In 1949, Kawasaki entered the motorcycle industry, producing small engines that could be adapted to motorcycles. With the help of BMW, 60 cc two-stroke, as well as a 150cc and a 250cc four-stroke engines were developed which became the KE engine. This was completed at the Takatsuki factory in 1952. Mass production of these 148cc, four stroke single cylinder engines, started in 1953
In 1954 that Kawasaki Motorcycles produced their first complete motorcycle under the name of Meihatsu (a subsidiary of Kawasaki Aircraft Co.).
When I a kid of 18yrs old, my cousin bought a gpx 750 ninja and I used to just sit in the garage most of the time admiring that bike. I used to sit on it and imagine myself riding it and said one day...that's when my love affair started with the ninja brand. I have just taken delivery a few weeks ago of my h2 sx se and now I find myself sitting in my own garage admiring my bike. Thank you lord for your blessings.
I'm English, and I've owned Kawasakis since 1979. They're simply the best I've found.
Woooow 🔥💚
Thank you, Mr. Kawasaki. The world is better because of you!
Is it?
2 times yes
@@sambazill make that 4. My zxr636 gives me total joy
He was long gone before the company decided to make motorcycles.
in 1970 i got my first bike, a new Kawasaki G3TR 90 cc. Paid $375.00 from Korcan Kawasaki, on Hastings Street in Vancouver B.C. Owned many, many Kawasakis since, and many, many others. Kawasaki was driving the pace in the early 70's, and the bikes of all brands from that time period are part of a classic, wonderful era. Now at 66 years old I would pay a small fortune for that little red 90.
The Mach III in 1969 was what put Kawasaki on the map . As a senior in high school I remember the shock when it bested Hemi Cudas, 428 Cobra Jet Mustangs and even the 427 Vetts. You could still call it a Ring Ding but you smiled when you said it , and it did not sound like a Ring Ding it was an awesome sound !
That's awesome that everyone that comes to work for the company has to spend 3 months working at the assembly line.
Every corporation should have a similar policy. It's a shame when a customer orders something and the people they are dealing with do not know what is going on. Much confusion and mistakes could be avoided with that small change.
I have to agree with you. it should be law!
Cuban Rider I wonder if they could afford to buy a bike from the factory?
Hear again, much like the Yamaha documentary I watch of yours before, some very major Innovations are overlooked. One of the biggest Innovations for Kawasaki that was overlooked was fuel injection. It's not that Kawasaki was the first to ever put fuel injection on a motorcycle but they were the first large motorcycle manufacturer to try to bring it to Market.
@R K Watch the video again. They don't hire accountants to tighten bolts on your bike; they work on the bike for 3 months as their first task, and then they become an accountant or whatever else they wish to be.
The GPZs were even more influential than the Ninjas as far as starting the sport bike craze.
The GPZs were actually the first ninjas, they just hadn't come up with the name yet. The "ninja" name was selected for the US market, because naming a vehicle with just letters and numbers seemed uninspired, and was what other manufacturers were doing. In fact, the "ninja" name is said to have inspired the other manufacturers to start naming their bikes similarly, like the Hayabusa, Katana, Fireblade, etc.
@@bladeofwar Like Honda did in the early 70's when they called the CR's Elsinore
I never seen a GPZ that was green either, alot of their bikes use to be red / black or white.
"The bikes are better than us" Truer words never spoken..
Yup, some motorcycle riders , do open up the throttle, and leave their brains behind.
My first bike was a '76 KZ400. My buddy had an H3 400 Triple . We had a lot of fun riding together. I restored and sold the KZ400 because the frame shimmy at speeds above 65 was incredibly dangerous. Someone below mentioned the upper cylinder leaks from the KZ400. Yep. The legs of my riding suit were always stained with oil. Funny how they didn't mention how dangerous the 750 and 500 triples were because of their marginal drum front brakes. All that engineering into speed, and frames that shimmied like crazy, and brakes that couldn't stop the machine......oops. In 1990 I purchased a red, white, and blue '86 Ninja zX600R and still love it. They were worth nothing back then, because the world had moved on, and most had been crashed. Now they've become a cult bike, and when people see mine, they flip. 450lbs, 50mpg, 69hp at the wheel, and a top speed of 135, but just and absolute joy to own and ride.
wish i still had mine, or the gpz 750 too! impossible to find
I wanted a CBR 900, but rode the CBR 900 the same day I rode the ZX9R, I couldn't deny the difference. I bought the ZX9R and will never sell it. Thank you Kawasaki!
I had a 1998 ZX9R and absolutely loved it!!!
My son is an engineer in R&D.. they build all kinds of motors for lawn mowers, snow blowers and all kinds of other cool stuff1
They build way cooler stuff than that like bullet trains and helicopters
I will never forget the zx9r and the zx12r!!!! Before there was a zx10r and a zx14. Such beautiful body styles. Ninja forever
Amen brother
BlackOps M26 Zx10 was out long before the zx9 and Zx 12. It was the gpz900, gpz1000, then 1986 came the Zx10 until 1989-90
My first year owning my 2000 zx9r, i put over 10,000 miles on it. My dream bike is the zx12r. One day she will be mines
My first bike was a 2000 ZX6RJ1 lime green with full Ti-Hindle exhaust. She screamed all the way to 155 and soaked up the road. She had Michelin pilot powers with dual compound, brand new at that time. Light to light nothing could touch her and I miss her... What a freaking beast when you just turned 19 😎
Love it !! My first “fast bike was my 1995 ZX6R, after that I bought my first new bike which was a 2004 ZX6R 636, talk about night and day difference. I felt like that was a huge step up in horsepower and technology.
Wish I never sold my green '74 H2B...bought it new, sold it 3 years later...I damn near come to tears when I think about it..
'81 ZX750 at 18 with flat bars, clubman mirror and Kerker exhaust. '90 ZX-6 at age 25, with 99,000 km, fantastic sport tourer for 16 years. 2006 ZX10R in pearl solar yellow at age 41. A scalpel with 170 hp and only 170 kg. So much passion for all of them.
I was raised up on Honda , but my first Street Bike was a KZ900 an it was the Fastest among my friends who had HONDAS , SUZUKI and YAMAHA back in 1983 ... Thank You Kawasaki for the Great Memories
I love Kawasaki!!!! It’s always been my brand. It was the first bike I saved up for and bought with my own money. A KX125 at 13. I didn’t have to share it with my brother, and I even raced amateur motocross. I could ride motorcycles well long before I even thought about getting my drivers license. Even to this day I’ve got a Z1000 that I absolutely love. I actually just finished riding about an hour ago. I put a lot of miles on all my bikes. I’m really good about changing the oil and greasing/lubing everything I need to. I use Amsoil because it shifts very smoothly and also revs up smooth as well I can’t ever recall anything breaking or leaving me on the side of the road. And I ride a lot. I’ve gone 25,000 to 30,000 miles before passing it on to the next owner. Heck, some guys on the Kawasaki forums have gone over 100,000 miles on a ZX6R which has a 15,500 redline. If they can get that many miles out of a highly stressed bike like that, my Z1000 with a much lower redline and compression ratio will have no problem lasting as long as I’ll ever need it for. Unlike most people I use my bike for commuting for almost all year except for a few months in the Winter. I’ve even ridding quite a few days in the rain, just gotta be careful.
Any relation to John Smith ?
I owned the very first 1984 Ninja 900, I loved that bike. I wish I still had it today. it was so stable that at any speed it felt like you were safe and secure, the fastest I went on it was at 11.45 at night riding to work, I did 145 mph on an upgrade. amazing bike. the first few months I owned it, everywhere I went people would gather around the bike and stare at it. I felt like I was riding the Bat Bike. this video makes me want to get a new Kawasaki, I have been considering a naked bike, maybe it will have to be the Z900, I just wish it had an upper fairing. My back doesn't like the seating position of the new Ninjas, but I also don't want to be buffeted by the wind.
I have only owned Kawasaki ninjas. 600, 1100, 1200, 900 . The 900 was my favorite of them all. Still have it to this day. Very fast very good handling. Superbike
When I was 16 the GPz550, 750 and 1100 had just come out, I used to stand outside the Kawasaki showroom, look through the window and dream. :)
Good to see & know much about the Kawasaki Heavy Motor Industries & their bikes, & I was also one of it's consumer in the 100c.c bike being launched in India 34 years back and I was it's proud owner.And all of it's parts were originally embossed with "Made in Japan" & I having used that KB100 bike having 10.5 BHP then & had travelled 650 km in 10.5 hours with 2 stopping of an hour and a half for food & because of rains. Yet also many times 360 kms in 4 - 4.5 hours on my Kawasaki Bajaj KB100 on double rides only. I also tested on a double ride in order to test it's mileage on highway for 360 kms at a constant speed of 40 kmph., for which I got 94 kms/Lt mileage of petrol fuel on that 2-stroke KB100 bike. What a gem it was with me for 24 years, & later sold it to my working office for office purpose. Yes, I still adore KAWASAKI BIKES though I am using an YAMAHA sporty tourist bike now.I wish to go for the NINJA ZX-10 as my next racing bike hopefully,and about this nor about the H2 & H2R a word is spoken about these revolutionary master piece superbikes that people crave to buy them. So, do bring out coverage of these bikes also as soon as possible. Thanks, C.Sridhar, Bengaluru
Agree MEGA UPVOTES !
The Kawasaki inline twin is the true workhorse. From entry level bikes since the 70's to forklifts, jetski, snowmobiles and bilge pumps. Great little motor.
Owing a new KX80 in 1984 changed my life forever !!!
thank you for this history, just bought a 2014 zx14r,(NJ)
Great documentary with some of my favorite people in it. I could literally stay within the confines of the Kawasaki brand and satisfy my moto lust the rest of my life.
Japanese , engineering perfection
That is German engineered perfection
Good shit...Also optics and electronics
A much better 500cc parallel vert. twin, with mainly more durable eletrics than Lucas! How did Spitfires last that long, or didn't the need to?
Might be Japanese engineering, but the 6 sigma manufacturing process that allows for high reliability was developed in the US.
@@jeremykirk1334 not true anymore..BMW bikes are the perfect example of their engineering turning to shit.
I like Kawasaki. They're built like the aircraft I work on. The redline says 14,500rpm and she'll do at least that. The only limit on a Kawasaki 4 cylinder bike is you. I once had Yamahas. The XS650 A,B,C .. etc.. which is a clone of a Triumph Bonneville. beautiful. Then the Z1 came out. I was flat out on the Yammie and the Z1 passed me with absolutely no effort. I was doing 135mph at the time. That day I learned that Kawasaki are the master of engine technology. The lesson has stuck with me after 40 years
So you were doing 135 mph on your XS650 and you were overtaken. My slow Honda 600 would manage to overtake you on your XS650 easily, but does not really go much faster than that.
Personally i think the big 4 Japanese brands are all masters of engine technology.
I had a Z1-B in 1976. It was a brilliant bike to ride but a bit hairy with 1 disc on the front and drum on the back. Miles better than the modern bikes though.
Miles better than modern bikes? Your joking right?
in terms of technology modern bikes win. In terms of raw simplicity, older bikes rule. But always there must be one feature to make it a motorbike - it must be able to kill you
My first bike was a Kawasaki and a just felt in love with the brand and the riding world...
NINJA! The names says it all.
Ninja a blindly fast and efficient killing machine. You have to love that name, even if you arent a Kawasaki fan.
Not fast when it’s on a 300. That’s the trouble, it’s way overused. I removed the Ninja from my ZX14R because it’s just so stupid. Great bikes apart from that.
@DJRICKYDEEUK you nailed it!!!
Even the Ninja knows to hide from a Hurricane!
Japanese craftmanship has been and always will be something else man
I raced off road and motocross from 89-96 and just fell in love with the KXs. Large footpegs, incredible suspension and a great bottom to mid torque engine gave me and others lots of confidence to go even faster.
An innovative, 'middle finger' company is always welcome. That's how you create lifelong fans.
Seeing this really helps one appreciate the history of the company . I'm getting a motorcycle this summer. It just may be a ninja. Thanks for putting this together.
I just bought my first bike 3 months ago: 2001 Kawasaki Ninja 500R with 8,800 miles. For me, after doing a lot of research, is definitely a great beginner bike and besides being a pleasure to ride you can appreciate the quality and design of it even though it is 20 years old. After watching this documentary I have come to the following conclusions: 1. Glad I bought it 2. My next and subsequent bikes will be a Kawasaki.
In 1975 i bought a 71 h1 triple i was seventeen wow so much fun to ride still hooked on kawasaki
I was the very proud owner of a Z900 back in the 80 and a GPZ1100 .Nothing like a Kawasaki . Just wished I had the money to visit the factory.😊
Kawasaki is just freaking-lime-green awesome! Thanks to come to our lifes!
No mention of the Z1R which was referred to as the coffin partly due to its deathly power output for the day and partly because of its coffin-shaped fuel tank. The bike, ridden by Graeme Crosby, won most races down here in the South Pacific in the late 70's and a massive part of motorcycling here.
The Kawasaki factory blew my mind. The Japanese efficiency is out of this world.
That is because us Americans are fat and lazy. Where I work more than 50% are overweight and some are obese. They constantly play with their cell phones even on the job while working and the company tolerates it to keep them happy. They talk endlessly. I can't understand how they get any work done and some are only producing 30% of their rate. Americans no longer know what a good days work is and couldn't handle it if they tried. The other problem is the Management doesn't know how to run a company efficiently. The work flow in my company is erratic and unorganized. After over 50 years in business they are just now starting to understand straight line flow like an assembly line but it will take them several more years to fully understand how to do it and implement the process. If we built these bikes here a $10,000 bike would be $25,000 to cover the Union costs and inefficiency. Our Country is sick and no one has the cure. If they did the drug company would charge $5000 a pill.
Best ever motorcycle ever built the z1..and 47years later still producing outstanding motorcycles king k forever 👍👍👌👌🙏🙏✌️✌️🤘🤘🤩🤩❤️
I Personally like Kawasaki since the ZX14R came out and Now since the 2015 H2R is another level with 300 HP, Wow its Mind Blowing,its same Horsepower they were used in MTT Y2K TURBINE Bike in 2004.
It’s official, I need to go to Atopolis. What an amazing history.
This is why..the World has Kawasaki...at # 1 In the industry ..in my books..at 70 yrs old...and I have a New 2018 Harley..too...the Kawasaki 750 and 1000...were bad ass...I still have them too...along with a Ninja...2018...I like to ride..what can I say..
The only Japanese motorcycle brand I've never owned. I wish they would get back into MotoGP.
Me to, started off with a KX125 at 13, owned a few ZX6R’s and now I have a Z1000. I put quite a few miles on all of them and never had a single problem
Same, I wish more factory bikes to compete and drive competition.
Robert Smith I have a z1000. It’s mean!
i had a 2008 concours 14 - would pull your arms out of their sockets -
It would be nice if this documentary included the first 20 years of Kawasaki motorcycles. And this is more a hype video than a true documentary.
God bless Japan and its people and all their engineering.I love Japanese technology
Would have liked to have seen more time spent on all the 3 cylinder 2 Stoke models, that was where my passion for Kawasakis began, not only that but their unique design of finishing the back ends with their beautiful tail fairings, lots of chrome etc
Long live Kawasaki.
Kawasaki 💚🖤
Brother got 85 900 ninja rode it once bought 1985. 600 ninja next day, the best bike i ever owned. To this day to me the best looking bike ever made. It truly looked like a race bike. Dang fast in its day.
I was a Senior in HS in 1969. I lusted for a Mach III. Never got one. Years later I owned a Kawasaki ZRX1200....a wild wheelie machine. The New H2+H2R are in the same league as the Mach3 was in '69. The aircraft quality of Kawasaki puts them ahead of other Japanese motorcycles and I have owned them all.
And then they created H2 nd H2R 😍
Kawasaki and Ducati, my 2 fave bike builders... my first fast Kawasaki that left an indelible mark on me was the KR-1 250 I bought back in 1989.. loved that bike!
Always been a proud owner of a, Kawasaki vulcan 900 Classic. Even more so now after watching this
Thank you Kawasaki for producing the ZX14 !!!
Busa Killer 💚🔥🇯🇵⛩️💪
Loved kawasakis since '83, my little girl since she could speak, Linda what do we call Kawasakis?' Kawas', shot!! But a '05 650 Bandit is just so so special!!!
Awesome documentary. Thanks for allowing me to learn so much today 👍🏼
Versys 1000. What's not to love? They build great bikes.
The side fairing is too fat, i like the 650 better
From Beginner to Master :D 1. Kawasaki Z125 (Minibike) 2. Kawasaki KLX150 (Dirtbike) 3. Kawasaki KX250F (Dirtbike) 4. Kawasaki Versys x300 (ADV) 5. Kawasaki Ninja 400 (SportBike) 6. Kawasaki Vulcan s (Crusier) 7. Kawasaki Z800 (Naked) 8. Kawasaki Z900RS (Cafe Racer) 9. Kawasaki ZX10R (Superbike) 10. Kawasaki ZX14R (Drag Bike) 11. Kawasaki H2 (Hyperbike) #RidingThroughTheRange
I've owned three Kawasakis which covered a combined 47 years of ownership. I may start another streak next year.
i WAS 16 WHEN THE Z-1 CAME OUT.RIDING A 250 CC YAMAHA. STRANGER LET ME TAKE HIS BRAND NEW Z1 FOR A RIDE. JESUS WAS THAT A RIDE. MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH DISC BRAKES THAT NEARLY ENDED BADLY ALSO.
Zx12r all daaaay..04 still blazing and it's now 2019. I'll ride her till the engine jumps out. Gooo Kawi
I had the same bike same year in silver with 4k original miles...Wow what a mind blowing experience...A true work of art it was...The fastest roll on speed of any bike I have ever owned from 60 to 180 on planet earth..What a RUSH....I wish I never sold it.
I still have two of the three Kawasaki bikes that I've bought over the years. I love em, 02-ZZR1200 and a last year model Gen 2 KLR 650.
I love the old Zs. The dream from my childhood. Today i have a Z, from 2013. Kawa is the best!
I know they missed a lot of good bikes but i was dissapointed they didnt give more credit to the z9 .. they rocked the superbike world for years
Yeah.. it didnt get the nickname the king for nothing
Guy i know had a rootbeer z1 with a4 into 1 kerker pipe ...when he would come around the corner at my house he'd punch it and ride a wheelie all the way down the hill to his house... i was 14... talk about a childhood idol !!!
Kawasaki for ever 😍
very impressed and i own 2 x zzr1100's and the greatest of them all the zzr 1400 the lean green mean machines
I got a 1995 ZX6R Ninja myself atm, and absolutely love it! I used to have a '90 ZZR 600 and a '87 GPZ 600R aswel. Kawasaki bikes are my absolute favorite, Honda in 2nd place. Still looking to buy myself a ZXR 750 and its successor the ZX7R. :D
I have a 2002, 1500 Kawi its an awesome piece of machine, took it to 160 mi per never have had major problems just small stuff. Will keep it for a long time
Danke Herr Kawasaki die Welt ist besser durch sie ! :)
Anyone here old enough to remember "British Racing Green"?
Ii say, ol' boy, BRG was/is much richer and darker than this lime green livery, eh, what..??
Yes me I am 64next week British racing green gleams when polished correctly. And I can see my bald head in the panels
trying to forget the engineering nightmare of British cars.
My Triumph Sprint in painted BRG.
@@lesbratton5411 I have a mini s in BRG of course to go along with my Z900.
Good video been a Kawasaki fan for a long time.
Great video, thanks for making! I loved it!
I have a 06 zx14, best bike I've ever owned. Would love to see my bikes original "medical records"
i have bought and sold40-50 bikes since 1976--and my 08 zx14is by far the best yet
I also have an '06 zx14r. It's such a treat.
I as well have a 08 zx 14. My second one. First one i bought brand new. I sold it in 2013 bought a v rod. Then sold the v rod bought a 14 again midnight sapphire blue metallic.
Some say the test riders are the Stig's Japanese cousin.
Some older Japanese say: "Stig-San is cousin of Yamaha test riders, only Stig-San has smaller shrimps in the pants."
😂
every time I walk passed my garage i catch myself staring at at my new z
The simple fact that they have error proof production and assembly system speaks volumes to thier commitment to quility..love em.
The most important part is this: the production line is regarded as a single machine, and if any part goes wrong, they immediately stop the whole thing and get it fixed. Any issue is backtracked to where it happens, not just a cursory look at the place the problem was detected. This is why Japanese manufacturing has such high quality.
i hope these line workers make a good living. they do a great job.
They make the best dirt bikes in my opinion.
Thanks for the video, enjoyed it!
I just picked up a 1999 zx9r in mint condition....... Its big, its heavy ( By today's standards ) but damn me its still so much fun! And yes its lime green :-)
I got my zx6r in 2002 and i still have it til this day. I had the 250 back in 2001. That was my first true sport bike even though i had driven scooters back in the 90s in Vietnam.
Great video Enjoyed every minute Thumbs up 👍 Thanks for sharing Peace
I didn't know the history, but I appreciate craftsmanship - and that's why I bought the Ninja 400 KRT Edition, as a pre-birthday present for myself, 3 days ago.
I’m a massive Kawasaki fan had two Zx6r’s and loved them both 💚. But knew nothing about the actual history of Kawasaki.... absolutely awesome 😎
Awesome documentary! I love my Kawi’s💚 Cheers
My first bike was a ‘09 Ninja 250R I absolutely loved it, rode it all the way to Indianapolis for the MotoGP race
A giant corporation that builds ships, bullet trains, jet airplane parts, Kawasaki builds big powerful engines. They turned the world of building motorcycles up side down. Kawasaki's recorded history dates back to 201. Kawasaki Heavy Industries was founded in 1878 by Zozo Kawasaki. The company started building motorcycles in 1955. In 1968 kawasaki engineers created and built a 500 cc engine with 3 cylinders. At first the engine overheated and blew up. Then they added extra large cooling fans and the engine went from experiment to production. The Mack 3, a 3 cylinder 500c, introduced in 1969, out preformed every existing motorcycle out there. The 900 cc engine, the z1 was introduced in
Gotta love kawi’s. I’ve owned Kawi dirt bikes since 2001
Amazed to see the precision Kawasaki follows to make error free bikes. Amazing video, thanks for putting this together and sharing it with us. 👌👌👍👍❤❤
To all the Australian viewers, thank the movie, Stone, in the early 70s for bringing the popularity of Kawasaki
The 3 cylinder 2 strokes in the early 70's were the best! I still have a dent in my forehead from the tach on my KH 600!!
Best bike ever in the world Kawasaki my #1 :100%
Thanks for making a great motorcyles to us Kawasaki
I just learned to ride a motorcycle last weekend I got a Kawasaki zr7s and the last owner jetted really fast easy to shift motorcycle so far so good with Kawasaki
GPZ1000RX was a total brute. I had one and miss it still.
Nice video. Would have been nice to have a few sequences on the Mach IV H2 750...
Every time i hear the three cyclinders firing up the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and get a warm fuzzy feeling, music to the ears
thank you for this video,i just got 06 zx14 and its amazing seeing the video
Thank You KAWASAKI. !! 👍 For I Have the 2016 ZX14R SE NINJA. !! AWESOME MACHINE. ! Stupid Fast. ! Love it. !
I have had Kawasaki motorcycle . I want to see the factory in Japan before I die
Great video! Amazing dedication and technology to achieve the standards we enjoy today!
Rode a '00 ZX6R and a '03 ZX9R for more then 120000kms with 0 breakdowns. Trackdays, commuting, 2 up riding,...The last version of the 9er was the best alround sportsbike i've ever had.