Is it true that Kawasakis are American made motorcycles?

[StarGate]

Yea my gf bought one of the last AMF 1000 sportsters made (I think it was last year) back in 80 or 81. We got married later and she quit riding so I had to ride it once a month to keep it in running shape till it sold. What a piece of crap. One day I was taking it out for a couple of mile run and I hear this clanging noise. I looked down only to see the kickstand passing me as it scooted down the road.

[apbling]

I got a good one. Just hours before I blew my 550 I took a HD VROD muscle for a test ride.... it literally fired on one cylinder for about 1 mile before firing on two. brand new bike with 9 miles on it was missing.... and they want 16k for it. not to mention it sounded like a 18 HP briggs and straton when I really got on it...

[vinnye]

In the late 1980's Kawasaki had some of the Eliminator models- Zl900 and ZL1000's made in Nebraska - If I am not mistaken!

[zlMark]

Originally Posted by StarGate

Here is a little of the info Jeff has posted about the Nebraska plant.

I''ll have to search that thread out and read more. I notice that the zl's were produced with the same numbers, 5xxxxx, or 1xxxxx. Might be the "Euro" model zl in this instance that were built in Japan. I would love to get a hold of someone who could check with Kawasaki Japan for NOS ZL900/1000 parts.

Originally Posted by zoro

Heres some trivia the "Hardley" riders hate to hear. That while Kawasaki was building the worlds #1 selling bike in Nebraska, Hardley Davidsons were being built in Japan for the AMF corperation.

Best thing I've read all week!

Originally Posted by vinnye

In the late 1980's Kawasaki had some of the Eliminator models- Zl900 and ZL1000's made in Nebraska - If I am not mistaken!

Vinny,, I do beleive,, you are not mistaken

[W-P Bill]

Originally Posted by zoro

Heres some trivia the "Hardley" riders hate to hear. That while Kawasaki was building the worlds #1 selling bike in Nebraska, Hardley Davidsons were being built in Japan for the AMF corperation.

Talking swankily, I beg to differ.

Harleys were produced (under license) in Japan from 1932 to 1962 by Sankyo Corporation under the brand name of Rikuo (Land King).

Small bikes, 125 and 250cc, were made by Ameracchi of Italy and sold under the HD name during the AMF years.

HD did start sourcing a lot of their parts from Japan during the AMF years, however.

As far as I can tell, HD never produced whole motorcycles in Japan during the AMF years. Growing up a motorcycle buff in Japan during that timeframe, I probably would have picked up on that. I just did a pretty good internet search in Japanese just to check, all references to Harley and Japan production lead to the Sankyo/Rikuo bikes. No mention of HD's being made in Japan during the AMF years, or any other years for that matter.

If you have a source, I'd like to see it. Definitely an interesting subject. Seeing as how I'm here in a Kawi forum, you can probably tell I'm not exactly the stereotypical "Harley faithful." Even though I have a Harley myself, I've a few witty and insulting repostes prepared just in case some HD logo'ed pirate sees me riding my Z1 and tells me to get a "real bike."

[StarGate]

I've never really read anything on where the AMF HD's were built, but I know the sportster my wife owned had the normal tank badge then right below it was a smaller AMF logo.

[zoro]

Originally Posted by StarGate

I've never really read anything on where the AMF HD's were built, but I know the sportster my wife owned had the normal tank badge then right below it was a smaller AMF logo.

My first bike was a bright yellow 125cc 2-stroke Harley Daividson "Scrambler" (early seventies). It sported a logo of an Italian flag and "MADE IN ITALY" on the rear fender. My brothers and I stripped all the electrical off of it,put an MX expansion chamber on it,number placards and raced 1/4 mi. dirt flat track with it in Riverside,Mo. Wow, thats been a minute ago...LOL.

[kawpaul]

Originally Posted by apbling

I got a good one. Just hours before I blew my 550 I took a HD VROD muscle for a test ride.... it literally fired on one cylinder for about 1 mile before firing on two. brand new bike with 9 miles on it was missing.... and they want 16k for it. not to mention it sounded like a 18 HP briggs and straton when I really got on it...

The engine on the VRod is Porsche built.

[suzy1052]

Original 900 Ninja was built in Lincoln.Local dealer here in Des Moines usually has a Kawasaki Factory Tour ride about this time of year.

[V2K_CCTX]

Originally Posted by RichLockyer

Ya, but even Harley riders don't consider AMF-Harleys to be "real" Harleys.

yes but you got a free pair of bowling shoes with every purchase

[W-P Bill]

Originally Posted by RichLockyer

Ya, but even Harley riders don't consider AMF-Harleys to be "real" Harleys.

Yup, they are usually referred to as "Bowling Ball Twins."

In the later AMF years, work quality was so horrible a lot of shops would have to tear down and rebuild the bikes before they could be sold. Supposedly, there were even instances of deliberate sabotage by HD line workers.

Any BBT still on the road (such as the one I own) has been extensively reworked/repaired and are usually stone cold reliable. But the credit for such reliability rightfully goes to PO's and bike shops across the nation.

[zoro]

Hey man,Evil Knievel rode a "Jap Bike" Too....LOL!

[kopcicle]

FYI
All KZ1000 Police models sold in the us after 1982 were assembled in Lincoln . Says so right on the frame sticky . I've heard that they were also built in Japan for other markets under license from Kawi America! If true , how's that for a switch ...

~kop

[StarGate]

Originally Posted by W-P Bill

Yup, they are usually referred to as "Bowling Ball Twins."

The 6/10 split, nobody wants it.

[madkaw81]

Originally Posted by V2K_CCTX

yes but you got a free pair of bowling shoes with every purchase

Originally Posted by StarGate

The 6/10 split, nobody wants it.

That's funny stuff right there.

The first Harley I ever rode was an AMF Sportster. It took me years to get over the experience.

And, FWIW Porsche provided some design assistance (mainly in cylinder head and combustion chamber design) for the V-Rod engine. They didn't build them.

[zoro]

Originally Posted by madkaw81

That's funny stuff right there.

The first Harley I ever rode was an AMF Sportster. It took me years to get over the experience.

And, FWIW Porsche provided some design assistance (mainly in cylinder head and combustion chamber design) for the V-Rod engine. They didn't build them.

Correctamundo! Not to sure of all the engineering involvement, but the V-Rod engines are or "were" assembled in the Kansas City plant until this month as layoffs took effect last week. My daughter painted the V-Rods,Buells and various Screaming Eagles until last week, production has temporarily been stopped due to lagging sales and slow economic recovery. I reveled in the opportunity to give her a ride to or from work as there were several opportunities to blow away those $25,000-$30,000 bikes with a 30 year old Jap bike.....I loved it!

[apbling]

I just don't understand how Harley gets away with charging that much for a bike... You can buy a brand new pickup truck for that. I have a hard time buying bikes over $500 ...speaking of which, I think there is a great deal on a '79 1000 st.... 1979 Kawasaki KZ 1000 St Shaft Drive I'd go look at it, but the wife wouldn't be too happy.

[steell]

It's real simple, people want to go riding with their buddies from work or where ever, and their buddies ride Harleys, so they buy one to fit in.

Nothing wrong with it, that's just the way things work.

I'm a $500 bike man myself

[suzy1052]

I came close to buying a Harley branded bag of coffee beans at the local dealer one time.

[RichLockyer]

Originally Posted by apbling

I just don't understand how Harley gets away with charging that much for a bike...

They don't charge "that much" when you consider what you're getting.

Ignoring the CVO models (which have no metric comparison other than the Victory Ness series), their prices range from around $9,000 to around $22,000.
The Kawi Voyager with ABS is going to cost you at least $20k out the door, so it's only about 10-15% cheaper than a comparable Harley.

People get a hair up their butt when they look at the price of a CVO Electra Glide Ultra ($35k+) and compare it to a midsize metric like the 900 Custom.
Compare apples to apples. Kawi Nomad = Road King. Kawi 1600 compares most closely to the Fat Boy.
Harley's really got no comparison for the 800/900 class cruisers other than the Sporty.