Kasinski
Kasinski was a Brazilian manufacturer and brand of motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, and three-wheeled vehicles.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Kasinski was a Brazilian two- and three-wheeled vehicle manufacturer established in 1999 by Abraham Kasinsky. The business began when Kasinsky acquired the industrial facilities of the Korean motorcycle assembler Hyosung in Brazil, together with rights to continue manufacturing models from Hyosung’s product line under the Kasinski name. This gave the new company an existing manufacturing base and a motorcycle portfolio rather than requiring it to develop an entirely new operation from the beginning. The brand’s principal activity was the assembly and manufacture of motorcycles, including sportbikes, standard motorcycles, cruisers, scooters, and off-road models. Its range included the Comet family, Flash, Seta, Mirage, Soft, Supercab, Prima, Win, and CRZ. Kasinski also planned to assemble cargo tricycles using technology associated with India’s Bajaj Auto. The three-wheeled vehicle project was intended to reach substantially higher monthly output than the motorcycle operation, but demand and commercial performance did not meet expectations. Production of the tricycles was discontinued by 2007. By 2002, Kasinski offered approximately ten motorcycle models and reported an average Brazilian nationalization rate of about 65 percent, indicating that a significant share of the vehicles’ components or manufacturing value was sourced domestically. Although the company achieved sales, its production volume remained limited, at no more than roughly 600 motorcycles per month according to the cited historical account. This restricted scale appears to have constrained the brand’s ability to compete with larger motorcycle manufacturers in Brazil. Abraham Kasinsky transferred ownership of the company in July 2009 to CR Zongshen, a Sino-Brazilian group controlled by Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Zongshen. After the change in ownership, Kasinski announced plans in 2010 to build a new facility in Sapucaia, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, focused in part on electric motorcycles. The planned expansion did not lead to a sustained manufacturing operation. Legal and labor-related problems contributed to the suspension of production in 2013, and Kasinski ceased operating in Brazil from 2014 onward. Kasinski is therefore best understood as a discontinued Brazilian motorcycle brand with roots in Hyosung-related manufacturing, a broad but relatively low-volume model range, and an unsuccessful attempt to transition toward electric motorcycle production. Its historical significance lies primarily in its role as a local assembler and distributor of motorcycles and scooters, rather than as a continuing international consumer brand.
History
Kasinski emerged in Brazil in 1999 when entrepreneur Abraham Kasinsky acquired the industrial facilities previously associated with Korean motorcycle assembler Hyosung. The transaction included rights to continue manufacturing Hyosung-derived motorcycles, allowing the new business to use an established production base and launch a motorcycle portfolio under its own brand. Rather than being limited to a single vehicle type, Kasinski developed a broad range covering sportbikes, standard motorcycles, cruisers, scooters, mopeds, and off-road motorcycles. The company also explored the market for commercial three-wheeled vehicles. It planned to assemble cargo tricycles using technology from Bajaj Auto of India. The project was expected to reach production of approximately 1,500 units per month, but the anticipated sales volume did not materialize. The tricycles remained commercially unsuccessful and had disappeared from production by 2007. Kasinski’s motorcycle operation achieved sales but did not develop into a high-volume manufacturer. In 2002, the company had around ten motorcycle models and an average nationalization index of roughly 65 percent. Despite this degree of local content and a relatively wide catalog, production did not grow beyond about 600 motorcycles per month. The model range included the Comet sportbike and standard families, several versions of the Mirage cruiser, scooters such as the Soft, Supercab, Prima, and Win, and the CRZ off-road line. In July 2009, Abraham Kasinsky sold the company to CR Zongshen, a Sino-Brazilian group controlled by Zongshen. The ownership change created an opportunity to expand manufacturing and connect the Brazilian operation with a larger international motorcycle group. In 2010, Kasinski announced plans to construct a factory in Sapucaia, Rio de Janeiro, with electric motorcycles among its intended products. The plan represented a strategic attempt to move beyond conventional motorcycle assembly and participate in the emerging electric-vehicle segment. The expansion was not sustained. Legal and labor problems affected the company, and production was suspended in 2013. Kasinski ceased operating in Brazil from 2014. As a result, the brand’s history ended with the closure or suspension of its Brazilian manufacturing activities rather than a successful transition into electric motorcycles. Its legacy is that of a short-lived Brazilian motorcycle manufacturer that combined inherited Hyosung-related production, a diverse motorcycle catalog, an unsuccessful cargo-tricycle initiative, and an ultimately unrealized electric-mobility expansion.
- 2014
Operations end in Brazil
[1]Kasinski is no longer operating in Brazil.
- 2013
Production is suspended
[1]Legal and labor problems accompany the suspension of Kasinski production.
- 2010
Electric-motorcycle factory planned
[1]Kasinski announces a proposed factory in Sapucaia, Rio de Janeiro, intended to produce electric motorcycles.
- 2009
Ownership transfers to CR Zongshen
[1]Abraham Kasinsky sells the company to CR Zongshen in July.
- 2007
Cargo-tricycle program ends
[1]The company’s planned cargo-tricycle business fails to reach expected sales and is no longer in production.
- 2002
Broad motorcycle range documented
[1]Kasinski is reported to offer about ten motorcycle models and to achieve an average nationalization rate of approximately 65 percent, while production remains below about 600 units per month.
- 1999
Kasinski is founded
[1]Abraham Kasinsky establishes Kasinski after acquiring the industrial facilities and manufacturing rights associated with Hyosung’s Brazilian motorcycle operation.
Products and positioning
A Brazilian, locally assembled two-wheeled vehicle brand serving sportbike, standard motorcycle, cruiser, scooter, moped, and off-road segments, with a later strategic emphasis on electric motorcycles.
Sport and standard motorcycles
Comet
The Comet was one of Kasinski’s principal motorcycle families. It included sportbike versions such as the Comet GT650R and Comet GT250R, as well as standard versions including the Comet GT650, Comet GT250, and Comet GT150. The family represented the brand’s participation in both performance-oriented and general-purpose motorcycle segments.
Cruiser motorcycles
Mirage
Mirage was Kasinski’s cruiser-oriented motorcycle line. The documented range included the Mirage, Mirage Premier, and Mirage Power. These models formed part of the brand’s effort to cover a broader set of motorcycle styles beyond sport and commuter products.
Standard motorcycle
Flash
Flash was listed among Kasinski’s standard motorcycle offerings. Available documentation identifies it as part of the company’s conventional motorcycle range but does not provide sufficient technical or commercial detail to describe a specific generation or market positioning.
Standard motorcycle
Seta
Seta was a Kasinski standard motorcycle model. It belonged to the brand’s general-purpose motorcycle portfolio, although the available reference material does not specify its engine, equipment, launch date, or sales performance.
Scooters and mopeds
Scooter range
Kasinski marketed several small two-wheeled vehicles under names including Soft, Supercab, Prima, and Win. The listed range indicates an attempt to address urban mobility and lightweight commuting alongside the company’s larger motorcycles, but detailed specifications and individual launch histories are not established in the supplied sources.
Off-road motorcycle
CRZ
CRZ was Kasinski’s identified off-road motorcycle line. The available historical material confirms its place in the product catalog but does not provide enough information about model variants, technical specifications, or competitive positioning.
Cargo tricycle
Motokar
Motokar was associated with Kasinski’s cargo-tricycle initiative, which used technology from Bajaj Auto. The program was expected to achieve substantial monthly production, but sales remained unsatisfactory and the vehicles were no longer produced by 2007.
Electric motorcycles · 2010
Electric motorcycles
Following the 2009 ownership transfer, Kasinski announced plans in 2010 for a Sapucaia factory that would produce electric motorcycles. The planned electric-mobility program did not develop into a sustained operating product line because production was suspended in 2013 and the company ceased operating in Brazil from 2014.
Brand decisions
2013
Suspend manufacturingStrategyBackground
Kasinski faced legal and labor-related problems during its attempted continuation in Brazil.
Action taken
Production was suspended.
Aftermath
Kasinski no longer operated in Brazil from 2014 onward.
2010
Pursue electric-motorcycle manufacturingStrategyBackground
After the ownership change, Kasinski sought to expand its Brazilian industrial footprint and enter electric mobility.
Action taken
The company announced construction of a factory in Sapucaia, Rio de Janeiro, with electric motorcycles among its intended products.
Aftermath
The planned expansion did not produce a lasting operating business. Legal and labor problems contributed to production being suspended in 2013.
2009
Sell Kasinski to CR ZongshenM&ABackground
After operating the brand for about a decade, founder Abraham Kasinsky transferred ownership in July 2009.
Action taken
CR Zongshen, a Sino-Brazilian group controlled by Zongshen, acquired Kasinski.
Aftermath
The new ownership was followed by plans for a new factory and electric motorcycles, but the operation ultimately suspended production in 2013.
1999
Build the brand around acquired Hyosung facilitiesStrategyBackground
Kasinski entered the Brazilian motorcycle market by acquiring Hyosung-related production facilities and rights to continue manufacturing its motorcycle line.
Action taken
The company used the acquired industrial base to manufacture motorcycles under the Kasinski name rather than beginning with a wholly new factory and product platform.
Aftermath
This provided the brand with an initial product range and manufacturing infrastructure, but later production remained relatively low volume.
Recent events
- 2014
Kasinski ceases operations in Brazil[1]
Other
Kasinski no longer operated in Brazil from 2014 onward, marking the end of its active manufacturing presence in the country.
- 2013
Kasinski suspends production[1]
Regulation · Other
Production was suspended amid legal and labor-related problems connected with the company’s operations.
- 2010
Kasinski announces a Sapucaia electric-motorcycle factory[1]
Product launch
Kasinski announced plans for a new factory in Sapucaia, Rio de Janeiro, intended to produce electric motorcycles.
- 2009
Abraham Kasinsky sells Kasinski to CR Zongshen[1]
M&A
Ownership of the company passed from Abraham Kasinsky to CR Zongshen in July 2009. CR Zongshen was described as a Sino-Brazilian group controlled by Zongshen.
- 2007
Kasinski ends cargo-tricycle production[1]
Other
The planned cargo-tricycle program, developed with technology associated with Bajaj Auto, failed to achieve expected sales and was no longer being produced by 2007.
- 2002
Kasinski expands its motorcycle range and domestic production[1]
Product generation
The company was reported to have a range of about ten motorcycle models, with an average Brazilian nationalization rate of approximately 65 percent. Production nevertheless remained below about 600 units per month.
- 1999
Kasinski is established through acquisition of Hyosung-related facilities[1]
Other
Abraham Kasinsky established Kasinski after acquiring the Brazilian industrial facilities of Korean assembler Hyosung and rights to continue producing its motorcycle line under the Kasinski brand.
Sources1 sources
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