Kahena
Kahena was a Brazilian motorcycle brand known for large-displacement motorcycles using a Volkswagen-derived 1,600 cc engine.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Kahena was a Brazilian motorcycle marque associated with a large-displacement motorcycle developed in the late 1980s and produced in São Paulo during the 1990s. The project was created by Luiz Gomi and José Biston, former owners of the Amazonas motorcycle brand, after the sale of that earlier business. Their objective was to develop a new motorcycle that retained some of the distinctive engineering character of Amazonas while establishing a separate commercial identity. The Kahena project began in 1988. In 1990, Gomi and Biston sold the production rights to a São Paulo industrial company, Paulista Machine Technique S.A. That company built the first six prototypes. The motorcycle was publicly presented at the 1991 São Paulo International Motor Show, although customer deliveries did not begin until 1992. The production period is generally described as running from 1991 to 1999, making Kahena a short-lived specialist marque in Brazil's domestic motorcycle industry. The motorcycle's most notable technical feature was its 1,600 cc Volkswagen do Brasil engine, derived from the power unit used in the Volkswagen Beetle. Two engine outputs were offered: a version rated at 65 horsepower at 4,600 revolutions per minute and a higher-output version rated at 90 horsepower at 5,800 revolutions per minute. Both configurations used twin Brasol 32 mm carburetors, a four-speed gearbox, and an additional reverse gear. The transmission incorporated Volkswagen components, reflecting the project's use of automotive powertrain technology in a motorcycle application. From 1993, Kahena was offered in sport-bike and sport-touring configurations. The chassis and running gear were configured for a large, relatively heavy motorcycle rather than a conventional lightweight road bike. Its secondary drive used a cardan shaft, while the rear suspension employed a single spring and shock-absorber assembly mounted on a monocoque structure arranged diagonally within the frame. The front suspension used conventional telescopic forks. Braking consisted of twin front discs and a single rear disc. Kahena remained a niche Brazilian manufacturer and did not develop into a broad international motorcycle business. Its importance lies primarily in the history of unusual Brazilian motorcycle engineering and in the continuation of design and business experience associated with the earlier Amazonas project. Production ended by 1999, and the brand is now best understood as a defunct historical motorcycle marque rather than an active manufacturer.
History
Kahena emerged from the Brazilian motorcycle industry in the aftermath of the sale of the Amazonas brand. Luiz Gomi and José Biston, who had previously owned Amazonas, began developing a new motorcycle in 1988. The project represented an attempt to create a separate marque while retaining the kind of unconventional, high-capacity engineering associated with their earlier motorcycle business. In 1990, Gomi and Biston transferred the production rights to a São Paulo industrial company, Paulista Machine Technique S.A. The company produced the first six prototypes and prepared the motorcycle for public presentation. Kahena was shown at the 1991 São Paulo International Motor Show, establishing the model's public identity and demonstrating its unusual powertrain to the Brazilian market. Despite the 1991 presentation, the first motorcycles were not delivered to customers until 1992. The Kahena used a 1,600 cc Volkswagen do Brasil engine, the same general engine family associated with the Volkswagen Beetle. Applying this type of automotive engine to a motorcycle gave the machine a distinctive technical profile and helped differentiate it from motorcycles using conventional purpose-built motorcycle engines. Two power versions were reported: one producing 65 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and another producing 90 horsepower at 5,800 rpm. The engines used dual Brasol 32 mm carburetion. A four-speed gearbox, Volkswagen-derived transmission components, and reverse gear were included in the drivetrain. The model range expanded from 1993, when sport-bike and sport-touring configurations became available. The chassis used a cardan-shaft final drive and a rear suspension based on a single spring and shock absorber. A large monocoque component was positioned diagonally and attached between the frame and rear suspension structure. At the front, the motorcycle used telescopic forks. Twin front disc brakes and a single rear disc provided stopping power. Manufacturing took place in São Paulo, and production continued through the 1990s. Available references describe the manufacturing period as 1991 to 1999. The brand did not become a mass-market or globally distributed motorcycle producer; instead, it occupied a specialized position within Brazil's limited but inventive large-motorcycle sector. Its connection to the former Amazonas ownership group, its Volkswagen-based engine, and its unusual chassis design are the principal features that distinguish it in motorcycle history. After production ended in 1999, Kahena ceased to operate as an active motorcycle brand. Surviving references commonly identify the Kahena 1600 and the Kahena LJ 1600 ST in connection with the marque. The brand's historical significance comes from its effort to combine a Brazilian motorcycle platform with a readily recognizable automotive engine and from its role in the continuation of engineering ideas developed by people previously involved with Amazonas.
- 1999
Production period ends
[1]Available references identify 1999 as the end of Kahena motorcycle production.
- 1993
Sport and sport-touring versions added
[1]The Kahena became available in sport-bike and sport-touring configurations.
- 1992
Customer deliveries begin
[1]The first Kahena motorcycles were delivered to buyers after the model's 1991 public presentation.
- 1991
Public debut at São Paulo International Motor Show
[1]Kahena was presented publicly at the São Paulo International Motor Show.
- 1990
Production rights transferred
[1]Gomi and Biston sold the production rights to a São Paulo industrial company, which subsequently built the first six prototypes.
- 1988
Kahena project begins
[1]Former Amazonas owners Luiz Gomi and José Biston began developing a new motorcycle project that would become Kahena.
Products and positioning
A niche Brazilian large-displacement motorcycle marque emphasizing distinctive automotive-derived engineering, sport-road performance, and sport-touring use.
Large-displacement road motorcycle · 1992
Kahena 1600
The Kahena 1600 was the marque's core large-displacement motorcycle. It used a 1,600 cc Volkswagen do Brasil engine in two reported output configurations, rated at 65 or 90 horsepower. The motorcycle combined dual Brasol carburetion with a four-speed gearbox, reverse gear, Volkswagen-derived transmission components, shaft final drive, and disc brakes. Its automotive-derived powertrain made it one of the more distinctive Brazilian motorcycle designs of its period.
Sport-touring motorcycle · 1993
Kahena LJ 1600 ST
The LJ 1600 ST was a sport-touring configuration of the Kahena platform. It belonged to the range offered from 1993 onward and used the marque's large Volkswagen-derived engine and shaft-drive layout. The model represented Kahena's attempt to extend its unusual 1,600 cc motorcycle beyond a basic road configuration into a machine intended to combine performance with longer-distance touring utility.
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