Kawasaki Heavy Industries

I know a little about  Kawasaki Heavy Industries, but not much. I'm thinking that a thread about the history of Kawasaki Heavy Industries might be interesting.

I know that Kawasaki purchased Megaru (SP?) sometime in the '50s. Megaru had made a deal with Birmingham Small Arms to license a copy of the BSA A7 which was a 500 CC vertical twin. It was a pre-unit model with a primary chain that was adjusted by moving the transmission, almost sounds American.
Megaru upped the displacement to 624 CCs and marketed these bikes as the "W" series.
The W1 came to America in 1967 as the W1. However they were down on horse power when compared to the rest of the market. I'm thinkin Triumph and BSA 650s still dominated, in that market. Harleys, of course, but they were in a class of their own.
In 1968 Kawasaki added a second carb and called it a W2. Unfortunately the bike's reputation was too far gone. I believe there were still some W2s imported to the USA in 1969 but that was the end of it.
I have no information of what other product lines Megaru might have offered but Kawasaki kept the "W" series going until at least 1974. I know that because I own a ready to ride 1974 W3.
www.kz1300.com/kz1300-photo-gallery/kzqs...-20131024-1572678120
Please do add what you know about the history of KHI, or link other sources as appropriate.
Thanks
Bill

I do not claim any special knowledge re KHI, but a quick search on line produced several different sites with info on it,  I do have this pdf (not sure where it came from) but it has some more info about it.

Meguro.  www.oldjapanesebikes.com/other_jdm_machines/page-67 . Z97 motorcycle is mentioned. never heard of it before.

Only tangentially related, but I do own stock in KHI...doesn't mean much but I am an owner of KHI 

This link goes to a page on the Kawasaki global site that has a date list of what it considers important events/milestones etc about the KHI and motorcycles.

www.global-kawasaki-motors.com/en/history/

 

Thanks Folks,
I can see this thread becoming the basis of a first version of an article.
Thank you, Let's keep it going.
Bill

AFAIK. Kawasaki built the first motorcycle assembly plant in the US. not sure if they were the first Japanese factory overall.  some internet pages say Honda built the first assembly plant. which is false. afaik. since the dates mentioned are after 1974.

They certainly seem to be gearing up for the future.

Heavy Industries had a major part in the engine and supercharger design for the H2R.

All I know is that my Sony record player had an electrical plug that said Kawasaki heavy Ind on it which I bought In HongKong in the early 70's along with other stereo equipment.

The biology lab at my high school had Kawasaki microscopes. Late 1960s - early 1970s.

I know this forum interest is only in Motorcycles, but would like mentioning as trivia, that "Power sport and Engine", ...the Kawasaki segment which includes motorcycles,...... is only about 34% of what Kawasaki Heavy Industries covers. 

........the bulk goes into earth moving equipment, bullet trains, helicopters, jet engines, ship building,.........and god knows what else.