Over time, Kawasaki has constructed a popularity as an organization with a number of the world’s most iconic and well-loved bikes. It’s not unusual for Kawasaki-made bikes to make it to the listing of a number of the world’s most dependable bikes, like this Kawasaki Ninja 650 that made it to SlashGear’s listing. The standard of the bike engines performs an important function in figuring out the general reliability of those machines. And so far as bike engines are involved, Kawasaki-made bikes (and the engines) are proper up there among the many greatest in enterprise.
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Given how widespread Kawasaki bikes and engines are, it’s pure for folk to be interested in the place and the way Kawasaki builds these machines. The worldwide nature of Kawasaki’s motorcycling enterprise has additionally ensured that the corporate ended up establishing manufacturing vegetation in a number of international locations throughout the globe. In reality, now we have outlined a number of the amenities in considered one of our older Kawasaki-focused articles that take care of this particular side.
In the present day, we try to deal with the second a part of that very query as to the place Kawasaki manufactures its much-praised, dependable, inside combustion bike engines.
The place does Kawasaki construct its bike engines?
Most of Kawasaki’s high-end bikes that find yourself within the U.S. are manufactured in Japan and exported from there to different international locations, together with the U.S.
Whereas Kawasaki has a number of manufacturing amenities unfold throughout Japan, the corporate’s “Made in Japan” bikes are manufactured at its Akashi Works plant. Famous in a 2010 Gizmodo Japan article with video, this facility is the place Kawasaki assembles the engines that go into its high-end bikes. In addition to bikes, Kawasaki’s Akashi Works Plant additionally produces lots of different issues, together with Jet Ski watercraft, ATVs (All-Terrain Automobiles), moveable turbines, and transmissions. Outdoors of Japan, the manufacturing of Kawasaki bikes and engines primarily occurs in international locations like Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Brazil.
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Thailand is a hub the place the corporate manufactures small capability bikes on the Tambon Pluak Daeng plant. Kawasaki has additionally been manufacturing bikes and engines in Indonesia since 1995. In 2014, the corporate expanded its operations there with the addition of a second manufacturing facility.
Kawasaki has a presence in India, the world’s largest bike market, the place it makes small-capacity bikes in addition to engines and elements on the firm’s plant in Pune. Kawasaki additionally sources a few of its engines from Indian producer Bajaj.
In Brazil, Kawasaki has a medium-sized manufacturing facility within the metropolis of Manaus devoted to small-capacity bikes.
How lengthy has Kawasaki been producing bike engines?
Whereas bikes are normally the very first thing that comes to 1’s thoughts when one thinks of Kawasaki, the corporate’s “correct” entry into the world of bikes occurred almost 83 years after the corporate’s founding in 1878.
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Though Kawasaki’s first built-in bike launched in 1961 with a mannequin known as the Kawasaki B7, the corporate had already proven curiosity in moving into the bike recreation by the early 50s. For this reason Kawasaki’s first bike engine known as the KE1, was inbuilt 1953, an excellent eight years earlier than the Kawasaki B7 got here to be.
Earlier than moving into the enterprise of bikes, Kawasaki cast a partnership with Meguro Manufacturing Co. Bike Works, a devoted bike manufacturing firm based in 1927. The businesses developed a number of bikes on this partnership period, offered below the Meguro model. Within the early 60s, Meguro’s bike enterprise was absorbed by Kawasaki, and thus started the modern-day historical past of Kawasaki-made engines and bikes.
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It will definitely changing into one of many “Massive 4” bike firms from Japan, which incorporates Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki.
Does Kawasaki make bike engines within the U.S.?
In case you are searching for a brief, succinct reply, it is a no. Should you carry out a fast Google Search on Kawasaki engines and their manufacturing amenities within the U.S., you’ll largely find yourself studying concerning the firm’s general-purpose engines enterprise and manufacturing items in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Maryville, Missouri. These amenities not produce bikes or associated tools and take care of different enterprise pursuits that vary from rolling inventory (coaches) for mild rail and aviation-related merchandise to general-purpose engines and ATVs.
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Whereas it’s true that Kawasaki not produces bikes and their engines within the U.S. the corporate did have a motorbike manufacturing facility within the nation previously.
Shortly after establishing store within the U.S. again within the late Nineteen Sixties, the corporate arrange its first manufacturing facility at Lincoln, the place Kawasaki manufactured its first U.S.-made Kawasaki KZ sequence bikes beginning in 1975. Kawasaki notes that it continued manufacturing bikes within the U.S. till 2006, after which the corporate determined to maneuver manufacturing to different international locations with decrease manufacturing prices whereas additionally persevering with to retain their main Akashi Works Plant, which Kawasaki additionally refers to because the “mom plant.”
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