Kawasaki motorcycles
| File:Kawasaki.svg | |
| Company type | Private subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Individual transportation & recreation vehicles |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Headquarters | Kawasaki-cho, Akashi, Hyogo, Japan |
| Products | Motorcycles, ATVS, RUVs, and Watercraft |
| Parent | Kawasaki Heavy Industries |
| Website | http://www.kawasaki.com/OurCompany/IntlDist.aspx |
Kawasaki Motor Corporation is a division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries and manufactures motorcycles, ATVs, RUVs, and watercraft.
History
Kawasaki Motors Corporation began as Kawasaki Motorcycle Corporation[1][2] as far back as 1960 when Kawasaki Aircraft, LTD was known to have made an agreement with Meguro Works to form Kawasaki Motor Sales. Some motorcycles display an emblem with "Kawasaki Aircraft" on the fuel tank.
During the merger in 1962, Kawasaki engineers were engaged in the development of a 4-stroke engine for small cars which ended in 1962 with some of the engineers transferred to the Meguro Works to work on the Meguro K1 and the SG, a single cylinder 250cc OHV. In 1963, Kawasaki and Meguro merged to form Kawasaki Motorcycle Co.,Ltd.[3][4] Kawasaki motorcycles from 1962 through 1967 used an emblem which can be described as a flag within a wing.
Work continued on the Meguro K1, a copying of the BSA A7 500cc vertical twin.[5] and on the Kawasaki W1. The K2 was exported to the U.S. for a test in response to the expanding American market for 4-stroke motorcycles in which case it was rejected for a lack of power. (Kawasaki Museum). By the mid-1960s, Kawasaki was finally importing a moderate number of motorcycles. The Kawasaki H1 Mach III in 1968 along with several enduro-styled motorcycles to compete with Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda increased sales of Kawasaki units.
- External photo of the Meguro K1[1]
![[1]](http://www.khulsey.com/motorcycles/vintagebike-images/meguro_s3_junior_1958.jpeg){kind=link}
- Also see: List of Kawasaki motorcycles
References
- ^ Cover of 1966 Kawasaki Motorcycle Corporation Marketing proposal from Clinton E. Frank to Darrel Krause
- ^ Kawasaki Museum, Kawasaki as "Kawasaki Motorcycle Co. LTD."
- ^ K Hulsey, Classic Vintage Motorcycles: Kawasaki history
- ^ Daniel Levy, Stastsheet.com Kawasaki Motorcycles - "Independent In Thoughts And Actions".
- ^ Motorcycle Classics, Kawasaki W2TT Commander.
