 STX D.I.” released
Kawasaki Motors Europe N.V. founded as an integrated sales subsidiary in Europe

2002

ATV “Prairie 650” released

2003
 

Participated in Road Racing World Championship MotoGP
JET SKI watercraft “JET SKI STX-12F” released

2004

 

Motorcycle “Ninja ZX-10R” released
Motorcycle “VULCAN 2000” released
JET SKI watercraft “JET SKI STX-15F” released

2005
 

ATV “Brute Force 750 4x4” released
Utility Vehicle “MULE 3010” released

2006
 

Motorcycle “ZZR1400” released
General purpose gasoline engine “FX1000V” released

2007


 

JET SKI watercraft “JET SKI ULTRA 250X” released
Motorcycle “1400GTR” released
First Recreation Utility Vehicle “Teryx 750 4x4” released
Kawasaki Motores do Brasil Ltda. (KMB) founded in Brazil

2008




 

Motorcycle “Ninja 250R” released
Utility Vehicle “MULE 4010” series released
KMB in Brazil started sales of motorcycles
Motorcycle “VULCAN 1700” series released
General purpose gasoline engine “FX730V” released
Jet Ski watercraft “JET SKI ULTRA 260X” series released

2009





 

Suspend MotoGP racing activities
Motorcycle “ZRX1200 DAEG” released
25th Anniversary of the “Ninja” brand
Changzhou Kawasaki and Kwang Yang Engine Co., Ltd. (CK&K) founded as a
        joint venture company in China for production of general purpose gasoline engines
KMB in Brazil started up motorcycle production plant
Motorcycle “KLX125” and “D-TRACKER 125” released

2010





 

CK&K in China started up general purpose gasoline engine production plant
Company renamed “Motorcycle & Engine Company” as of April 1
India Kawasaki Motors Pvt. Ltd. founded in India
Motorcycle “Ninja 400R” and “ER-4n” released
Motorcycle “Ninja 1000” released
Motorcycle “VULCAN 1700 VAQUERO” released
Motorcycle “Z750R” released

2011



 

Motorcycle “W800” released
Jet Ski watercraft “JET SKI ULTRA 300X” series released
Motorcycle "Ninja ZX-14R" released
Motorcycle "Versys 1000" released
Recreation Utility Vehicle "Teryx 4 750 4x4 / Teryx 4 750 4x4 EPS / Teryx 4 750 4x4 EPS LE" released

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