Kawasaki assembled In America and Parts for them.

My bike was assembled in Lincoln, Nebraska.

My question is as follows.

Were the parts used to assemble the bikes in Lincoln all exported from Japan?

or were there American manufactures of parts that made it onto these bikes?

Thanks, Spencer

Here's what I was told back in the day; I don't know if it is 100% factual -

The parts were all shipped in from Japan. The reason they shipped the parts and assembled them in the USA was that good old Uncle Sam, in order to protect Harley Davidson, had bumped way up the import tariff on Motorcycles. The tariff was not so steep for motorcycle parts, so Kawasaki shipped in bike components and had them assembled here to keep the price within reason. A side benefit was that it employed US workers. Ed

I know for years when the Lincoln plant first opened, all the motors were imported from Japan.

Kawasaki did not trust round eyes assembling motors.

I know they painted the side covers, and tail sections here.

Thats how you spotted a U.S. made bike from the ones build in Japan. On the U.S. made '76 KZ900's, the plastic tail sections, and side covers were miles different in color and the gloss on the clear coat from color and finish on the fuel tank.

The Japanese made bikes, the color and finish on ALL the bodywork was the same!!!

next time you have your inner rear fender out, see where it's made.

Les

Dr. Gamma wrote: I know for years when the Lincoln plant first opened, all the motors were imported from Japan.

Kawasaki did not trust round eyes assembling motors.

And that practice continues today.

.

Much of what is currently sold in North America, particulary smaller bore bikes, may have parts made in Thailand

650ed wrote: Here's what I was told back in the day; I don't know if it is 100% factual -

The parts were all shipped in from Japan. The reason they shipped the parts and assembled them in the USA was that good old Uncle Sam, in order to protect Harley Davidson, had bumped way up the import tariff on Motorcycles. The tariff was not so steep for motorcycle parts, so Kawasaki shipped in bike components and had them assembled here to keep the price within reason. A side benefit was that it employed US workers. Ed

Tariff began 1 April 1983 and ended in 1987 (a year early at Harley's request), so I don't see how that had anything to do with it.

Thank you for correcting my information. As I said, I didn't know if it was 100% factual. Apparently the tariff applied to later imports. Here's some additional info I just found at:
www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa032.html .
I'm amazed that the tariff went as high as 49.4%. Yikes! Ed

"In September of 1982, Harley-Davidson petitioned the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) for relief from the importation of heavyweight motorcycles and power-train subassemblies (an engine part). The petition was filed under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, known as the "Escape Clause," which allows an industry to request import relief from foreign competition when increasing imports are causing or threatening serious injury to the domestic industry. In these cases, the ITC investigates the claim and then reports to the president. If the finding is affirmative, the executive branch examines the matter and the president makes a decision within 60 days.

After its hearing on November 30, 1982, the ITC found that Harley-Davidson made up 75 percent of the American motorcycle industry (as measured in terms of capital and labor). The rest of the industry is composed of one Honda plant and one Kawasaki plant. On January 19, 1983, the ITC concluded by a vote of two to one that imports of heavyweight cycles, but not power-train subassemblies, posed a substantial threat to the American motorcycle industry.[14]

To provide relief, the ITC recommended the following five-year tariff plan for heavyweight motorcycles: Raise the current tariff of 4.4 percent to 49.4 percent and keep it there for a year; lower the rate to 39.4 percent in the second year, to 24.4 percent in the third year, to 19.4 percent in the fourth year, and to 14.4 percent in the fifth year. After the fifth year the tariff is to return to 4.4 percent.

On April 1, 1983, President Reagan adopted the ITC recommendation, with minor alterations. Appended were provisions to lessen the impact of the federal relief on small foreign suppliers. The order allows 5,000 West German motorcycles each year to come in without duty increases, with the allowance rising to 6,000 in the second year, 7,000 in the third year, 8,500 in the fourth year, and 10,000 in the fifth year. It also allows 4,000 units from Britain and Italy to come in at the old rate (increasing by 1,000 units annually for five years). Japan is to be permitted to send 6,000 units (increasing by 1,000 units annually) to the United States at the old duty. In 1982, 80 percent of the imported heavyweight motorcycles were Japanese. With the provisions that were added to the ITC plan, the tariff affects trade with the Japanese companies almost exclusively."

The tariff is the reason we had so many 700 cc offerings in those years.
Wayne

My 76 A4 has some early Z1 pieces. The front frame brace, the five piece horn bracket, and some more that I have forgot.
You can look inside the side covers and some are Made in USA and some Japan.

650ed wrote: Thank you for correcting my information. As I said, I didn't know if it was 100% factual. Apparently the tariff applied to later imports. Here's some additional info I just found at:
www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa032.html .
I'm amazed that the tariff went as high as 49.4%. Yikes! Ed

"In September of 1982, Harley-Davidson petitioned the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) for relief from the importation of heavyweight motorcycles and power-train subassemblies (an engine part). The petition was filed under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, known as the "Escape Clause," which allows an industry to request import relief from foreign competition when increasing imports are causing or threatening serious injury to the domestic industry. In these cases, the ITC investigates the claim and then reports to the president. If the finding is affirmative, the executive branch examines the matter and the president makes a decision within 60 days.

After its hearing on November 30, 1982, the ITC found that Harley-Davidson made up 75 percent of the American motorcycle industry (as measured in terms of capital and labor). The rest of the industry is composed of one Honda plant and one Kawasaki plant. On January 19, 1983, the ITC concluded by a vote of two to one that imports of heavyweight cycles, but not power-train subassemblies, posed a substantial threat to the American motorcycle industry.[14]

To provide relief, the ITC recommended the following five-year tariff plan for heavyweight motorcycles: Raise the current tariff of 4.4 percent to 49.4 percent and keep it there for a year; lower the rate to 39.4 percent in the second year, to 24.4 percent in the third year, to 19.4 percent in the fourth year, and to 14.4 percent in the fifth year. After the fifth year the tariff is to return to 4.4 percent.

On April 1, 1983, President Reagan adopted the ITC recommendation, with minor alterations. Appended were provisions to lessen the impact of the federal relief on small foreign suppliers. The order allows 5,000 West German motorcycles each year to come in without duty increases, with the allowance rising to 6,000 in the second year, 7,000 in the third year, 8,500 in the fourth year, and 10,000 in the fifth year. It also allows 4,000 units from Britain and Italy to come in at the old rate (increasing by 1,000 units annually for five years). Japan is to be permitted to send 6,000 units (increasing by 1,000 units annually) to the United States at the old duty. In 1982, 80 percent of the imported heavyweight motorcycles were Japanese. With the provisions that were added to the ITC plan, the tariff affects trade with the Japanese companies almost exclusively."

To bad it hasn't been applied in recent history in other industries.


.

650ed wrote: "

That's the same link I went to and verified the dates (My memory is not what it once was), explains it well.