Since then, the company has had great success as a manufacturer of ships, locomotives, aeroplanes, helicopters, boring machines for the Eurotunnel and much more besides, but fortunately also of high-quality motorcycles. The latest triumph for a 'Green' motocross machine came in June of this year when Eli Tomac won the Supercross World Championship, the most prestigious title in the sport. And Kawasaki has enjoyed considerable success in Germany too. German record championship winner Roland Diepold won many of his 15 national titles in the 1980s and 1990s on Kawasaki KX motocross models. In recent years, the team sponsored by Kawasaki dealer Pfeil has lifted a string of trophies in German motocross and supercross.
"Racing is in the DNA of Kawasaki," explains Carsten Haufe, Product Manager MX and the man responsible for Racing Offroad and Onroad at Kawasaki Germany. "Especially in motocross, a strong profile in racing is very important, as it is mainly competition bikes that we sell in this area." This is not the only reason why Kawasaki has had a longstanding partnership with the ADAC MX Masters. "The ADAC MX Masters is one of the best series we have in Europe, both in terms of sporting value and organisation," adds Haufe. But in Germany, Kawasaki's focus is not only on top riders such as Team Pfeil or Team SAS Racing but also on making the sport more accessible. Owners of Kawasaki KX models can register as contestants in the Team Green Trophy free of charge via their Kawasaki dealer and compete for prizes from a total prize pot of 20,000 euros. Results are amalgamated from 13 regional race series. Anyone can take part, from the young 65cc beginner to the super senior rider on a KX 450. Carsten Haufe: "The Trophy had to be cancelled this year due to coronavirus, but we intend to get it going again in 2021."
Haufe is convinced that the new models in the Kawasaki KX series - the KX 250 and the KX 450 - will be highly competitive. Both machines now have state-of-the-art equipment such as a hydraulic clutch and electric starter and will be available from dealers with very powerful engines, chassis and suspension. In developing the new bikes, the manufacturer has exploited the full potential of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. In the quest for the best possible riding experience, they have made systematic use of the latest technologies and of experience derived from shipbuilding, vehicle manufacture and even aerospace. This has flowed into the latest motocross models to create an optimum mix of performance, power, durability and reliability.
After the disappointment of Jens Gettemann's challenge for the 2019 ADAC MX Masters title being cut short due to injury while leading the championship, there are justified hopes in the Kawasaki camp that the Greens are in with a real chance of winning the title in the 'Short Season' of 2020 to be contested on mainly sandy tracks. "Interestingly enough, we've only ever managed to be MX Masters runners-up," says Haufe with a shrug of the shoulders. One of the things he would like to see in the future is a German outdoor supercross series: "It would be a good way to fill the summer off-season and allow the teams to prepare for the SX Cup in the winter months." With Kawasaki's 'racing DNA', the Greens would certainly be an enthusiastic partner in such a series.
Info:
Web: www.kawasaki.de and www.kawasaki-racing.de
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KawasakiRacingDE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kawasakiracingde/
The history of Kawasaki
The history of Kawasaki is also featured at the Technik Museum Speyer, and a visit is well worthwhile. Here are some of the corporate milestones:
1896: Kawasaki Dockyard Co is founded; the first seagoing vessel - a cargo and passenger ship - is completed one year later
1907: Start of vehicle production; the first steam locomotive is completed in 1911
1918: Aeronautical construction gets underway; the first aeroplane is completed in 1922
1952: Design of first proprietary Kawasaki engine
1960: Kawasaki enters into partnership with motorcycle manufacturer Meguro, taking the company over in 1964; the first Kawasaki 500 Meguro K2 has its market launch in 1965
1968: Importer Detlef Louis starts selling Kawasaki motorcycles in Germany
1972: Launch of the Z1, the first mass-produced sports motorcycle with a four-cylinder engine
1973: Construction of water sports vehicles begins with a jet ski
1975: Kawasaki opens its own German sales office - Kawasaki Motoren GmbH; in 1977, the company acquires premises in Friedrichsdorf where it is still based to this day
1979: Construction of the first Kawasaki-built helicopter
1981: Market launch of the first Kawasaki-built ATV
1991: A Kawasaki tunnel boring machine is used in the construction of the Eurotunnel