• Bikes for Sale
  • News
  • Buyer’s guide
    • Buy a Motorcycle
    • First Rides & Reviews
    • Specs, Prices & Others
  • Lifestyle
    • Concepts & Custom
    • Electric Motorcycles
    • Events
    • Motorsport
    • Tips & Stories
    • Travel
  • Locals
imotorbike logo
  • Bikes for Sale
  • News
  • Buyer’s guide
    • Buy a Motorcycle
    • First Rides & Reviews
    • Specs, Prices & Others
  • Lifestyle
    • Concepts & Custom
    • Electric Motorcycles
    • Events
    • Motorsport
    • Tips & Stories
    • Travel
  • Locals
  • Facebook

  • Instagram

  • X (Twitter)

  • YouTube

  • LinkedIn

  • RSS

Industry

Is this the end of Kawasaki Malaysia?

Is this the end of Kawasaki Malaysia?
Sathurshan
January 15, 2021

Wondering what happened to Kawasaki in Malaysia because you haven’t heard any news from the brand lately? Well, here is a quick run-through!

Kawasaki Malaysia

Being one of Japan’s big four, Kawasaki is one of the principal players in the motorcycle industry. With a history of manufacturing motorcycle for well over 100 years, Kawasaki has successfully planted itself all around the globe.

In general, the last year 2020, was a pretty good year for Kawasaki. The highlight of the year for Kawasaki includes the comeback of the iconic ZXR250 in the form of Ninja ZX-25, the revival of Meguro brands of motorcycles and last but not least the next-gen updates for 2021 models.


Although things were going pretty smooth, Kawasaki saw a drop in sales in South East Asia because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, Kawasaki was expecting to see a loss of about 5 billion yen [47 million dollars] in operations for 2020.

In November 2020, Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) announced that the company will spin off its rolling stock [Train division] and motorcycle & engine business later this year in October 2021 as a part of a major restructuring.

Kawasaki told media that spinning off the business will speed up decision making and offer products and services that sync with customers. Besides this, Kawasaki also mentioned that they would improve their financial situation and strengthen inter-industry cooperation via joint development of advanced safety technologies, development of electric drive to catalyse growth and market revitalization.

Hearing Kawasaki specifically pinpointing the sluggish sales in the South East Asian region triggered us to take a closer look at the brand in Malaysia.

Kawasaki in Malaysia

Kawasaki Motors (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd is the sole importer, assembler and distributor of Kawasaki brands of bikes in Malaysia. However, things have been a bit too quiet with Kawasaki Motors lately. Could this be because Modenas is cooking up a big plan directly with Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) behind the scene? Well, without further ado, let’s get right into the details.

Kawasaki and Modenas – 25 years and it’s only the beginning!

National motorcycle company Motosikal dan Enjin Nasional Sdn Bhd (Modenas) and KHI have had a long and successful relationship beginning with the former’s incorporation in 1995 with KHI owning a 19% equity in Modenas. In case you didn’t know, Modenas actually manufactures parts for Kawasaki.

After a successful 24 years run, in April 2019, KHI upped its stake in Modenas from 19% to 30% equity. The disposal of the shares by DRB-HICOM “The Group” was for a cash consideration of MYR 40.3 Million (USD 9.97 Million) based on a wiling-seller-willing buyer basis.

Fast-forwarding to 2020, during the National Automotive Policy 2020, Modenas’ Chief Executive Officer Roslan Roskan told the press that Modenas would be assembling and marketing nearly 8 Kawasaki models in Malaysia which are below 700cc.  Roslan Roskan also shared that an initial investment of MYR 5 Million had been made to set up a dedicated Kawasaki production line in Modenas’s Gurun plant to make this all happen.

Besides this, according to sources, last year Modenas planned to produce 1000 units + of the Modenas Ninja 250 in partnership with Kawasaki by H2 of 2020. As of January 2021, there haven’t been any updates on this or the plans of manufacturing sub-700cc Kawasaki models. We believe COVID-19 pandemic has played a major role in Modenas’ 2020 plan.

On another note, recent reports hint Modenas would be going all out with Kawasaki, taking over more than just the planned sub-700cc models. However, neither Kawasaki nor Modenas have officially announced anything yet.

So, what’s the future like for Kawasaki in Malaysia?

What baffled us the most was the figures of newly registered Kawasaki motorcycles in Malaysia for Q4 last year (2020). According to reports within October 2020 and December 2020, only 55 units of Kawasaki motorcycles were newly registered in Malaysia. To put this into perspective, 88,243 units of Yamaha and 48,782 units of Honda motorcycles were newly registered within the same period last year in Malaysia.

What’s worse is that upon enquiring several motorcycle dealers in Malaysia; we were told that the stocks of Kawasaki motorcycles are running really low. We also heard about Suzuki making a come back under Kawasaki Motors Malaysia Sdn Bhd.  So as a brand where is Kawasaki heading to in Malaysia?

To clearly understand the situation we personally got in touch with a few parties. We were told that Kawasaki Motors Malaysia Sdn Bhd would part away with KHI later this year, 2021 (as far as they know). This means there is a high possibility that Modenas would take over the Kawasaki brand in Malaysia and proceed with the earlier proposed plan very soon.

Especially with KHI’s recent announcement on the spin-off and restructuring; we think things would take a good turn for Kawasaki as a brand in Malaysia as well. Well, we can only speculate at this point; so let’s wait and see what are KHI’s and Modenas’s future plans for Malaysia.

Recent News: 

2021 Honda EX5 35th Anniversary Edition Launched – from RM 4,783

Ducati ends 2020 on strong note and ready to tackle 2021

MotoGP: 2021 Sepang Winter Test Cancelled

JPJ Services & Operating Hours During MCO 2.0

Related ItemsfeaturedIndustrykawasakiKawasaki ASEANKawasaki Heavy Industrieskawasaki malaysiaKawasaki Motors Malaysiakhimalaysiamodenas
To read the full story
login with google
login with facebook
or
Create an account for free
This won't cost you.
by clicking this button you agree to iMotorbike's visitor agreement
Already have an account? Sign in here
Click here to get notified on every new article
Industry
January 15, 2021
Sathurshan

A Mechanical Engineer with an addiction to the smell of petrol and loves anything automotive.

Related ItemsfeaturedIndustrykawasakiKawasaki ASEANKawasaki Heavy Industrieskawasaki malaysiaKawasaki Motors Malaysiakhimalaysiamodenas

More in Industry

EKVE Opens with 30-Day Free Ride for Public

Hazique ZairillSeptember 3, 2025
Read More

Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman: Carrying Malaysia’s Flag with Pride

Hazique ZairillAugust 30, 2025
Read More

iMotorbike Motor Day Sale Returns with Big Discounts and Exciting Prizes!

Hazique ZairillAugust 22, 2025
Read More

Police Offer 50% Discount on Summonses at RXZ Members 7.0 Gathering

Hazique ZairillAugust 22, 2025
Read More

Exclusive: Jehan Miskin on Motorcycling, Epic Rides, and the Spirit of Adventure

Hazique ZairillAugust 18, 2025
Read More

Mforce Unveils Yadea Velax Electric Scooter

Hazique ZairillAugust 11, 2025
Read More

Throttle, Terrain, Legacy: Harley-Davidson D.R.T. 2025 Unleashes Power at Sepang

Hazique ZairillAugust 7, 2025
Read More

iMotorbike Brings Aid to Chen Ai OKU in 8th CSR Initiative

Hazique ZairillAugust 4, 2025
Read More

KTM E-Duke Prototype Revealed at Motohall: Brand’s First Electric Naked Bike in the Works

Hazique ZairillJuly 17, 2025
Read More

Delivery Rider’s Horror Stories That’ll Give You Goosebumps

Hazique ZairillJuly 15, 2025
Read More

Yamaha Fuels Bungaraya 7s SEA Games Campaign with RM200,000 Sponsorship

Hazique ZairillJuly 9, 2025
Read More

Racing Against the Norm: Saidatul Zakirah’s Rise in Malaysia’s Racing Scene

Hazique ZairillJune 23, 2025
Read More
We want to buy your bike Join us on Telegram
Scroll for more
Tap

Join us on Facebook

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • Comments

  • YADEA RS20 Electric Scooter Launched in Malaysia at RM4,998
    Buyer's guideAugust 18, 2025
  • Buell Super Cruiser Breaks All the Cruiser Rules
    NewsAugust 23, 2025
  • Triumph Street Triple 765 RS Review: When Perfection Meets Performance
    Buyer's guideAugust 20, 2025
  • QJMotor SRK250R Officially Launched in Malaysia at RM9,988
    Buyer's guideAugust 18, 2025
  • iMotorbike Celebrates Merdeka with Massive Discounts – 15 to 31 August 2025
    Buyer's guideAugust 15, 2025
  • BMW CE 04 Review: The Futuristic Electric Scooter
    Buyer's guideAugust 15, 2025
  • MotoGP to Kick Off 2026 Season with Global Launch in Singapore
    EventsSeptember 10, 2025
  • Pope Leo XIV’s Custom BMW R 18 to Be Auctioned for Charity
    NewsSeptember 11, 2025
  • BMW Vision CE Redefines the Electric Motorcycle
    NewsSeptember 11, 2025
  • Honda HRC Ready for MXGP of China
    NewsSeptember 11, 2025
  • Yamaha Clinches Supersport Title at Magny-Cours
    NewsSeptember 11, 2025
  • Two Malaysian Talents Gear Up for Crucial Races in Europe
    LocalsSeptember 11, 2025
  • Ducati Lenovo Team Gears Up for Misano Home GP
    MotorsportSeptember 10, 2025
  • MotoGP to Kick Off 2026 Season with Global Launch in Singapore
    EventsSeptember 10, 2025
  • MV Agusta Lucky Explorer Project 9.5: testing the Schiranna prototype - news.iNthacity: More Top Breaking News and Popular Stories To Stay Informed says:

    […] Michelle Liew […]

  • CFMOTO 450SR to enter Malaysia in March 2023 at RM29,300 - news.iNthacity: More Top Breaking News and Popular Stories To Stay Informed says:

    […] Michelle Liew […]

  • Suzuki V-Strom now available in Malaysia at RM81,900 - news.iNthacity: More Top Breaking News and Popular Stories To Stay Informed says:

    […] Michelle Liew […]

  • Colin says:

    I hope they make the Dax street legal. Love to…

  • Mohd Razi bin Rosli says:

    Adv 150cc

  • Nena Maxberry says:

    Just curious what they would retail for

  • Adam Kenny says:

    RM4159 for the front fork is it?

Categories

  • Buyer's guide
    • First Rides & Reviews
    • Specs, Prices & Others
  • cafe racer malaysia murah
  • Campaign
  • CSR Programme
  • Electric Motorcycles
  • Electric Motorcycles
  • Industry
  • Industry
  • Kedai Motor
  • Lifestyle
    • Concepts & Custom
    • Electric Motorcycles
    • Events
      • EICMa
    • Helmet
    • Motorsport
      • ARRC
      • CubPrix
      • Moto3
      • Motocross
      • MSBK
      • WSBK
    • Tips & Stories
    • Travel
  • Moto2
  • Motor Murah
  • News
    • Locals
    • MotoGP
    • Scoop
  • Review
  • Scoop
  • Scoop
  • SEO
  • Suzuka 8 Hours
  • Tips & Tricks

Corporate

About Us
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Disclosure Policy
Contact Us
SUBSCRIBE NOW!

2024 iMotorbike World Sdn. Bhd.(1205246-M). All rights reserved.

Red Bull KTM riders all geared up for AMA Supercross season opener
2021 Honda CBR150R Launched in Indonesia – Gets Major Updates
Nak Jual Beli Motor 😊 ?
WhatsApp
Hi iMotorbike 😊
Open chat