Tech & Auto
Who Really Owns Kawasaki Motorcycles (And Where They’re Really Made)
By PATRICK PHILLIPS
The celebrated Japanese motor company Kawasaki has been producing motorcycles since the 60s, but since then, the ownership and manufacturing locations of the company have changed.
Most Kawasakis built in the 1960s and early '70s were manufactured in Japan, while those built between 1975 and the early 2000s may have been made in America.
These days, Kawasaki's U.S. operations are no longer devoted to motorcycles, with plants mostly producing ATVs and Jet Skis as well as cargo doors and rail cars.
In 2011, the company reportedly moved most of its medium and large motorcycle manufacturing operations to Thailand.
Kawasaki’s motorcycle division was under the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. banner from 1961 to 2021. It has since been operating under Kawasaki Motor Corps. U.S.A.
Though "U.S.A." is in the title, Kawasaki's motorcycle division is still technically owned by the same Japanese interests.