Abe Motor Company 1950-57
エーブ自動車工業
Kobayashi Motor 1957-59
小林モータース;エーブ
Abe Rihachi had been employed by Meguro Motorcycle prior to WWII and post war he founded the Abe Motor Company in 1950 initially producing the Abe Star A1 which was a single cylinder 142cc four stroke. As with later models, it carried his name on the tank and the engine timing cover. This first offering was followed by:
- Abe Star BR ( released in 1951 ) - 4 stroke OHV single cylinder 142 cc.
- Abe Star CV 350 ( released in 1952 ) - 4 stroke OHV, V-twin 338 cc.
- Abe Star FR 250cc (released in 1954)
- Abe Star FL ( released in 1956 ) - 4 stroke single cylinder 248 cc.
The company had financial issues in 1955 and eventually went bankrupt in 1957, and was bought out by Kobayashi Motor which went on to produce the:
- Abe Star FK ( released in 1959 ) - 4 stroke single cylinder 249 cc, with rotary transmission.
The FK was notable for having a series of lights on the headlamp nacelle indicating which gear was engaged, which was possibly a first in the motorcycle industry globally.
As was the case for many businesses located in the Nagoya area, the factory was badly damaged by flooding in 1959 during the Ise Bay Typhoon and did not reopen.