Kawasaki Motorcycle Insurance

A brief history of Kawasaki motorcycles

Kawasaki Heavy Industries started life back in 1896 under the guiding arm of Shozo Kawasaki. His expertise in heavy engineering (ships, trains, and later, power stations) led to Kawasaki becoming one of the chief industrial players in Japan.

Kawasaki produced its first motorcycle engine in 1953, a small capacity 4-stroke unit, and then only produced small scooters. Motorcycle production under the Kawasaki banner didn’t happen until 1961 when Kawasaki Aircraft Co. took full control of ailing Japanese motorcycle producer Meguro Motorcycles.

From this merger, Kawasaki unveiled a 250cc single-cylinder machine and a 496cc twin. A 125cc two-stroke soon followed and the now legendary 250cc two-stroke Samurai, which set the world alight with its acceleration and light weight.

The next biggest event was the W1, a twin-cylinder four-stroke modelled on Britain’s BSA A10.

A series of two-stroke, triple-cylinder bikes put Kawasaki firmly on the motorcycling map. The first, in 1968, was the 500cc H1 (500SS Mach III). A powerful beast, but the engine performance highlighted poor chassis design to make it a fearsome creature to ride. Then followed the 750cc H2 Mach IV and a series of S1 250cc and S2 350cc machines. Their racing equivalents were devastatingly quick and successful.

In answer to Honda’s CB750, Kawasaki rolled out its first double overhead-cam inline four-cylinder machine, the 900cc Z1, in 1970. Kawasaki’s reputation for building the fastest bikes went stratospheric with this bike and the Z1000 series that followed.

Kawasaki’s range of four-stroke bikes over the years has been ground-breaking. Its six-cylinder, water-cooled Z1300 was an engineering masterpiece, as was the 1984 GPZ900R, the first production bike capable of hitting a true 155mph in standard trim.

Never a company to rest on its laurels, Kawasaki set the biking world on fire in 2015 with the launch of the supercharged Ninja H2 and track-only H2R.

While sports machines have been the main stay of Kawasaki’s range, its custom cruiser and naked sports range are immensely popular too.

Kawasaki’s range of motorcycles

• 125cc

  Two learner legal bikes feature in Kawasaki Motors UK’s present line-up: the naked Z125 and fully faired Ninja 125.  
  
  

• Adventure/dual purpose

  Kawasaki's road-biased adventure-themed bikes are the 650 Versys/650 Versys Tourer/Grand Tourer, complete with panniers and the newly refreshed Versys 1000/SE which has received rave reviews for comfort, practicality and affordability.
  
  

• Sport
  Fashioned for supersport and superbike racing, the Ninja ZX-6R (600cc) and ZX-10R (1,000cc) are perfect examples of Kawasaki’s reputation for “bullet-proof” and fast motorcycles.
  
  

• Street sport/Naked

  The Z900 and Z H2 naked sports bikes are rightly known for performance and exhilaration, while the middleweight Z650 and Z650RS are practical everyday bikes and steppingstones to the larger classes. The retro W800 is a wire-wheeled nod to the original Kawasaki W1.
   

• Custom

  Kawasaki custom bikes have a massive following in America and the versatility and easy-going nature of the Vulcan and Vulcan S bikes are quickly growing a following of loyal riders in Europe.
  
  

• Sport tourer/HyperSports

  Kawasaki’s Ninja H2 SX/SE is the two-wheeled equivalent of the Japanese Bullet train – fast. Extremely fast. The Ninja 1000SX is a super smooth touring machine built also for maximum comfort and fuss-free riding.

How Bennetts provide insurance for Kawasaki owners

Kawasaki has a very wide and diverse range of motorcycles, all geared to meet the many and varied needs of prospective new owners. With this in mind, we can call upon our leading insurance underwriters to get the right deal for you.

We also know that second-hand Kawasaki machines are very much in demand. Therefore, we can also use our extensive knowledge of over 90 years' experience to find our best competitive Kawasaki motorcycle insurance quote for whatever second-hand Kawasaki motorcycle you buy.

How to get a quote for your Kawasaki motorcycle

Getting an insurance quote is easy with Bennetts. We search our panel of insurers to find you our best price for the cover you need.

Simply complete our online form or contact our dedicated customer service team by visiting Contact Us.

Sources of interest for Kawasaki owners and fans

www.kawasaki.co.uk – the UK Kawasaki distributor’s site with details of all new Kawasaki models, accessories, events, racing programme, dealer search and more.

www.club-kawasaki.co.uk – Club Kawasaki is the font of all things Kawasaki for UK ‘Big K’ owners and supporters.