Talk of The Villages Florida

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-   All About Golf Carts and Things (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/all-about-golf-carts-things-156/)
-   -   Kawasaki is coming out with a golf cart soon. (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/all-about-golf-carts-things-156/kawasaki-coming-out-golf-cart-soon-356519/)

SHIBUMI 02-12-2025 08:46 AM

Beware
 
Harley Davidson made a great golf car. Problem was you could not kill the engine. That fact drove them out of business. Repeat sales took too long.

Electric cars are the future not gas.

Heed lessons from the past...........:bigbow:

Quote:

Originally Posted by MX rider (Post 2408740)
My brother is a longtime Kawasaki dealer in southern Indiana, and he found out about it today.
He wasn't sure if it was gas or lithium. They put out a couple teaser videos on the Kawasaki website, but they don't show much. Should know more soon.

They make very high quality motorcycles, quads, jet ski's and side by sides. I would expect the same quality on their golf cart.

Question will be, how soon will you be able to get custom parts like seats, windshields, and enclosures?


kkingston57 02-12-2025 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MX rider (Post 2408740)
My brother is a longtime Kawasaki dealer in southern Indiana, and he found out about it today.
He wasn't sure if it was gas or lithium. They put out a couple teaser videos on the Kawasaki website, but they don't show much. Should know more soon.

They make very high quality motorcycles, quads, jet ski's and side by sides. I would expect the same quality on their golf cart.

Question will be, how soon will you be able to get custom parts like seats, windshields, and enclosures?

Probably another similar golf cart as the ubiquitous Yamama Quintech. Will get another gas cart when and if they can get rid of the smell of the gas cart and at a reasonable cost. Non Harley Davidson motorcycle engines put out less fumes than our golf carts.

bgonzen 02-12-2025 09:32 AM

Is his dealership in Mt Vernon IN? Bought a few bikes from them back in the day.
 
[Is his dealership in Mt Vernon IN? Bought a few bikes from them back in the day.

BrianL99 02-12-2025 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHIBUMI (Post 2408875)
Harley Davidson made a great golf car. Problem was you could not kill the engine. That fact drove them out of business. Repeat sales took too long.

Electric cars are the future not gas.

Heed lessons from the past...........:bigbow:

Harley-Davidson golf carts are very collectable. There aren't many around. They were one of the first manufacturers and started primarily, with the "3 wheel" model. If I'm not mistaken, the originals had about 250 cc engine & were 2 strokes. H-D was also one of the first to introduce an "electric golf cart".

Columbia Par Car bought Harley-Davidson's golf cart division from AMF and you still see some Par Cars around TV.

Tyson 02-12-2025 09:43 AM

Allthese new so called golf cart cos. put out a lithium cart with absolutely know knowledge of what a guy needs.Usually no scorecard holder, no compartment for storage anywhere, sand bottle, storage tray up top, self canceling turn signals and many more little thing that make your round more enjoyable. If these new guys want to come out with a cart they should look at Yamahas, EZ go or Club Car. They have been around forever and a guarantee you go to any golf course, high end or Muni and you will ONLY SEE THEM 3.

roadrnnr 02-12-2025 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MX rider (Post 2408764)
I'm considering a jet ski now that we live here and there's so many places to go. We had one in Indiana for years but the closest lake was 1.5 hours away, and that got old. Wife would would love to get another one though.

New here. Where are you allowed toJet ski?

BrianL99 02-12-2025 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyson (Post 2408898)
Allthese new so called golf cart cos. put out a lithium cart with absolutely know knowledge of what a guy needs.Usually no scorecard holder, no compartment for storage anywhere, sand bottle, storage tray up top, self canceling turn signals and many more little thing that make your round more enjoyable. If these new guys want to come out with a cart they should look at Yamahas, EZ go or Club Car. They have been around forever and a guarantee you go to any golf course, high end or Muni and you will ONLY SEE THEM 3.

I think you're misunderstanding the word "golf cart". The basic design of almost every manufacturers "golf cart" is for golf ... not driving around in a place where you need "self-cancelling turn signals".

The only mainstream USA golf cart manufacturers that produce "golf carts" for personal use, are ClubCar, Yamaha & Star EV. Unless something has changed over the last few years, even ClubCar ships as a basic "GOLF cart", without the necessary options to make it viable for personal use. Yamaha has essentially been out of the "golf" business for years. I haven't seen a Yamaha golf cart at a golf course, in 10+ years. There may be some public courses around that still have them, but golf courses aren't buying them. I was told a few years ago by a reliable source, that 70+% of Yamaha gas powered golf carts were sold in The Villages.

Babbs1957 02-12-2025 10:27 AM

Kawasaki would make a great cart no matter the engine type, but I have a feeling it will be electric. I love my 1500 Drifter and the fastest bikes I ever drove were Kawas. Actually you don't drive a rocket, you hold on with all four and hope the air doesn't peel you off like a banana.

ElDiabloJoe 02-12-2025 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianL99 (Post 2408908)
I think you're misunderstanding the word "golf cart". The basic design of almost every manufacturers "golf cart" is for golf ... not driving around in a place where you need "self-cancelling turn signals".

The only mainstream USA golf cart manufacturers that produce "golf carts" for personal use, are ClubCar, Yamaha & Star EV. Unless something has changed over the last few years, even ClubCar ships as a basic "GOLF cart", without the necessary options to make it viable for personal use. Yamaha has essentially been out of the "golf" business for years. I haven't seen a Yamaha golf cart at a golf course, in 10+ years. There may be some public courses around that still have them, but golf courses aren't buying them. I was told a few years ago by a reliable source, that 70+% of Yamaha gas powered golf carts were sold in The Villages.

Yes and no. Yamaha is NOT a mainstream USA golf cart manufacturer. They build here but are Japanese. I believe Star EV is assembled here, but Star EV is a Chinese company. You left out a valid USA golf cart manufacturer: Ez-Go. Their Valor model is def a cart and not a PTV/LSV. Valor | E-Z-GO(R)

tophcfa 02-12-2025 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianL99 (Post 2408751)
"

The can't seem to compete with Honda, Yamaha, Hero or Suzuki in other markets, so they're trying something new.

When I purchased my Gravley Zero Turn mower it came standard with a Kohler engine, and for a slightly higher price I opted for the premium Kawasaki engine upgrade. They compete just fine in the nitches they choose to pursue. Nine years of hard usage on my Gravley without a single engine issue.

SHIBUMI 02-12-2025 11:17 AM

Visited Club Car
 
On the visit, the first thing out of their mouths was, whoever refers to these as a golf cart will buy everyone else a round of drinks for every time they say it.

These are golf cars, they are not pushed or pulled. The slang, golf cart is used Because the general public responds better to slang terms. You see it in all advertising.

So, Belly up to the bar, Brian buys the first round. :smiley:

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianL99 (Post 2408908)
I think you're misunderstanding the word "golf cart". The basic design of almost every manufacturers "golf cart" is for golf ... not driving around in a place where you need "self-cancelling turn signals".

The only mainstream USA golf cart manufacturers that produce "golf carts" for personal use, are ClubCar, Yamaha & Star EV. Unless something has changed over the last few years, even ClubCar ships as a basic "GOLF cart", without the necessary options to make it viable for personal use. Yamaha has essentially been out of the "golf" business for years. I haven't seen a Yamaha golf cart at a golf course, in 10+ years. There may be some public courses around that still have them, but golf courses aren't buying them. I was told a few years ago by a reliable source, that 70+% of Yamaha gas powered golf carts were sold in The Villages.


BrianL99 02-12-2025 06:14 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by MX rider (Post 2408855)
Kawasaki doesn't make electric bicycles, only electric strider bikes called the Elektrode. Actully they're very cool, I bought one for my grandson.

Their cart may be electric as well, nobody knows yet. It gets released on 2-25-25. Also I would disagree gas carts are dinosaurs, they still outsell lithium by a wide margin and will continue to do that.

I think you're mistaken.

Is this not a motorcycle? https://www.kawasaki.com/en-us/motor...-ninja-e-1-abs

This is not a "Bike"? https://www.kawasaki.com/en-us/elect...e/elektrode-16

While we're at it, Electric Golf Carts outsell Gasoline Golf Carts, by over 2:1. The last year that Electric didn't outsell Gasoline was around the turn of the Century. Lithium carts have really only been around for 5-6 years, people were willing to put up with the old batteries, just to get away from gasoline powered carts.

No self-respecting country club in the United States has bought a gasoline powered golf cart, in at least 15-20 years.

UpNorth 02-12-2025 08:49 PM

No self-respecting country club in the United States has bought a gasoline powered golf cart, in at least 15-20 years.[/QUOTE]

Although I prefer electric carts, my self-respecting private country club back in CT uses gas carts. Why? They simply don't have the charging barn needed to charge a fleet of carts. And electric rates are crazy expensive in CT, so simply filling the leased fleet with gasoline is the best economic choice.

CarlR33 02-12-2025 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UpNorth (Post 2409070)
No self-respecting country club in the United States has bought a gasoline powered golf cart, in at least 15-20 years.

Although I prefer electric carts, my self-respecting private country club back in CT uses gas carts. Why? They simply don't have the charging barn needed to charge a fleet of carts. And electric rates are crazy expensive in CT, so simply filling the leased fleet with gasoline is the best economic choice.[/QUOTE]So, if they don’t have the charging barn what do they do use for the gas barn?

tophcfa 02-12-2025 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UpNorth (Post 2409070)
No self-respecting country club in the United States has bought a gasoline powered golf cart, in at least 15-20 years.

I guess that means I prefer golfing at places that are not self-respecting, whatever that means? To each his or her own.


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