Kawasaki is one of Japan’s biggest motorcycle manufacturers. A Kawasaki motorcycle is envied by other manufacturers as having a nice balance between price, performance, and design.
However, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine company are much more than just that Kawasaki motorcycle you recognize as a ninja. They produce all types of industrial goods including things like airplanes.
They are also a participant in the development and the creation of the majority of commercial jet engines past and present including Rolls-Royce engines used by many Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
Kawasaki was also responsible for the manufacture of the fuselage of the planned Boeing 767 dreamliner – the first aircraft to utilize extensive composites in its composites.
A newly-opened museum in Kobe in Japan features a nice collection of historical bikes, including a “Chunnel” for mining machines for the boring tunnel.
Products & Services
Kawasaki Heavy Industries ltd products are no longer limited to bikes and aircraft. The company offers a large number of different divisions with a diverse range of services.
These divisions include Aerospace, Gas Turbine and Machinery, the Kawasaki Motorcycle division, Information and Control Systems, Industrial plant & Engineering, Materials, Steel and Chemicals.
Aerospace
Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) is a participant in the world’s most advanced civilian aircraft, with responsibility for the development and manufacture of forwarding fuselage sections. The company manufactures front and rear fuselage sections for the Boeing 767-300ER, Boeing 777, and Boeing 787 and for Airbus A330 and A340 airliners. Kawasaki continues to also a participant in the development and manufacture of forwarding fuselage sections for the Boeing 787.
Gas Turbine and Machinery
Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of gas turbine engines, with products that are used for power generation, industrial, medical and marine applications.
The main application for Kawasaki’s gas turbine engines is in power stations. In Japan, more than 50000 of the company’s electricity-generating turbines are installed at various sites around the country. They cover a wide variety of individual equipment needs from small to medium-sized power plants with outputs between 300 kW and 10 MW.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries is also a leading manufacturer of medium-sized to large-scale gas turbine engines for industries, factories, and marine applications.
Kawasaki’s 750 kW class M94 gas turbine engine powers Japan’s main battle tank, the Type 74. The company offers an extensive range of jet engines used by Boeing, Airbus, and other aircraft manufacturers, as well as helicopter engines.
Kawasaki’s largest turboprop engine is the 95000-shp 14PC2500 employed in the Boeing 767-400ER series, while its largest jet engine is the 20700 shp LNG powered 15LR Hayabusa employed on Airbus A300-600R aircraft.
Kawasaki Motorcycle Branding
Kawasaki Heavy Industries is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of bikes and the quality of a Kawasaki motorcycle is known internationally. The company offers a diverse range of motorcycles for sports, leisure, racing and work purposes.
Kawasaki was the first to manufacture a motorcycle with automatic transmissions – 1985 ZXR750, 1986 GPZ900R Ninja & 1991 GPZ1100B-II Hurricane, as well as the first to build an oil-cooled monobloc engine – 1993 Ninja ZX-11.
Kawasaki produces over 200 models of bikes and scooters including off-road bikes, sportbikes, cruisers, dirt/enduro/adventure bikes & streetfighters, touring bikes and even electric vehicles. They are exported to over 75 countries and regions, while some models are produced exclusively for the domestic Japanese market. Kawasaki Motors manufacturing corp has a wide range of economical, sport, dirt and superbike. Canadian Kawasaki Motors Inc is a part of the Kawasaki Motors enterprise with their own Kawasaki racing team. Kawasaki Motors enterprise has Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd, an engine company that makes some of the finest motorcycle engine. Kawasaki motores have been active participants in MotoGP racing activities. When it comes to producing motorcycles with offshore structures, financial compensation, marine machinery, and appropriate industrial equipment, Kawasaki has the best energy plants to deliver outstanding motorcycles and motorcycle engines.
Kawasaki’s bikes have won more than 60 world championships in World Superbike racing. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R has won the World Superbike Championship three consecutive years since 2007, following on from previous series victories by Kawasaki in 1995 and 1996. Kawasaki also produces the world’s fastest production motorcycle, the 1700cc ZX-14R Ninja, with a top speed of over 300 km/h (186 mph).
Information and Control Systems
Kawasaki Industries has been involved in high-speed railway systems since the 1970s as a member of the Hitachi Group. The company has been actively involved in the development of Japan’s Shinkansen “bullet train” network and is a world leader in many aspects of rail transport systems development.
Kawasaki produces world-class locomotives such as the next-generation bullet train N700S for Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), and is currently developing its next-generation passenger train platform based on the successful development of magnetically levitated (maglev) trains.
Kawasaki also supplies various types of traction motors, converters, propulsion systems, and control units to three different maglev transportation system developers – JR Central’s Linimo magnetic levitation line in Aichi Prefecture, a German consortium’s Transrapid maglev test track in Emsland, Germany, and Shanghai Transrapid Magnetic Levitation Train Co., Ltd. for China’s 30-km long Xian Shinkansen maglev demonstration line.
Kawasaki’s multi-functional information and control systems are deployed at many major transportation projects including the Northern Kyushu Shinkansen (NKK) bullet train route in Japan, Sydney’s North West Rail Link (NWRL), and South Korea’s Korail high-speed rail system.
Kawasaki is also responsible for providing information technology services to the US Department of Homeland Security through its subsidiary Ciber. Kawasaki develops software used to design and manage large-scale IT networks.
Shipbuilding
Kawasaki is one of the most important warship builders in Japan, with shipyards not only in Kobe but also on 4 artificial islands built up off the Nagasaki coast (and known as the “Landing Platforms”). Kawasaki builds some of Japan’s most advanced ships, including the P-1 patrol boat of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) and hi-tech submarines for export. Shipbuilding is a core company business with one third of all revenue being derived from this activity.
Kawasaki’s product range includes small automobiles, standard motorcycles, electric bicycles, ship machinery, flying boats, agricultural equipment, rolling stock and subway cars. They also deal in high-technology areas such as aerospace components (engines, airframe structure components), defense systems (radar systems for naval vessels) and industrial machinery (materials processing machines).
About Kawasaki Bikes
Origins of Kawasaki
Kawasaki introduced and began producing the first Kawasaki motorcycle in 1949 and since then has produced more than 20 million bikes. It has built over 150 different models of street bikes including the iconic Z1 900cc, which was a rival for Honda’s now-ubiquitous CB750. The Kawasaki motorcycle department also produces many types of ATV/utility vehicles as well as Jet Ski watercraft, Sea-Doo personal watercraft, and Teryx off-road side by side.
The First Kawasaki Motorcycle
The first model bike Kawasaki built was the venerable H1, which was originally designed to be used as a means of transportation by postmen in Japan. Since then, Kawasaki riders have enjoyed
Kawasaki Motorcycles Manufacturing
Kawasaki produces motorcycles at 12 different locations around the world including one in Thailand where it assembles many of its European models for export to other countries. The Japanese parent company also owns the Meguro motorcycle brand which produces high-quality two stroke models.
Since Kawasaki can not legally import its motorcycles into the United States due to trade restrictions, these bikes must be purchased from Kawasaki dealers in Canada, Japan, Mexico, or Europe.
Kawasaki Racing & Awards
Kawasaki has an extensive racing history in many forms of motorcycle sport that continues to this day. Kawasaki’s current racing activities include motocross, AMA Superbike championship, drag racing, and various other local championships around the world.
Most popular Kawasaki motorcycles
Kawasaki Z 750 R
The Kawasaki Z 750 R is a popular motorcycle that features a 749cc four stroke, liquid cooled engine with 8 speed gearbox. This bike has a top speed of 105 mph and can go from 0 to 60 in just under 3 seconds. It weighs 583 lbs and produces 73 hp at 9500 rpm.
Kawasaki Ninja 650R
The Kawasaki Ninja 650R is a sport bike with 649cc four stroke, liquid cooled engine. It has 8-speed gearbox and can produce 71 hp at 8000 rpm (maximum power). The top speed of this motorcycle is 116 mph. Riders love the sporty road presence while riding the 650R.
Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero ABS
The Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero ABS is an off-road bike with a 1712cc four stroke, SOHC engine. The Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 has 5 gears and produces 100 hp at 6000 rpm (maximum power). This motorcycle can go from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds.
Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero ABS
The Kawasaki Vulcan 1600 Classic is a cruiser style bike with 1552 cc four stroke, SOHC engine. The maximum power of the Kawasaki Vulcan 1600 motorcycle is 93 hp at 5500 rpm and it has 4 gears. Its max speed is 116 mph.
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R is an extremely fast street bike with 1441cc four stroke, liquid cooled engine. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R has 6 gears and produces 200 hp at 13000 rpm (maximum power). The max speed of this motorcycle is about 186 mph.
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 is a street bike with 1449 cc four stroke, liquid cooled engine. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 has 6 gears and produces 200 hp at 13000 rpm (maximum power). The top speed of this motorcycle is about 186 mph.
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is a superbike with 998cc four stroke, liquid-cooled engine. It has 6 gears and can produce 153 hp at 11000 rpm (maximum power). Its top speed is about 174 mph.
Conclusion
Kawasaki has come a long way from the production of just bikes and has evolved into a company that produces not only Kawasaki motorcycles but also aircraft, commercial vehicles, engines, and industrial machinery.
The Kawasaki motorcycle name is widely known in off-road racing events around the world including motocross, supercross, and desert racing. The Japanese manufacturer is very involved in international competitive racing through its support of more than 800 professional riders.
