Kawasaki MULE, Teryx, Teryx KRX, Teryx H2 and RIDGE side-by-sides for the North American market are manufactured and assembled in Lincoln, Nebraska, using domestic and imported components.
When most UTV enthusiasts think about Kawasaki side-by-sides, they picture putting a MULE to work on a ranch, exploring backcountry roads in a RIDGE, crawling technical trails in a Teryx KRX or accelerating across the desert in the supercharged Teryx H2. Fewer owners know how much manufacturing takes place before those machines reach a dealership.
Kawasaki USA recently offered another look behind the scenes through social-media videos featuring brand ambassador and off-road racer Steve Austin. During the tour, Austin met some of the employees and highlighted the processes that transform raw materials and components into completed vehicles.
The videos reinforced what I saw firsthand during visits to Kawasaki’s Lincoln plant in 2015 and again in 2023. This is more than a final assembly operation. Kawasaki cuts and forms steel, welds chassis components, molds and paints plastic bodywork, manufactures certain components, assembles vehicles and performs extensive quality-control work at the Nebraska facility.
More than 3,000 employees work at the Lincoln operation, helping transform steel, aluminum, plastics and other components into vehicles used on farms, jobsites, trails and off-road adventures across North America.
Which Kawasaki UTVs Are Made in Lincoln, Nebraska?
The Lincoln factory is the American manufacturing home of Kawasaki’s major utility, recreation-utility and sport side-by-side families.
| Kawasaki family | Primary purpose | Lincoln manufacturing history |
|---|---|---|
| MULE | Utility, agriculture and commercial work | Utility-vehicle production began in 1987 |
| Teryx and Teryx4 | Recreational trail riding | Teryx production began in 2007 for the 2008 model year |
| Teryx KRX and KRX4 | Technical trails and rock crawling | Manufactured and assembled in Lincoln |
| Teryx H2 | High-performance recreation | Manufactured and assembled in Lincoln |
| RIDGE and RIDGE CREW | Premium recreation-utility use | Manufactured and assembled in Lincoln |
More Than 50 Years of Kawasaki Manufacturing in Nebraska
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. was established in Lincoln in 1974. Production began the following year, making Kawasaki the first Japanese vehicle manufacturer to establish a manufacturing facility in the United States.
The original operation was considerably smaller than the manufacturing campus that exists today. By the time of our 2023 visit, the Lincoln facility covered approximately 2.4 million square feet on roughly 330 acres and employed more than 3,000 people.
The operation included three major divisions:
- Consumer Products Division: Side-by-sides, ATVs and other powersports products
- Rail Car Division: Passenger rail-car manufacturing
- Aerospace Division: Aerospace-related manufacturing
The Consumer Products Division builds the Kawasaki side-by-sides familiar to UTV enthusiasts, while other parts of the Lincoln campus support the rail and aerospace industries.
Kawasaki’s Lincoln Manufacturing Timeline
- 1974: Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. was established in Lincoln.
- 1975: Production began at the Nebraska facility.
- 1980: Kawasaki ATV production came to Lincoln.
- 1987: Production of Kawasaki’s original utility vehicle began.
- 1988: The first MULE 1000 reached customers for the 1988 model year.
- 2007: Kawasaki added Teryx production in preparation for the 2008 model year.
- Today: Lincoln produces Kawasaki’s MULE, Teryx, Teryx KRX, Teryx H2 and RIDGE side-by-side families.
For a closer look at individual production stations, watch our firsthand 2023 Kawasaki MULE PRO factory tour. That tour documents laser tube cutting, flow drilling, assembly and computerized torque verification on the MULE PRO 1000 production line.
From Metal to Muscle: More Than Final Assembly
Kawasaki describes the work performed in Lincoln as “From Metal to Muscle,” an appropriate phrase for a process that can begin with raw steel tubing rather than a nearly completed frame arriving from somewhere else.
Computer-controlled equipment cuts tubing to the required dimensions. Flow-drilling equipment creates durable fastener locations without requiring a separate welded nut at every mounting point.
Frame and chassis components then pass through automated and manual welding operations. Robotic equipment provides consistency during repetitive work, while Kawasaki employees complete specialized operations, inspect components and confirm that each structure meets the company’s requirements.
The Lincoln plant also performs plastics manufacturing and painting. Body panels can be molded, finished and prepared on the same campus where the vehicle is assembled. Kawasaki has even manufactured steel wheels at the facility instead of treating every major component as an imported, ready-to-install part.
On the assembly line, employees install engines, drivetrains, suspension components, electrical systems, interiors and bodywork. Computerized tools confirm that critical fasteners reach their programmed torque specifications.
Near the end of the line, technicians check front-suspension alignment and geometry, inspect the completed vehicle and confirm that its systems operate correctly. Each machine passes through numerous employees and production stations before it is ready to leave the factory.
Kawasaki side-by-sides are assembled in Lincoln using domestic and imported components, but describing the facility as a simple assembly plant understates the amount of manufacturing performed there.
Building the Kawasaki RIDGE and RIDGE CREW
Among the newest side-by-side families produced in Lincoln is the Kawasaki RIDGE and RIDGE CREW. The platform combines practical cargo and towing capabilities with a refined cockpit, automotive-style controls and a smooth inline four-cylinder engine.
The RIDGE demonstrates how the Lincoln operation has adapted as UTV buyers have asked for more comfort, technology and all-day versatility. Available factory heating and air conditioning, full doors, power windows and multi-passenger configurations move the RIDGE beyond the traditional open-cab utility UTV.
Although it represents a newer direction for Kawasaki, the RIDGE benefits from the same Nebraska manufacturing experience that has produced utility and recreational side-by-sides for decades.
Building the 250-Horsepower Kawasaki Teryx H2
One of the most advanced vehicles to emerge from Kawasaki’s Lincoln operation is the Teryx H2. Instead of simply adding more power to the existing KRX, Kawasaki developed a separate high-performance platform powered by a supercharged 999cc inline four-cylinder engine producing approximately 250 horsepower.
The Teryx H2 combines its supercharged engine with a wide chassis, long-travel suspension, large brakes and a modern cockpit. The family includes configurations designed for two, four or five occupants, depending on model and model year.
Our Kawasaki Teryx H2 first-drive review found that its acceleration is remarkable, but its suspension, chassis balance and refinement are just as important to the way it performs in open desert terrain.
Building a side-by-side with this level of performance illustrates how far production in Lincoln has progressed since the original MULE entered the factory nearly four decades ago. Its mission may be dramatically different, but manufacturing precision and quality control remain equally important.
Building the Traditional Teryx and Teryx4
The Lincoln facility has produced the traditional Kawasaki Teryx since the original two-seat Teryx 750 was introduced for the 2008 model year. The machine helped bridge the gap between the work-focused utility vehicles of the period and the sport UTVs beginning to reshape the market.
The four-seat Teryx4 joined the lineup for 2012, followed by a redesigned two-seat Teryx for 2014. Although the traditional Teryx models are less powerful than the newer KRX and H2 platforms, their compact dimensions, predictable low-speed control and durable construction continue to appeal to trail riders, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts.
Our history of the Kawasaki Teryx and Teryx4 follows the V-twin platform from the carbureted 2008 Teryx through the current recreational models.
Building the Kawasaki Teryx KRX
At the technical-trail and rock-crawling end of Kawasaki’s lineup sits the Teryx KRX. The KRX is a separate sport platform rather than a direct continuation of the traditional Teryx, with a 999cc parallel-twin engine, substantial chassis construction and long-travel suspension designed for demanding recreational terrain.
The family includes two- and four-seat models along with specialized editions such as the Teryx KRX 1000 Rock Edition and narrower 2027 Teryx KRX and KRX4 TR. The TR models reduce overall width to approximately 64 inches for tighter trail systems while retaining the KRX platform’s durability-focused construction.
Whether configured for rock crawling, backcountry exploration or narrower wooded routes, every completed KRX represents thousands of individual manufacturing and assembly steps performed in Nebraska.
Nearly Four Decades of Kawasaki MULE Production
The MULE has the deepest connection to Kawasaki’s Nebraska manufacturing story. Production of the original utility vehicle began in Lincoln in 1987 before the MULE 1000 reached customers as a 1988 model.
That early machine combined side-by-side seating, four wheels and a rear cargo bed in a vehicle designed primarily for work. The MULE was not the first small off-road vehicle with adjacent seating, but it helped establish and popularize the modern work-focused side-by-side format.
Kawasaki expanded the concept with four-wheel-drive models, compact MULEs, diesel engines and the convertible Trans4x4 layout. The later MULE PRO generation introduced independent suspension, more power and a faster Trans Cab conversion system while preserving the practical work mission behind the original machine.
Today, the Kawasaki MULE lineup covers several distinct branches. Traditional MULE 4000 and MULE 4010 models retain the straightforward work-focused formula, while the MULE PRO-MX occupies the midsize segment. The full-size family includes gas-powered and diesel models with single-row and convertible Trans Cab configurations.
Recent additions such as the MULE PRO-FX 820 and PRO-FXT 820 demonstrate that Kawasaki continues developing its utility lineup rather than relying entirely on the MULE’s longstanding reputation.
Our complete history of the Kawasaki MULE follows that evolution from the original MULE 1000 through the compact, Trans4x4, diesel and modern MULE PRO generations.
The People Behind Kawasaki’s UTVs
The completed vehicles naturally receive most of the attention, but the heart of Kawasaki’s Lincoln operation is the workforce responsible for building them.
More than 3,000 employees contribute to the operation. Engineers, equipment operators, welders, assemblers, technicians, painters, inspectors and logistics specialists work together to transform raw materials and components into completed vehicles.
Automation plays an important role, but this is not a factory operating without people. Employees oversee machinery, perform specialized work, verify measurements, inspect welds, install components and confirm that each vehicle meets Kawasaki’s requirements before it leaves the line.
The plant’s influence also extends beyond the machines it produces. It supports thousands of Nebraska jobs along with supplier relationships, skilled trades, technical careers and community investment.
Are Kawasaki UTVs American Made?
Kawasaki performs substantial manufacturing and final assembly at its Lincoln, Nebraska, operation. That work includes forming and welding structural components, producing and painting plastic parts, installing vehicle systems and performing quality-control checks.
However, Kawasaki identifies its side-by-sides as assembled in the United States using domestic and imported components. That is more precise than claiming every component is sourced or manufactured in America.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are Kawasaki UTVs made?
Kawasaki MULE, Teryx, Teryx KRX, Teryx H2 and RIDGE side-by-sides for the North American market are manufactured and assembled at Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Are Kawasaki MULEs made in the USA?
Kawasaki MULE utility vehicles are manufactured and assembled in Lincoln, Nebraska, using domestic and imported components. Kawasaki began utility-vehicle production there in 1987, and the first MULE 1000 was introduced for the 1988 model year.
Are Kawasaki Teryx and KRX models made in Nebraska?
Yes. Kawasaki produces its traditional Teryx and Teryx4 models, the Teryx KRX family and the supercharged Teryx H2 family at the Lincoln manufacturing operation.
Does Kawasaki only assemble UTVs in Lincoln?
No. Kawasaki performs manufacturing processes such as cutting and forming steel, welding chassis components, molding and painting plastic parts, component preparation, vehicle assembly and quality-control inspections at the Lincoln facility.
How large is Kawasaki’s Lincoln factory?
During our 2023 visit, Kawasaki reported that the Lincoln manufacturing operation covered approximately 2.4 million square feet on about 330 acres and employed more than 3,000 people.
Can the public tour Kawasaki’s Lincoln factory?
Our visits were arranged media tours. Public-tour availability can change, so anyone interested in visiting should contact Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing directly rather than assuming regularly scheduled public tours are available.
More Than 50 Years of American Manufacturing
Kawasaki’s Lincoln plant connects several very different generations of side-by-side development. It produced the original MULE that helped define the modern work UTV, the recreational Teryx, the technical-terrain KRX, the refined RIDGE and the 250-horsepower Teryx H2.
These vehicles use domestic and imported components, but each completed machine represents substantial manufacturing, assembly and quality-control work performed in Nebraska.
After more than 50 years in Lincoln and nearly four decades of MULE production, Kawasaki’s American manufacturing operation remains an important part of the company’s identity. Every MULE, Teryx, KRX, Teryx H2 and RIDGE that rolls out of the plant reflects the work of thousands of people who continue turning metal into muscle.
Explore our complete Kawasaki UTV coverage for current model announcements, reviews, specifications, technical developments, racing news and project builds.
