- Showcased at the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race
- Ninja HEV (hybrid) and Z EV revealed
- Ninja powered by a parallel-twin motor and electric motor
It’s no secret that Kawasaki has been working on its upcoming electric and hybrid range of motorcycles. In the latest Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance race, the Japanese bikemaker revealed two prototypes, and here’s what you should know about them.
Kawasaki is working on a Ninja HEV (hybrid). As per these images, the Ninja HEV will be powered by a parallel-twin liquid-cooled engine which could be around 650cc even though the prototype’s bodywork looks similar to the Ninja 400. Moreover, it gets dual front discs, telescopic forks, a monoshock and a swingarm that seems longer than usual.
On the other hand, the Z EV, as the name suggests, is a pure electric motorcycle. It’s powered by a centrally mounted motor with chain drive and a diagonally mounted battery. The Z EV prototype garns the Z250’s bodywork and Kawasaki could likely tune the final product to an equivalent of a 200cc petrol-powered motorcycle.
The Z EV gets a single front and rear disc and is equipped with alloys wrapped in road-biased rubber. Its suspension setup comprises telescopic front forks and a monoshock at the rear.
Both the bikes seem close to being production-ready and we expect the manufacturer to display them at the EICMA 2022.
