Kawasaki files trademark application for 'Meguro' in global markets

31/01/2019 - 18:53 Kawasaki W800, Kawasaki Z900 RS, Kawasaki Suvil Susvirkar

Kawasaki plans to extend its neo-classic portfolio as the Japanese two-wheeler brand has filed trademark applications for ‘Meguro’ in USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.

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While Meguro Manufacturing Co motorcycle works started manufacturing bikes in 1937, it had started business operations much before. Meguro used the Wall Street Crash as an opportunity to invest in American two-wheeler brand, Harley-Davidson to acquire its technologies.

Meguro went on to supply the Japanese government with military and police motorcycles. The company also went racing alongside Honda. However, poor sales of lightweight motorcycles and a yearlong labour strike resulted in the company filing bankruptcy. In 1960, Kawasaki acquired the company, following which it introduced the B8 125 cc under the Kawasaki-Meguro banner in 1962. Kawasaki-Meguro created several other models thereafter.

Details of the resurrection are scarce and we are not sure whether Kawasaki will introduce a retro-style product as the Meguro or a new range under a sub-brand.

Retro-style motorcycles are back in demand as manufacturers are introducing models that draw styling cues from the yesteryear with modern technology. Kawasaki sells the Z900RS and the W800 while Honda recently gave its CB1000R a Neo Sports Cafe theme. Yamaha too introduced the XSR range while Suzuki brought back the Katana brand at the 2018 EICMA motorcycle show.

In more updates from Kawasaki, the locally assembled Ninja 300 has been delivering positive result for the Japanese two-wheeler brand in India. The Ninja 300 is priced at INR 2.98 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). In comparison, the CBU model of the motorcycle without ABS was sold at INR 3.60 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The motorcycle comes in lime green/ebony and candy plasma blue colour options. Localisation also resulted in a heavy drop in the prices of the spares.