Kawasaki Heavy Industries - Far More Than Just Motorcycles

When you think of the Big Four motorcycle manufacturers in Japan, you already know that they build a lot more than just bikes. Honda has parlayed its technical prowess and manufacturing skills into a hugely successful automobile business. Suzuki's automobile division is flourishing, with a growing model lineup helping to expand the brand's worldwide popularity (a Suzuki racing automobile broke the 13-year-old outright record for the legendary Pikes Peak Hill Climb in July). Although Yamaha dabbles in the car market—building self-developed V-8 engines for Swedish carmaker Volvo, while also assisting in the development of some Ford production auto powerplants—the company is mostly known for its very reputable musical instrument branch (its logo is three crossed tuning forks), plus a thriving consumer/commercial audio electronics wing.

The one Japanese motorcycle company that truly defines "big," however, doesn't even work with automobiles. A few knowledgeable enthusiasts may know that besides motorcycles, Kawasaki also has a hand in building ships and aircraft. But what very few really know is that Kawasaki is much, much more than that. In fact, the breadth of the company's surprisingly numerous and varied products—as well as the vast design and manufacturing resources responsible for building them—is far more expansive than even we were prepared for when SR was given the opportunity to visit some of parent corporation Kawasaki Heavy Industries' facilities in Japan. The company's engineering and manufacturing expertise is so far-reaching (on even a global scale), that it's a fair bet you have made use of that proficiency at one point or another in your life.

A Truly Massive Company
When a company posts overall sales of nearly $12 billion last year, it's pretty obvious that it isn't exactly your average operation. And Kawasaki most definitely isn't. Established way back in 1878 by founder Shozo Kawasaki, the company began as Kawasaki Tsukiji Shipyard in Tokyo, building Western-style steel ships to help feed the rapid industrialization of Japan. In the nearly 130 years since then, Kawasaki Heavy Industries has grown into a huge corporation divided into eight major subsidiaries: shipbuilding (constructing everything from gargantuan container ships to high-speed hydrofoil ferries to submarines to offshore structures and all types of marine machinery and equipment), rolling stock (building all manner of rail transportation machines, including the famed shinkansen "bullet train"), aerospace (responsible for development and manufacture of various aircraft components as well as complete machines, plus outer space systems), industrial equipment (this encompasses not only products such as robots and the various machinery and hydraulic equipment used in an industrial plant, but the actual design and construction of the plant itself), environment and recycling (industrial plants focused on renewable resources and environmental management, such as industrial waste recycling, water treatment and municipal refuse incineration), infrastructure (everything from heavy construction equipment to internal structural design of buildings) and last but not least, the consumer products division that builds the Kawasaki motorcycles and other motorized products that we've known the company for.

We were allowed to see a few portions of KHI's facilities that have never been open to the public—much less journalists—during our visit. While the enormous (more than 121 acres!) Akashi Works has previously accommodated journalists at its motorcycle assembly lines (which actually only make up a fraction of the whole facility; robotics and aircraft/marine turbine engine manufacturing comprise the majority), Kawasaki's famous Kobe Works shipyard in Kobe and its Hyogo Works rail machinery plant have granted scant few foreigners entry into their confines.

Far-Reaching Influence
Our first contact with a Kawasaki product ironically was on the overseas flight to Japan—the Boeing 747-400 we flew on was equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 series turbofan jet engines, of which Kawasaki's Aerospace division had a hand in designing. In fact, due to its expertise in turbine engine technology, Kawasaki has been heavily involved with the development and manufacture of the majority of commercial jet engines past and present, including the Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce engines used on many of the current Boeing and Airbus airliners. Kawasaki is also responsible for the production of the forward fuselage (as well as other components) of the upcoming Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the first commercial aircraft to employ extensive use of matrix composites in its construction.

Before our visit to the factories, we strolled through the newly opened Kawasaki Good Times World Museum in Kobe. Built as a showcase for the company's long history and impressive array of products and services, the museum also has a nice collection of historic Kawasaki motorcycles, including quite a few Grand Prix racing machines. There were many interesting company history details revealed at the museum that aren't commonly known. For instance, did you know that two of the tunnel boring machines responsible for digging the "Chunnel" (the 31.35-mile rail tunnel underneath the English Channel connecting the United Kingdom with France) were built by Kawasaki? Or that the first bullet train (with a top speed of 136 mph) was operational in '64? Or that the company built the world's largest "rock crusher" for diamond mining in '99? Or that, despite its expansive industrial complex, Kawasaki is also responsible for numerous wind, solar and biomass power generation systems in Japan and other countries?

On our way to the Akashi Works, we were driven across the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which—at a length of almost 2.5 miles—is the world's longest suspension bridge (meaning that the causeway is suspended or hung by cables like San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, instead of supported from below). Completed in '98, the $5 billion project was a collaboration of several companies, including Kawasaki's Infrastructure division. The 978-foot-tall support tower on the Awaji Island side was designed and built with the help of Kawasaki, with much of the raw steel materials supplied by the company as well. The fact that the bridge survived the catastrophic '95 Kobe earthquake virtually intact (although its span did increase by one meter) is a testament to its sound structural design. Many of the skyscrapers in Japanese cities have internal supporting structures designed by Kawasaki.

The Akashi, Kobe And Hyogo Works
In the motorcycle manufacture and assembly areas of the Akashi Works facility, we saw the usual assembly lines filled with all manner of bikes, using the now-accepted "JIT" (Just In Time) production method, which functions on the principle of only ordering and stocking parts for that day's scheduled production (in fact, delivery of many components at the receiving docks was on a tight 30-minute time schedule). This means the assembly lines aren't constrained to building one particular model for any period of time; only the parts required for each motorcycle are delivered, and they are brought up to the assembly lines in electronically tagged bins that prevent the wrong parts from being used. So a group of five Concours 14 sport-tourers in an assembly line may be followed by a dozen cruisers, with a few Z1000s and KLX enduros sprinkled in for good measure.

One interesting contradiction of sorts was that the assembly lines—including much of the engine and frame production facilities—were still completely human-operated. Although we've yet to see a motorcycle assembly line that isn't almost entirely human, Kawasaki is one of the pioneers in manufacturing robotics, and the Akashi Works houses most of the company's R&D departments in that field...yet there were hardly any robotic systems in sight. Kawasaki reps stated that although robotics are being studied, motorcycles require extremely detailed assembly in many areas, and the added flexibility demands of JIT production make it unfeasible at the moment. While watching a female assembly worker install rings on a piston, we could understand why; the finger dexterity she displayed while swiftly installing three rings (including the fragile three-piece oil control ring) in little more than five seconds was mesmerizing.

Before departing the Akashi Works, we were allowed to see the facility's own private motorcycle museum. Inside were many historic championship racing machines from Kawasaki's lengthy racing history, including the KZ1000-S1 that Eddie Lawson used to win the first of his two AMA Superbike titles, the ZX-7R that Scott Russell used to win the World Superbike Championship in '93, as well as the ultra-trick ZX-7R-based F1 machine that Russell and co-rider Aaron Slight used to win the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hour race that same year. Pristine examples of many landmark Kawasaki production bikes were also on display.

The Kobe Works shipyard was awe-inspiring mostly for the monstrous scale of its products, both externally and internally. We were first allowed to tour the crew's quarters, bridge and engine room of the nearly completed "Orient Phoenix" bulk carrier ship, a freighter that measures more than 118 feet wide and 623 feet long, capable of carrying 55,500 tons of cargo. The ship is powered by a gargantuan, six-cylinder, two-stroke diesel engine that cranks out about 10,000 horsepower at a sky-high 150 rpm (yes, one-five-zero).

We were able to get a better idea of a typical freighter engine's size when we walked through the Kobe Works' engine assembly area. In this huge building, a few engines were in various states of construction. The bigger ones, like the seven-cylinder unit at the front of the line, are about three or four stories tall; the "crankcase" is so huge that there is a normal-size door to allow maintenance access to each cylinder cavity, with ladder rungs welded to the inside walls. These enormous engines obviously cannot be installed in a ship ready to run; they are basically pre-assembled and test run in this building, then disassembled so that the parts can be hoisted into a ship's engine room for final assembly. On one wall was a poster showing the catalog of available engines; the top-of-the-line 12-cylinder unit is about five stories tall, has 98cm bores, weighs more than 2400 tons and puts out 100,000 horsepower.

We then walked through several other buildings where various engine components were being readied for assembly. A set of stainless steel pistons—each the size of a coffee table—sat next to a pallet of piston rings that looked like oversized metal hula hoops. Seven-foot-tall connecting rods were being fitted up to be magnafluxed to check for cracks and imperfections. A crankshaft the size of a small truck was sitting on a huge block stand, waiting to get its crank journals polished. And yet while the scale of components was huge, the attention to detail on the smallest areas was not overlooked; we saw one worker grinding off the burrs of what appeared to be one of the crank plain bearings that was about the size of a kitchen sink.

The Hyogo Works Rolling Stock railyard may not have been as dramatic as the Kobe shipyard, but it was still an interesting facility. Especially fascinating was the level of detail in the construction of the latest-generation shinkansen bullet train; for instance, the skin of the train is smoother than most aircraft, and the windows are painstakingly assembled as flush as possible with the rest of the body. The locomotive driver's room resembles an aircraft pilot's cockpit, with a huge array of instruments and dials on the dashboard.

Remember what we were saying about the chances of you having used some sort of Kawasaki product during your lifetime? If you live in New York City, Boston or Philadelphia, then it's likely a near certainty. That's because a large portion of the subway trains used in those cities are made by Kawasaki, manufactured at either the Hyogo Works or the company's U.S. assembly plants in Yonkers, NY or Lincoln, NE.

Autopolis, Kawasaki's New Test Track
We were given the opportunity to experience the shinkansen firsthand when we rode the high-speed train from Kobe down to Hakata in the southern area of Japan. If there's one word we could use to describe the bullet train, it would have to be smooth. Smooth as in aerodynamic; if you stand on the boarding platform when a shinkansen is passing through on the way to another station, you'll notice that even though the train passes by 20 feet away at more than 80 mph, there is literally no windblast. But it's also smooth as in overall ride; while riding along at the train's normal cruise speed, we looked out the window and figured that we were traveling at maybe 100 mph (and, truthfully, the train felt as if it were putting along at 40 mph, it was so quiet and smooth). A Kawasaki rep pulled out his GPS receiver, which showed that we were traveling at 176 mph!

Our trip south was to spend a couple of days at the Autopolis Circuit, a somewhat unknown racetrack built in the mountains north of Kumamoto in Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan. Originally constructed in 1990 as the brainchild of a wealthy Japanese businessman, the Autopolis Circuit was meant as his vision of a motor-racing retreat for Japan. Our first day was spent spectating at a round of the Japanese National Superbike championship, known as the All-Japan Championship Series. It was very entertaining and interesting to note the contrast with the AMA Superbike series here at home. For instance, the only real "factory" team is the Kawasaki Team Green squad; all other manufacturers are represented by basically privateer teams with factory equipment support. There isn't any confusion with racing categories; there is the "JSB1000" (Superbike) and "600 ST" (Supersport) classes, plus the GP 250 and 125 classes for the two-strokes and an exhibition "GP Mono" class using a 250cc four-stroke motocross engine in a 125 GP chassis. There is also a "pitlane walk" for spectators before the main Superbike and Supersport events, where the riders are required to sign autographs and interact with the crowd in front of their respective team's pit garage. And the race announcers do their best to make the races an event; each rider on the grid is introduced to the fans, with sound effects to add excitement for the crowd. Kawasaki even reserved a section of grandstands just for Kawasaki dealers and friends, giving everyone green racing team shirts and flags.

The Superbike main event was a nail-biter, with former WSB rider Akira Yanagawa leading much of the race on his Kawasaki, and the lead pack of six or seven riders never separated by more than a couple of seconds. Unfortunately for the home crowd, Yanagawa ended up a very close second at the finish.

The last day was spent riding various Kawasaki sportbikes around the incredibly beautiful and challenging racetrack. No need to expound on how fun that was.

So What Does This All Mean For You?
The overriding message that could be culled from this trip was that not only is Kawasaki capable of doing virtually anything it puts its mind to, but the company has the immense resources to do it. But for Kawasaki sportbike fans, there is one major plus: The acquisition of the Autopolis racing circuit as the company's own test track now gives the R&D; testing teams much more available real-world research time on the pavement (one senior Kawasaki rep alluded to the ZX-RR MotoGP bike's impressive performance strides in the past year as surely no accident). And Kawasaki's motorcycle division generated the largest profit percentage in the company last year, with actual revenue second only to the shipbuilding division; company reps were intimating that KHI sees the potential and will be devoting more resources to that part of the company in the future.

That future may be looking greener than ever.

The Weird Story Behind Kawasaki's Autopolis racing circuit
During Japan's "bubble" economic heyday of the late '80s, a Japanese businessman by the name of Tomonori Tsurumaki amassed a huge amount of wealth through real estate speculation. Like many wealthy Japanese at the time, Tsurumaki tried to drive up the historic artwork market by purchasing numerous works by van Gogh, Monet and Renoir, and he set a record by paying $51 million for a famous Picasso painting. However, Tsurumaki was also an auto-racing fanatic, and he decided to build a vast motorsports complex-including a Grand Prix-standard racing circuit-up in the mountains in a remote part of Japan. Named "Autopolis," Tsurumaki's somewhat warped vision was that the facility would be an escape from the burdened city life, and people would flock to sit in a hilltop retreat surrounded by forests and look at glorious works of art—while also watching motor races.

Built at the astronomical cost of $400 million, the facility is nestled in the mountains of the Aso Kujiyu National Park in the center of Kyushu, Japan's most southerly major island. The 2.94-mile main circuit was designed by former Honda F1 project leader Yoshitoshi Sakurai and includes a 1.0-mile kart track inside the main circuit, as well as state-of-the-art paddock and hospitality facilities-and even had a large, five-star hotel atop one of the hills overlooking the circuit; the facility was officially launched in '90, accompanied by much fanfare. The following year, Tsurumaki turned up at the Monaco Grand Prix in an attempt to convince F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to allow Autopolis to host an F1 race. However, the plan suffered a setback when the Autopolis circuit hosted a round of the FIA World Sportscar Championship and visitors reported that the track location was so remote that hotels were hours away and there was no way it could host an F1 event.

Then the Japanese economy tanked, and Tsurumaki was ignominiously forced into bankruptcy in '91 (and eventually trouble with the Japanese authorities for tax evasion). The circuit was handed over to Hazama, the construction company that built the facility, but its efforts to sell the property in a faltering economy were futile. Soon Hazama fell into financial straights, and the racetrack sat unused for almost 15 years.

Finally in '05, the banks that held the facility were eager to get a non-performing asset off their hands and sent out feelers to see if anyone would be interested. Kawasaki saw a nice opportunity to have an excellent test track with superb support facilities, so it ended up buying Autopolis in 2008...for the fire-sale price of $8.5 million. After some renovation (the hotel had sat unused for so many years that weeds were growing inside the rooms, so Kawasaki razed it), the Kawasaki-owned circuit now hosts a round of the All-Japan Superbike Championship, as well as numerous national auto races, and automaker Toyota rents the racetrack for test use as well. The circuit is easily one of the best in the world, but unfortunately its remote mountain location will probably prevent it from hosting world championship events.