I'm guessing October. When the Vinson was introduced in '02, it showed up out here in Utah in October.

Mark

 

"Basically, the alliance allows more competitiveness and profitability on a worldwide basis for both brands while expanding each company’s product line. It also will allow both companies to buy parts in bulk and share engineering of new products, thus saving money. This alliance will also extend to the street and dirt bike product lines but not to the sport street-bike product lines. Each brand will maintain total separation in the sales, marketing, and distribution of their products. Prices will also be set independent of each other. "

"It also will allow both companies to buy parts in bulk and share engineering of new products, thus saving money. "

The above is a Quote I copied from the ATV conection article in 2002 following the press release of the alliance, That is why I thought since the quads rear IRS and front A-arm suspensions and overal stance and appeared to me to look verey similar. I was speculating possable sharring of the chassis, or maybe I should have refered to what I was thinking about as platform sharring, chassis nor platform means they would have the same engines or identical suspension set ups, But Iam currious as to how do you know the frames are not the same and that they did not design these two quads in a joint effort, Thats what the two companies said they were going to do two years ago and thats seems to me to be about how long it would take to go from design stages to production. I would say a joint effort design quad would be showing up about now.

I give though, since there is not any KQs to actualy look at and I realy do not know for fact what is what on the two, I will go along with you guys.

 

That quote is from the initial press release from the two. A lot has happened since then, and they have had issues with the agreement.

That press release says they "could" do certain things. That does not prove that they did. Now that time has elapsed, I still do not see any evidence whatsoever of any sharing other than sales of the other one's models. Neither one of them has used any parts from the other to date. If they have, it would be much less significant items like lights, bearings, balljoints and cv joints.

However, most of the KQ 700 has nothing more incommon with a kawasaki product than the others. In fact the KQ is mechanically more like a grizzly, except with a better head and better handling. At first glance it looks like yamaha partnership. But, we know that didn't happen.

 

I did, in no way say that proved anything. All I said was that is what the two said they were going to do, I will say agan I do not know for sure anything at this point, and so far you have not said how you no for fact they didn't. I did here suki bought more control of AC last year and all the sudden the kawi v twin, kawi transmisions and instumentation showed up in the AC's. I noticed the digital gages from kawi are now in even some of the suki powered AC's. I also pointed out that a joint venture chassis would not have showed up the day the deal was signed that it would take a wile for a joint project product to show up, and that time could be ,not that it is about now.

 

You may be right. All I am going on is the larger components.

This KQ does not appear to have any product sharing on major compnents, and it appears that suzi is using all of its own technology on the major components. The engine is all suzi tehcnology. The clutch. The rear brake uses a wet friction clutch like Kawi, but is designed differently, that is why I am pretty sure there is no major product sharing. Otherwise we would see brakes shared and things like that . I don't really care about guages. Sharing minor components doesn't indicate a collaborative effort in the design.

If you come back and tell me they are using kawi plastic, and kawi is using suzi guages that is fine. But so far the major stuff on this KQ appears to be all suzi.

Find a major component that KAwi help suzi with or vice versa.

I guess it is possible that no alliance models are out yet?

 

Back to the original thread topic. Has anyone pressed a dealer for the 1st deliveries? I have talked to 8 dealers........those that are still clinging to "end of Sept." are those that can only back it up by "that's the last that I heard" - or something like that. More seem to be suggesting it's going to be later by a month or two. None seem to be willing to get or give the official word from Suzuki (what's up with that?). Are they telling me that their manufacturer/distrubutors refuse to be straight with them? Let's beat it out of the (not literally) - come on guys - DIG!!

 

nyroc:

You may want to read this article from MotoNews that was written August 31, 2001:

In joint announcements made on Wednesday, statements from Suzuki Motor and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, two of Japan's "big four" motorcycle manufacturers, made public the shock news that they would join forces in an effort to revive sales in Asia, the US and Europe.

The alliance - the first in the Japanese motorcycle industry - has come as a complete surprise. The big four have traditionally been fierce rivals on the racetracks and on the street, with a history of competition for sales in all fields.

Suzuki and Kawasaki, the third- and fourth-largest of the big four, said they would jointly develop new models and unify their parts procurement and production operations to reduce costs.

Motorcycle News reports a spokesman for the UK arm of one of the companies confirming the news, saying: "It is true, the two are streamlining."

The merger involves key elements of design, engineering and spares. Analysts suggest that the move is the result of the demands of meeting consumer expectation for cutting-edge sports bikes. The price of meeting expectations of technological innovation and releasing new or updated models each year has been high research and development costs.

Both firms are keen to emphasise there is no form of takeover from either side. According to the statements, there will be no equity participation and marketing operations will remain separate, but Suzuki and Kawasaki will cooperate on development and production of machines that need various models but sell relatively few units.

Initial reports suggest that cruisers, off-road motorcycles and ATVs and "super scooters" will be the first to benefit from the link-up.



Just my 2 cents worth.........

 

I talked to a dealer today. He said they should receive one, and only one, in September. They should then start trickling in in October.

Still no real set date for September though.

This was in Springville, Utah

 

You must not have been following the discussion. I have read that old articel many times. A lot of things have happened since that have not been in a press release such as that one. In fact, one rumor says that suzi and kawi almost completely split up. Those things didn't get publicized because they aren't good publicity like first press release.

So far, the fact remains that there has not been a single "joint effort" machine built.

cc1999 says a few parts on suzuki's shown up on AC models. That is not news, since as far as I know suzuki supplied all of AC's engines except for the 650V (kawi) and the AC650H motor which is Arctic Cat's First motor they have ever produced in an ATV. That is all old news too.

I am not saying that there for sure won't be joint desinged models future. I am just saying there isn't one out now nor is the KQ one. As far as I see, the only two things that have actually happened (not just press spilled) is they have sold each other's models, and kawi sold AC an engine.

If anything, the relationship is deteriorating since Kawi is planning a model that competes against the Z400, and Suzi just created a model to compete against the BF. That isn't collaboration.

Suzuki woke up and smelled the cat food when they saw that we (the consumers) are looking for better quads than some of the disappointments that are out now. I hope they keep up the good work with that vinson and offer it in IRS and SRA and give it a wet rear brake and a diff lock. That will surely give em more sales.

 

You are correct in your assumption that I didn't follow the discussion thread as closely as I should.

I distinctly remembered reading an article relative to the discussion that's been going on in this thread. More specifically, the part about the two companies working together on the production of the various vehicles that they both offered. When I read your post, that was as far as I went in the thread, and thought that I may be able to shed some light.....however antiquated it was.