Meguro motorcycles were built by Meguro Manufacturing Co motorcycle works (目黒製作所), founded by Hobuji Murato and a high-ranking naval officer, Takaji Suzuki, in 1937. One of the first Japanese motorcycle companies, it became a partner of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd, and was eventually absorbed. Named after a district of Tokyo, Meguro had its roots in Murato Iron Works, which was established in 1924. Meguro Seisakusho, which had once developed a copy of a Harley-Davidson V-twin, was established to design and build gearboxes for the nascent Japanese motorcycle industry. Abe Industries, which had once produced its own motorcycle, merged with Meguro in 1931.
Once a prestige brand, supplying the Japanese government with military and police motorcycles, and racing alongside Honda, Meguro (メグロ) became bankrupt after launching a range of lightweight motorcycles which sold poorly, and experiencing a yearlong labor strike. The Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc. rates the Meguro Z97 model introduced in 1937 as one of their 240 Landmarks of Japanese Automotive Technology.
Although the first motorcycle arrived in Japan in 1895, it was not until the 1930s that its own motorcycle industry started to develop.
After the Wall Street Crash, Meguro invested in Harley-Davidson and obtained drawings, tooling and important knowledge of metal heat treatments in order to make gearboxes. These were then used in their vehicles and those of another early Japanese company called Rikuo (literally "Road King"). The resulting transfer of American intellectual property taught the Japanese how to produce motorcycles in quantity. In 1935, Murato and Suzuki built a 500 cc single Z97 model based on a Swiss Motosacoche design but work was restricted due the start of WW2, during which it supplied aircraft parts. Meguro started full production again in 1948, the Z97 being joined by 125 cc, 250 cc and 350 cc overhead valve singles.
In the 1950s Meguro entered racing and built its first twin-cylinder design, the 651 cc (39.7 cu in) T1 "Senior" with a British design-inspired pre-unit parallel twin engine; and later the K-series "Stamina" model, a copy of the BSA A7, one of which Meguro had bought in 1953. Its quality and engineering was superior to the BSA and it was described by Edward Turner, one of Britain’s most talented motorcycle designers, as "too good to be true". For the first time, the Japanese motorcycle industry was seen as a threat. Its other models designed in collaboration with Kawasaki were entirely of Japanese design.
Meguro raced the 500 cc overhead camshaft single cylinder model at the Asama Kazan speedway circuit in Tsumagoi, Gunma Prefecture. For many years, the company was only outsold by Honda.
In 1958 Meguro developed a range of 50 cc, 125 cc, 250 cc and 350 cc consumer products which failed in the market due to its being too expensive.
In 1960, by which time it was Japan's longest running motorcycle company out of the hundreds that had once flourished producing copies of European models, the company became affiliated with the Kawasaki Aircraft company. It first changed its name in 1962 to Kawasaki-Meguro, which produced the successful B8 125 cc; then in October 1964, seeing the commercial and marketing value of having a motorcycle producing division alongside its heavy industry services and particularly its already established sales outlets, Kawasaki took full control of the company having learnt all it needed to know. Together they started produced "Kawasaki-Meguro Works" 125 cc, 175 cc and 250 cc single cylinder vehicles. The 500 cc K-series twin cylinder model was later enlarged and developed into the 625 cc Kawasaki W series. The latter model were used as official vehicles for government purposes.
In 1999 Kawasaki launched the W650 675 cc parallel twin retro style motorcycle inspired by the W2 and a 250 cc single cylinder four stroke Estrella inspired by an early Meguro model. Kawasaki discontinued the W650 in 2007 but replaced it in 2011 with an enlarged version, the 773cc W800.
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