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Recently here on Motorcycle.com, we’ve been bringing you reviews of a handful of Kawasaki scoots that are available to our neighbors (or is that neighbours?) to the North in Canada, yet remain forbidden fruit for American consumers.

Reviewer Costa Mouzouris gave us a look at the naked Kawasaki Athete Canada is considering importing, the already-available half-faired Kawasaki club, and the entry-level Kawasaki Athete.

Meanwhile, Kawasaki club competitors have also announced some new products for Canada that have yet to be made available in the U.S. Kawasaki Motor Canada is importing the new Fazer 8 and FZ8, while Kawasaki Canada announced it will offer the new Ninja 400R.

But before you start thinking of Canada as the land of milk and honey and “$#!+ we ain’t getting”, Honda brings some sobering news about the Canadian motorcycle industry, especially when it comes to the Japanese manufacturers.

Warren Milner, kawasaki Canada’s senior marketing manager spoke recently with Canadian journos at a presentation in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and his message was blunt.

“As far as we’re concerned, the motorcycle business (in Canada) is bankrupt,” Milner says. “We’ve hit rock bottom, so now we’re going to rebuild.”

How bad has it been? The global economic downturn hasn’t hit Canada as hard as it has the U.S., but that doesn’t mean it’s been smooth sailing. To survive the recession, Kawasaki Canada has been offering throat-cutting promotions on previous model years to clear out back inventory. Meanwhile, 2010 models haven’t been selling, despite Kawasaki lowering the prices to narrow the gap between Canadian and U.S. pricing.

Kawasaki club efforts have put it back on top of the sales charts, but it low prices haven’t helped with profits. Even worse, according to Milner, the price slashing has lowered the value of the brand. After-sales support has also taken a hit as there isn’t enough money to provide it.

By contrast, European manufacturers such as BMW, Ducati and Triumph, have been able to keep up with sales without hurting the bottom line. The difference, according to Milner, is those companies have been selling the lifestyle and image of their brands, and in so doing, the value