The Kasinski Mirage 150 was the smallest model of the Mirage family, a line of custom-styled motorcycles from the Brazilian manufacturer Kasinski. The range also included the Mirage Premier with a 250 cc engine and the Mirage Power with a 650 cc engine, so the same cruiser look was offered in three sizes.
Kasinski Mirage 150 at a glance
| Maker | Kasinski, Brazil |
|---|---|
| Model family | Mirage |
| Type | custom (cruiser) motorcycle |
| Engine size | 150 cc |
| Larger sisters | Mirage Premier (250 cc), Mirage Power (650 cc) |
| Company founded | 1999, by Abraham Kasinski |
| Technical basis | industrial facilities and motorcycle rights bought from the Korean assembler Hyosung |
| Range in 2002 | ten motorcycle models, average nationalisation 65% |
| Plant output | not more than 600 units a month |
| Owner from 2009 | CR Zongshen group, with half Brazilian and half Chinese capital |
| End of production | motorcycles not made since 2014; production had been suspended in 2013 |
Based on one source: the Wikipedia article on Kasinski, which lists the Mirage models by capacity and type but gives no separate article to any of them. No free photograph of the Mirage was available, so the earlier cover picture of the record is kept.
History of the Kasinski Mirage 150
A cruiser line in three sizes
Kasinski listed its cruisers under the Mirage name. The Mirage 150 used a 150 cc engine, and the same styling was carried up the range by the Mirage Premier with a 250 cc engine and the Mirage Power with a 650 cc engine. That made the Mirage 150 the entry point into the family, and the cheapest way into the custom look the brand offered.
The company behind it
Kasinski was founded in 1999 by Abraham Kasinski. It started with the purchase of the industrial facilities of the Korean assembler Hyosung, including the rights to continue manufacturing Hyosung’s motorcycle line under the Kasinski brand, and it also assembled cargo tricycles with Bajaj Auto technology from India. By 2002 it had ten motorcycle models with an average nationalisation index of 65 percent.
The end of the road
Despite good sales, production never went beyond 600 units a month. Abraham Kasinski sold the company in July 2009 to the CR Zongshen group, which has half Brazilian and half Chinese capital. In 2010 the firm announced a new factory at Sapucaia in Rio de Janeiro state for electric motorcycles, but production was suspended in 2013 amid legal and labour problems, and since 2014 Kasinski has not manufactured motorcycles.
Design and features
- Entry to the Mirage line: the 150 cc version of the brand’s cruiser family.
- Custom look in a small engine class: cruiser styling with a 150 cc engine.
- Three sizes under one name: 150, 250 and 650 cc Mirage models.
- Hyosung roots: the brand was built on rights to the Korean maker’s motorcycle line.
- Brazilian content: the 2002 range averaged 65 percent nationalisation.
Kasinski Mirage 150 versions
- Mirage 150: the 150 cc custom, the smallest of the family.
- Mirage Premier: the 250 cc custom.
- Mirage Power: the 650 cc custom.
Kasinski also sold the Comet standards and sport bikes and the Prima scooter. More machines are in the Kasinski collection.
Video: Avaliação da Kasinski Mirage após rodar 4 meses e 14.000 km
Video by Rafael MetalOmega on YouTube.
Sources
- Kasinski, Portuguese Wikipedia: company history, model list, capacities and types
- Kasinski, English Wikipedia: company history, model list
