A company with over 120 years of heritage, Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), encompasses manufacturing enterprises focusing on sea, land, air and even into deep space. Following the announcement of the creation of a new company within the Kawasaki group created to solely focus on the manufacture of motorcycles and stand-alone engines, Kawasaki Motors Ltd is now rolling out a new corporate identity which reflects both the heritage aspect of this global enterprise and to symbolise optimism of the future.

The River Mark – which is a stylised representation of the Japanese character meaning River – first appeared in the 1870’s at which time it was seen on the flags of ships owned by the Kawasaki Tsukiji Shipyard, the forerunner to Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Being formed by Shozo Kawasaki in 1878, the company first concentrated on ship building fulfilling the desire for Japan to export goods, and for the island nation to take its place on the international trading arena. With a solid reputation for marine innovation and construction quality, the ambitious company soon expanded into civil engineering, rolling stock and steam engine manufacture finally breaking the bounds of earth by creating its first aircraft.

At key points during the century plus evolution of this vast company with its global reach and reputation, the River Mark has been used, its application being restricted to Kawasaki’s most significant products of their time. In the modern era, the River Mark once more came to prominence as it appeared boldly on the cowlings of the unique to Kawasaki, Ninja H2 and Ninja H2R machines powered by their in-house designed and manufactured supercharged engines unveiled in 2015.Now, on 6 October 2021, Kawasaki has declared that the time is right to adopt the famous River Mark as its Corporate Identity symbol and for this simple yet effective round logo to be the main identifying symbol for the combined efforts of its many companies and their diverse products in both commercial and public consumer environments.

Commenting on the roll out of the new logo, Mr Masaya Tsuruno, Managing Director of Kawasaki Motors Europe said:

“The world has changed immeasurably in the century plus history of the Kawasaki company – none more so that in the past few years. As we roll out our new corporate identity with the River Mark at its core, we look to take a next, bold step in terms of technology and engineering as well as enhancing the lives of countless people around the world with a focus on sustainability and emerging green technologies. While some things change others remain constant such as our commitment to be the best in our chosen fields; the River Mark is a fitting symbol of this commitment.”

Kawasaki’s any roads Versys 1000 has successfully established a place for itself in the hearts of numerous riders in the past few years, and that success story looks set to continue in 2022 as Adventure Calls once more.

Appealing to truly ambitious riders who want to explore beyond the comfort and endurance limits of most machines, the Versys will be available in three versions for 2022. The SE model is the leader of the family featuring an enviable specification that includes a wide range of electronic rider aids and technical features as well as offering electronically damped front and rear suspension as standard. Featuring Showa’s advanced Skyhook suspension technology, the attitude of the SE is focussed on the machine staying in the same relative position as the road surface undulates with the suspension action absorbing the movement via constant adjustment thanks to its super-fast reaction speed.

As range partner, the SE is complemented by an S model that continues into 2022 offering the same rider aids as the SE yet relying on a more traditional non-electronically damped suspension set up. The list of rider aids that both machines feature is extensive including electronic cruise control, an IMU enhanced control package, traction control, power mode selection, integrated riding modes, an up/down quick shifter and an integrated ABS braking system.

From a chassis point of view, the S and SE also have full LED lighting including cornering lights, TFT meter panels with Bluetooth connectivity to the riders’ smartphone via the Kawasaki Rideology App and the convenience of a large windscreen and protective hand guards. Available with colour coded clean mount panniers plus a top case as accessory items, both the S and SE models will be available in a variety of Editions in 2022 ranging from Tourer to Grand Tourer.

Finally, completing the trio of Versys 1000 models available for the new season is a standard or “entry-level” version giving riders on a more limited budget an opportunity to discover why so many thousands of owners have such an affinity with the Versys concept.

Offering the same base specification as both S and SE models in terms of the engine and chassis, but without such items as  cornering lights,  TFT meter panel, integrated riding modes and highly durable paint of its siblings (or the SE electronically damped suspension), the standard machine does however offer the accessory option to add an up/down quick shifter, large windscreen, heated grips and hand guards plus the accessory pannier and top case luggage options common to the other machines in the 2022 Versys 1000 range. Standard, S and SE, for 2022 there truly is a Versys 1000 for every budget and every rider. 

Available from the end of January 2022, the colours and prices for all three editions will be: