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.

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.

In 1935, Murato and Suzuki built a 500 cc single Z97 model based on a Swiss Motosacoche design but work was restricted due to the start of WW2,[2] during which it supplied aircraft parts.

Its quality and engineering was superior to the BSA[3] and it was described by Edward Turner, one of Britain's most talented motorcycle designers, as "too good to be true".

Meguro raced the 500 cc overhead camshaft single cylinder model at the Asama Kazan speedway circuit in Tsumagoi, Gunma Prefecture.

It first changed its name in 1962 to Kawasaki-Meguro, which produced the successful B8 125 cc;[7] 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,[8] Kawasaki took full control of the company[9] having learnt all it needed to know.