Going green

Kawasaki and green have been combined for so long it seems it must always have been that way – but no, not until 1968 did the distinctive lime green colour appear on Kawasaki’s motorcycles. In an effort to make their models stand out against the competition in all forms of sport, Kawasaki Motors USA came up with the radical decision to spray all competition machines bright green. This bucked a few trends as green was regarded by superstitious racing types as an unlucky colour and avoided, so the marketing ploy was particularly audacious.

Unveiling their road race machines at the Daytona Speedway, the Americans started a colourful idea rolling that was first accepted and then adopted back at the factory design headquarters in Akashi.