redelk
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posted October 16, 2001 10:01 PM
Press Releases on KHI/Suzuki merger
There's a press release on their KMC's website that reads...
Kawasaki & Suzuki Announce Alliance
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Suzuki Motor Corporation have agreed to join forces in the development, procurement and production of motorcycles and ATVs.
The alliance is expected to strengthen the companies' global motorcycle and ATV businesses through combining resources. It will allow production of more new and improved models for our customers at competitive prices.
Kawasaki and Suzuki will each continue to maintain their own brands, completely separate and independent from each other. We will each market and sell only our own brand motorcycles and ATVs through our respective dealer networks.
The companies will begin utilizing each others' expertise for cruiser, scooter, motocross and ATV models. Each company will continue its independent development of large displacement sport bikes.
Kawasaki feels that through this alliance we will be able to better meet the varying needs and expectations of our customers and more strongly compete in the global motorcycle and ATV industries.
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
On Kawasaki Heavy Industries site, it goes like this...
13.September 2001
KAWASAKI AND SUZUKI ANNOUNCE BREAKTHROUGH ALLIANCE
Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (KHI) and Suzuki Motor Corp., the Japan-based manufacturers of various types of vehicles, announced a unique alliance that will see the two companies join forces in the areas of product development, parts procurement, and production of motorcycles and all terrain vehicles (ATVs).
Similar to the business model that has been widely adopted in the automobile industry, the alliance allows the two brands to cooperate in various early-stage research and development activities while maintaining complete independence in the distribution and marketing of their own models.
According to Masamoto Tazaki, KHI president, the joint product planning effort will initially be evident in the marketplace with the 2003 model year.
The joint arrangement calls for supplying OEM products, sharing and purchasing of parts, and seeking long-term production efficiencies that will support the common goal of increased profitability. The two companies will share certain technical resources and new product development will benefit from shared functional components.
BTW - This is what KHI said about GP racing...
1.October 2001
We will be racing in Grand Prix!
Beginning in 2003 Kawasaki will be racing a 4-stroke GP machine in Grand Prix road racing.
Details of this ground-breaking machine will be released at a later date, so, please stay tuned. This important move is in line with our company-wide slogan: "Having The Spirit of Challenge."
This spirit of challenge is embodied in all Kawasaki products- in the quality we strive for, in new technologies and, ultimately, in the machines we offer to our customers.
Man! Those japanese can't write a press release worth a shit!
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
   
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Big_Zx12r
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posted October 16, 2001 10:07 PM
I hear ya Red! i work for a japanese based company and let me tell ya...I had to decypher this stuff all day! I started actually getting good at it! So if ya need a translator, just let me know! I'll see if I still have the touch! 
-Big Zx12r
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saltire
Parking Attendant
Posts: 24
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posted October 17, 2001 12:40 AM
The big k might get some tips from Suzuki on how to set up fuel inj and save folks a few bucks on pwr commanders just to get the inj to run smooth.
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CrotchRocket
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Bracket Racing with Betsy
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posted October 17, 2001 07:48 PM
I guess they wont be making a BigDog bike with the best of the 12 and Busa... 
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Jason Miller StreetBike Seminars
*****DragRacers do it better, because they dont cut Corners*****
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FuckMeRunnin
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posted October 18, 2001 06:34 AM
I wish they would come out with a ZX-10 already.
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"What happens if you get scared 1/2 to death twice?"
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Ninjaman12R
Needs a job
as a Deal's Gap tour guide.
Posts: 4767
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posted October 18, 2001 06:45 AM
quote:
I wish they would come out with a ZX-10 already.
Yeah me too. I'd like to see something kick that gixxer's ass. I'm just a Kaw rider @ heart, never been much of a suzuki fan even though they have always put out awesome bikes. Their engines have always been impressive.
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What we're dealin' with here is a complete lack of respect for the law.
Sheriff Buford T. Justice of TEXAS
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redelk
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posted October 18, 2001 07:57 AM
Though press releases always tend to be rather vague and paint a "happy face", 9 times out of 10, they also cause confusion to those most affected by it. It seems that in this case, it's the dealers and the faithful consumers.
Since the KHI's Consumer Products Division is hardly a blip on their annual report's bottom line, their stock holders are probably the only ones that are not concerned. Compound this with the cancellation of the KMC Dealers Meeting (Suzuki cancelled theirs too) and it's bound to cause some to worry.
Even my dealer thought there was a slight possibility of this "merger" becomings something like a Chevrolet/Pontiac deal where KHI cas going to eventually sell of the whole CP division.
With the global economy's effect on businesses in heavy industry, his thinking would not be that hard to understand. It's just that due to the unclear nature of the press releases and the failure to get clear information to the individual dealers in a timly fashion, we end up with the "doubt" now present.
Often it does take someone from the outside (i.e. John) to simplify things. Kinda like the Anthrax scare. Yes, Anthrax can be deadly, but so can Lyme disease and even the common cold. Between the 3 of them, which one kills more people and which one are you most likely to get?
Anyway, hidden in all the PR mumbo jumbo of these releases is a simpler meaning. When you think about it, there already is several components that are shared on both manufacturers' bikes, jetski and ATVs.
Basic items such, as electronic controls that range from turn signal switches to CDI units, could very well be coming from the same vendor and there would be no difference in the designs or applications of these components. Even something like a shift lever could be very common in both lines of bikes.
Now, if the two of them get together and design a turn signal, high beam and horn switch housing that is universal, they will save millions of dollars. Even if they did not place their orders for this housing jointly, the fact that the housing is the same for both manufacturers allows the vendor to reduce the price of these housings.
Go out an take the fairings off your bike. Then start to closely examine all the parts that look like they could just as easily find on a Hayabusa. Seeing how the cruiser, motocross, jetski and ATVs have many more common parts the share then the sportbikes do, it only makes sense that the join together to simplify their basic parts design.
Right now, the way the design parts is very similar to the US government's $400 hammers. Many were outraged over these hammers, yet few bothered to figure out why they cost so much. Any of you that deal with government contracts know exactly why.
The request for bid on the hammers did not read "hammers". They were "hand held nail insertion devices". Some yo-yo in purchasing thought it'd be cool to basically redesign the hammer and they did just that.
This "agent" changed the following
1. weight of the hammer's head and handle
2. diameter of the "impact area"
3. angle of the claw's curve
4. gap in the claw
5. length and diameter of the handle
6. design of the handle's grip area
7. and just about every other aspect of the hammer
None of these were major changes for some kind of special application (i.e. rebuilding UFOs). A couple of grams and millimeters here and there. All these changes, minor as they may be, would cause any manufacturer to retool their whole production line.
Who's going to pay for this retooling? Paying $400 each for a few thousand custom made hand tools turns out to be pretty cheap. That's why the lowest bidder got the job. It happens far more often then one would think. Not just in governments, but in private industry as well.
That's why changing from, "HOUSING, TURN SIGNAL, TOP, ZX-12R, A1-A2" to "TURN SIGNAL HOUSING" and have it fit everything from a 12R to an Intruder is bound to save them money.
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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CrotchRocket
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Bracket Racing with Betsy
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posted October 18, 2001 02:42 PM
I hear you RED...Thats why the Car manufacturers use the same frame on certain Cars,Minivans,SUVs...Along with all kinds of interchangable parts!!!
Look at Harley Davidson for instance...How many years did it take them to mass produce new technology??? I think that is a DAMN disgrace!!! Shame on them for charging $17,000.00 for a RoadKing that cost them around $7,000.00 to produce...I'm probably being GENEROUS too...
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Jason Miller StreetBike Seminars
*****DragRacers do it better, because they dont cut Corners*****
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Bigju
Expert Class
Posts: 238
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posted October 18, 2001 03:16 PM
Now I'm wondering will the ZX10 be a GSXR1k with slightly different farings and Bold New Graphics? And if it isn't when can we get a release date with specs
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redelk
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posted October 18, 2001 04:20 PM
Naw, it ain't gonna be like that
As stated in the press releases...
"Each company will continue its independent development of large displacement sport bikes."
They are just simplifying the purchases of the most basic of components. The basic "nuts & bolts" stuff. In the long run, it will be a great benefit to the consumer and to the dealer. The dealer won't have to keep such an extensive parts inventory and the consumer will have easier access to parts.
With a reduced parts inventory, there's less overhead for the dealer, yet he'll be able to keep more of these "common" parts in stock. For the consumer, this could reduce the need to special order certain parts and maybe, just maybe, every so slightly reduce the cost. Naw... that ain't gonna happen. Well, it might stablize the prices of these parts.
Again, were talking about crusiers, dirt bikes and ATVs. There no way that there will be a "sharing" of sportbike design until the fully merge into something like "Kawazuki". That ain't gonna be happenin' anytime soon.
____________
There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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