Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine Company is a division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries that produces motorcycles, ATVs, utility vehicles, jet ski personal watercraft, and general-purpose gasoline engines.

Kawasaki's Aircraft Company began the development of a motorcycle engine in 1949. In 1954 the first complete Kawasaki Motorcycle was produced under the name of Meihatsu, a subsidiary of Kawasaki Aircraft. Kawasaki now calls their utility vehicles "side-by-side" vehicles.

In 1976, Kawasaki then began mass production of the JS400-A, continues to produce three models of sit-downs, including many four-stroke models. Jet Ski is the brand name of personal watercraft manufactured by Kawasaki.

Kawasaki's traditional racing colour is green. Many Kawasaki racing teams are called Team Green. The "Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green™" provides a support program developing amateur motocross racers.

Kawasaki entered the championship in 2003 with 250 cc Grand Prix racer Harald Eckl's Team Eckl. In 2003 the Kawasaki Racing Team was formed after Kawasaki had developed their new 990cc ZX-RR bike throughout 2002 and raced it in the last three races of the 2002 MotoGP season. In 2007 Kawasaki split from Harald Eckl because of Eckl’s involvement with a competitor's MotoGP activities, which forced Kawasaki to terminate the relationship immediately.

Kawasaki's involvement in the World Superbike Championship started in 1990 with the USA-based Team Muzzy Kawasaki, which managed the superbike activities until 1996. Kawasaki has won several superbike racing championships.

Kawasaki machinery has been pivotal in the development of Supertwin racing. The KMR Kawasaki Racing Team are one of the leading race teams in the category, whose team members include Ryan Farquhar and Jeremy McWilliams.

Kawasaki have enjoyed numerous successes at the Isle of Man TT Races. Riders on Kawasaki motorcycles won races in the British Motocross Championship, Motocross des Nations, AMA Supercross Championship, Sidecarcross and Supermoto.