Kawasaki - History

Kawasaki is a well-known for their motorcycles. I'm sure one would find cheap parts or 2nd hand bikes for sale on classifieds websites or in publications around the world. Here is a timeline of events of significance in Kawasaki's history:

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  1896 - Founded by Shozo Kawasaki. Will come to be known as Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Over time, the company’s principal areas of activity will be shipbuilding, railroad rolling stock, and electrical generating plants. Motorcycles will become a small part of this diversified industrial conglomerate.


• 1960 - Kawasaki signs an agreement to take over Meguro motorcycles, a major player in the nascent Japanese motorcycle manufacturing business. Meguro is one of the only Japanese companies making a 500cc bike. In England and the UK, Meguro’s 500 – which bears a strong resemblance to the BSA A7 – is derided as a cheap copy. But in fact, it is a pretty high-quality bike.


• 1961 - Kawasaki produces first complete motorcycle – the B8 125cc two-stroke.


• 1962 - Series of the 2-stroke models from 50-250cc released. 250cc disc-valve ‘Samurai’ attracts attention in the U.S.A.


• 1966 - The 650W1 is released and is the biggest bike made in Japan at the time. It’s inspired by the BSA A10. Over the next few years it will get twin carbs, and high pipes for a ‘scrambler’ version.


• 1969 - Dave Simmonds gives Kawasaki its first World Championship, in the 125cc class. The Kawasaki H1 (aka Mach III) a 500cc 3-cylinder 2-stroke is released. Although handling leaves something to be desired, it has a very powerful motor for its day and is one of the quickest production bikes in the quarter-mile. The Mach III establishes Kawasaki’s reputation in the U.S.A. A wonderful H1R production racer is also released – a 500cc racing bike. Over the next few years, larger and smaller versions of the H1, including the S1 (250cc) S2 (350cc) and H2 (750cc) are released and become successful in the marketplace. The H2R 750cc production racer is also successful on the race track, but Kawasaki knows that the days of the 2-stroke streetbike are coming to an end. Kawasaki plans to release a 4-stroke, but is shocked by the arrival of the Honda 750-Four. Kawasaki goes back to the drawing board.


• 1973 - The first new 4-stroke since the W1 is released. It’s worth the wait. The 900cc Z1 goes one up on the Honda 750 with more power and double overhead cams. Over the next few years, capacity increases slightly and it's rebadged the Z-1000.


• 1978 - Kork Ballington wins the 250cc and 350cc World Championships with fore-and-aft parallel-Twin racers (Rotax also built racing motors in this configuration. Ballington repeats the feat in 1979. In 1980 he finishes second in the premier 500cc class. Anton Mang takes over racing duties in the 250 and 350 classes, and wins 4 more titles over the next 3 years, the most successful period for Kawasaki in the World Championship. Kawasaki’s big-bore KZ1300 is released. Honda and Benelli have already released 6-cylinder bikes by this time, but Kawasaki’s specification includes water cooling and shaft drive. To underline the efficiency of the cooling system, the launch is held in Death Valley. Despite its substantial weight, journalists are impressed. Over the next few years, the KZ1300 gets digital fuel injection and a full-dress touring version is sold as the ‘Voyager.’ It's marketed as “a car without doors”!


• 1981 - Eddie Lawson wins the AMA Superbike championship for Kawasaki after an epic battle with Honda’s Freddie Spencer. He repeats the feat as champion in 1982.
  Kawasaki releases the GPZ 550. It's air-cooled and has only 2 valves per cylinder, but its performance threatens the 750cc machines of rival manufacturers. This is the bike that launches the 600 class.


• 1983 - The liquid-cooled 4-valve GPZ 900R ‘Ninja’ is shown to the motorcycle press for the first time at Laguna Seca. They’re stunned.


• 1985 - James “Bubba” Stewart, Jr. is born. Kawasaki supplies his family with Team Green diapers.


• 1989 - The first ‘ZXR’-designated bikes reach the market. They are 750cc and 400cc race replicas.


• 1990 - The ZX-11 is launched and features a 1052cc engine. It is the first production motorcycle with ram-air induction and the fastest production bike on the market.


• 1991 - The ZXR750R begins a 4 year run as the top bike in the FIM Endurance World Championship.


• 1993 - Scott Russell wins the World Superbike Championship, much to Carl Fogarty’s dismay.


• 2000 - ZX-12R released – the new flagship of the ZX series.


• 2002 - Bubba Stewart wins AMA 125 MX championship.


• 2003 - Stewart is AMA 125 West SX champ. “What the heck is he doing on the jumps?” people wonder. It’s the “Bubba Scrub.” In a daring move that acknowledges that only a small percentage of supersports motorcycles are ever actually raced, Kawasaki ups the capacity of the ZX-6R to 636cc. Ordinary riders welcome a noticeable increase in mid-range power, and the bike is the king of the ‘real world’ middleweights.


• 2004 - Stewart wins the AMA 125 East SX title, and the 125cc outdoor championship. There are only one or 2 riders on 250s who lap any faster than he does on the little bikes. Just when we thought motorcycles couldn’t get any crazier, the ZX-10R is released.


• 2007 - Although his transition to the big bikes hasn’t been as smooth as many expected it to be, Stewart wins the 2007 AMA SX championship.

Check out the official Kawasaki official website for more info.