In 1960 Kawasaki began producing motorcycles as a subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which manufactures trains and ships. The company was originally founded in Japan by Shozo Kawasaki in 1896. For more than four decades Kawasaki Motorcycles have produced a selection of bikes ranging from their original two-strokes models built during the 1960's and early 1970's to its current four-strokes line.