Kawi chosen as Vintage Motorcycle Days’ Marque of the Year
Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. has been selected as the 2011 AMA Vintage Motorcycles Days Marque of the Year, the American Motorcyclist Association announced.
Kawasaki is being honored for its leadership in the motorcycle performance category in the United States for 45 years, as well as for its numerous AMA racing championships.
“Kawasaki put the ‘Good Times’ in motorcycling from the very beginning and has become a world icon,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said in a press release. “We are really pleased that attendees at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days will see firsthand the company and the people that brought us incredible machines like the Samurai and Avenger models, then the Mach III triple and the 900cc Z-1, all the way to today’s Ninjas, Concours 1400s and Vulcans.”
The company will host a “Kawasaki City” at the Vintage Motorcycle Days July 22-24 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Attendees will see exhibits of groundbreaking models, including the 500cc Mach III triple and the 900cc Z-1, as well as a showcase of the Team Green amateur racing program. Licensed riders will have a chance to demo current Kawi models, and Kawasaki riders attending the event will have a special Kawasaki-only parking area and will be given an opportunity to participate in a special lap around the Mid-Ohio track.
“This event is one of the industry’s best opportunities for a brand to cement its historical relevance with the motorcycling community, and Kawasaki is honored to be able to build a performance bridge between its early days and the present,” Chris Brull, Kawasaki’s director of marketing communications, said in the AMA release.
Winners of restored, classic Z1 and a new Z1000 will also be announced at the event. Raffle tickets for those drawings are available for a $5 donation to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame by contacting 614/856-2222 or at the website www.motorcyclemuseum.org.
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, which benefits the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, is a celebration of motorcycle heritage. Tickets for the event are available at www.midohio.com, and information about competing in vintage races is available at www.amavintagemotorcycledays.com/racing.
