KAWASAKI

Shozo Kawasaki opened the Kawasaki Tsukiji Shipyard in Tokyo in 1878, and Kawasaki Dockyard Co., Ltd. was incorporated in 1896. Its aircraft division became Kawasaki Aircraft Co., Ltd. in 1937 and, after the war, used its engine technology to enter the motorcycle business; Meguro Manufacturing, founded in 1924 and later merged into Kawasaki Aircraft, is another root of the brand. The B7, the first motorcycle to carry the Kawasaki name, was released in 1961, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries was formed by a three-company merger in 1969. In 2021 the business was spun off as Kawasaki Motors, Ltd.

Kawasaki Dockyard Co., Ltd. (today Kawasaki Heavy Industries) was incorporated in 1896. Kawasaki Motors, Ltd., which runs the motorcycle business, was incorporated on February 12, 2021 and spun off from KHI that year.

1. 1924

   Meguro Manufacturing Company founded in Meguro, Tokyo

2. 1961

   B7, the first motorcycle to carry the Kawasaki brand, released

3. 1965

   W1 announced

4. 1969

   Three-company merger forms Kawasaki Heavy Industries; H1 released

5. 1972

   Z1 released

6. 1984

   GPz900R released

7. 1993

   First victory at the Suzuka 8 Hours

8. 2021

   Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. spun off from Kawasaki Heavy Industries

Export names and market-specific specifications are recorded per market on each machine page. Corporate overseas milestones appear only when confirmed by official company sources.

1. [1]HistoryKawasaki Motors, Ltd. · manufacturer · accessed 2026-09-26
2. [2]ヒストリーカワサキモータース株式会社 · manufacturer · accessed 2026-09-26
3. [3]CompanyKawasaki Motors, Ltd. · manufacturer · accessed 2026-09-26
4. [4]会社情報カワサキモータース株式会社 · manufacturer · accessed 2026-09-26
5. [5]Kawasaki HistoryKawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. · manufacturer · accessed 2026-09-26
6. [6]ヒストリー（カワサキについて）カワサキモータースジャパン · manufacturer · accessed 2026-09-26