KASINSKI | 1999-2014 | Brazil :
Abraham Kasinski was a Brazilian industrialist and founder of the auto parts company Cofap. In late 1998 he acquired the Brazilian subsidiary of the South Korean assembler Hyosung, gaining control of its industrial facilities in Manaus and the manufacturing rights to its motorcycle lineup. The acquisition renamed the entity Companhia Fabricadora de Veículos, known as Cofave, and allowed Kasinski to rebrand the existing Hyosung models under the Kasinski name.
The company was headquartered in São Paulo with its production facilities in Manaus. In parallel with its motorcycle range, the company also assembled cargo tricycles using technology from India’s Bajaj Auto. By 2002 Kasinski had a range of ten motorcycle models with an average nationalisation index of 65 percent. Despite good sales, production did not grow beyond 600 units per month. The cargo tricycles, initially expected to produce 1,500 units a month, never reached those volumes, sales remained at unsatisfactory levels, and by 2007 the vehicles were no longer being produced.
The CR Zongshen Group, a joint venture with 50 percent Chinese capital from Zongshen and 50 percent Brazilian investment, purchased the company. Abraham Kasinsky sold the company, passing it on in July 2009.
In 2010 the company announced the construction of a new factory in Sapucaia, Rio de Janeiro, where it would produce electric motorcycles. The model range under the new ownership included the Comet series, the Mirage series, the CRZ enduro, and the Win commuter. The Comet GTR 650 EFI was a fully-faired sports motorcycle powered by a 647cc V-twin four-stroke engine managed by electronic fuel injection, producing 90 hp and driving through a six-speed gearbox with chain final drive, with a dry weight of 198 kg. The Comet GTR 250 EFI was the smaller sibling of the GTR 650 EFI. The Comet 150, released in 2012, was a small-displacement machine powered by a 150cc four-stroke single-cylinder engine producing 13 hp at 8,000 rpm, aimed at novice and urban riders. The Mirage 650 was powered by a 650cc V-twin four-stroke engine with fuel injection and a five-speed transmission.
Amidst legal and labour problems, production was suspended in 2013. Since 2014 Kasinski no longer operates in Brazil. A small number of dealers who had not abandoned the brand continued to sell remaining stock of vehicles manufactured up to 2012.
