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A Glimpse Into The Future For Kawasaki

A Kawasaki H2 with a helmet sitting on top

Kawasaki Heavy Industries is planning a squeaky entry when it comes to future plans – and they don’t like to put all their eggs in one basket. 

According to a report from RideApart, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the parent company of Kawasaki Motorcycles, has just laid out a plan on how to tackle the next handful of years.

This has come hot on the heels of the fact that Kawasaki plans on spinning off into a more seamless integration of industrial ventures with Kawasaki Motors Ltd. by October of this year (for more information on this, head over to the following WebBikeWorld article).

The meeting was due in part to unprecedented times creating a sharp decline in motorcycle sales for Japan’s motorcycle manufacturer, causing the company to lean more into shipping and offshore structures, as well as plant engineering businesses and energy systems.

Hiroya Kawasaki, president and chief executive officer of Kobe Steel Ltd., bows as he leaves a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, Friday,

In the meeting, Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) noted that Kawasaki bikes larger than 401cc have increased in sales by 80% since 2017.

By contrast, the percentage of tweens taking up the Kawaii throttle has increased by 60 percent – a great improvement for the Japanese company since targeting the interest of the younger generation has been a major priority. 

Hiroya Kawasaki, president and chief executive officer of Kobe Steel Ltd., bows as he leaves a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, Friday,

Regarding motors on more than two wheels, KHI has also seen sky-high numbers in the sales of off-road vehicles. For this reason, Kawasaki has teamed up with Kymco, a Taiwanese motorcycle and scooter manufacturer, to bump up sales in the four-wheeler market and continue the company’s work in the evolution of hydrogen power for all motors. 

KHI eventually intends this environmentally-friendly power to create a sustainable source for everything from motorcycles to marine and aircraft.

The Kobe Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation

In a statement of the meeting, Kawasaki says, “in consideration of changes in the social environment, we will accelerate the development of electric motors, hybrids, and hydrogen fuel handling and strengthen cooperation within the industry.”  

As it currently stands, KHI has released nothing more concrete to the populace than the firm date of the creation of Kawasaki Motors Ltd, October 21, 2021. 

Time will tell whether the plans of such an industrial giant are realized in a timely fashion, but I have hopes that the transition to cleaner energy sources will be relatively smooth.