Kawasaki Endeavour electric motorcycle gets serious

The Kawasaki Endeavour electric motorcycle project could be getting closer to completion as new patents prove

DESPITE the factory keeping hushed on an official announcement of the release, the Kawasaki Endeavour electric motorcycle project seems to be gaining momentum, as these new patents show.

We’ve known about the Kawasaki Endeavour project for some time now, with Kawasaki rolling one out at the EICMA show in Italy for all to see last winter. Although the factory has been quite shy about announcing the machine as an upcoming model. The reason most likely is that announcing the bike puts it in a pre-determined timeline until launch and with the world the way it is currently, that is probably something Kawasaki top-brass don’t want to commit to!

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But don’t think that means the wheels of progress aren’t in motion, as these new patents give some insight into how the new electric motorcycle could be put to market.

The images clearly show the Endeavour, or at least the most important parts of it, frame, motor, battery, gearbox and chassis parts, with the only thing missing being the fairing – if indeed it has one by that point.

What is really interesting though is that the images show how the new bike will reach the customer. In the image below we can see a well thought out timeline showing a bike without the battery or control unit arriving at what we assume is a Kawasaki dealer. From there we can see the battery and control unit – which will likely form part of the battery unit – being fitted at the dealer prior to the customer collecting the bike.

We can also see from the wiring diagram that the control unit includes accelerometers and temperature sensors. While both can be used while the bike is in motion to diagnose a fault, it’s not beyond the bounds of reasonability to assume they could also monitor the health of the battery while the unit is being shipped, notifying the dealership of any damage occurred during transit.

Why would the Kawasaki Endeavour electric motorcycle be shipped in this way?

One reason the firm may be investigating this modular for shipping with construction at the dealership is to circumnavigate some fairly complex rules that arise when shipping high power electrical components. It also means the motorcycle part of the bike, chassis, brakes, and wheels, etc, can be manufactured at a classic production facility, with the electronics – a far more niche area for Kawasaki – being manufactured elsewhere.

Does any of the above mean Kawasaki is 100 percent going ahead with the Endeavour electric motorcycle project, no, in truth it doesn’t. Although after putting this much thought and time into the project, it’d be a massive surprise if we didn’t see a completed machine within at least a couple of years.