Kawasaki working on oil-cooled electric bike

Electric motors heat up just like conventional fuel burning motors. And in the latest patent image leak from Kawasaki it appears as if they have solved the problem with their new oil-cooling set up.

Kawasaki and its electric motorcycle plans have been floating around for more than a year now. Last year, we even told you about Kawasaki working on an electric Ninja 300. However, since then, Kawasaki appears to have solved one of their biggest hurdles and that was containing the heat developed by the electric motors.

These latest designs show a large, two-piece cooling system connected to the new electric motor. This new oil-cooling set up will help keep the high temperatures from the motor down. As of now, there’s still very less development on cooling high-rpm electric motors. According to a source, the description for the design says the radiator and pump fire the oil around the outer casing of the moving parts. The bike has a fake fuel tank and the batteries that power the system are mounted towards the top of the bike’s layout to balance the weight of the heavy electric motor placed at the optimum point low-down.

Another interesting leak is that the patent does specifically state that the unit is not solely limited to a motorcycle but is also suitable for use in a small truck or a large all-terrain vehicle. It also outlines this unit in particular as suitable for use in a hybrid set-up sitting alongside a small petrol-powered engine for even more power.

Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how a big manufacturer like Kawasaki take on the electric evolution. We will keep you updated.

Source - MoreBikes.co.uk