Kawasaki Hybrid motorcycle shown running on a dyno
Kawasaki has released a video showing a prototype motorcycle featuring a hybrid system running on a dyno
KAWASAKI has released a very teasing video showing a future motorcycle propulsion system being tested on a dyno.
The video shows how a hybrid system on a motorcycle could work in the future. Kawasaki clearly sees the tech lining up with the Kawasaki Rideology connectivity system, allowing the bike to ‘know’ where it is – either in the city, on the highway or a country road. The system seems able to switch between full electric, hybrid, and petrol power depending on engine speed and possibly from its location.
The video gives very little away in terms of what the final bike looks like, although there are some tell-tale clues in the video that give us a clue to its make-up. First off, it’s not a current model, more of a bitza, made up of a few different components. The swingarm, wheel, and sprocket all look like they are lifted from a Z900, while the frame seems to be a similar design to the Ninja 400 and Z400.
The frame is the key here, as the size and design of it is going to dictate the engine in the machine. With that in mind, it’s likely the internal combustion part of this bike is lifted from the Z400 or even, possibly, the smaller Asia-market Z250. The reason I say this, the Z400 and Ninja 400 engine only makes around 10bhp more than the smaller, slightly lighter, and more economical Z250 unit. And when the smaller engine it mated to a hybrid-drive system, it almost becomes a secondary component playing a supporting role.
Kawasaki Hybrid Motorcycle
This video is the latest in a long line of news stories from Visordown charting the journey Kawasaki is currently riding. As recently as October we reported on the latest patent images showing this bike in development. Click here to read that article.
To watch the full video, click here.
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
