Japanese motorbike producer Kawasaki has invested a considerable sum of money into electrical drivetrains, however it’s not able to ditch the interior combustion engine. It unveiled a prototype powered by an experimental, hydrogen-burning supercharged four-cylinder engine.
Growth work began in 2022, in keeping with fanatic web site Motorbike, and Kawasaki grew to become the primary firm to publicly check a hydrogen-burning motorbike when it showcased its prototype on the Suzuka monitor in Japan. Energy comes from a 998-cubic-centimeter supercharged four-cylinder that is associated to the engine discovered within the Ninja H2, however it has been modified to burn hydrogen. On paper, this sounds quite a bit like what Toyota is testing. In distinction, firms like BMW use hydrogen to generate electrical energy in a hybrid-like drivetrain.
Whereas the experimental Corolla appears to be like quite a bit just like the mannequin sitting in your nearest vendor’s lot, the Kawasaki prototype stands out with a extremely futuristic design characterised by sharp curves. It is harder to combine hydrogen storage tanks in a bike than in a automotive. On this software, hydrogen is saved in a pair of baggage case-like tanks positioned behind the rider. It is lighter than gasoline, so the situation of the tanks should not have a catastrophic impact on weight distribution, however it’s not as dense so Kawasaki wants greater tanks to attain the identical vary. We’re advised that the prototype’s chassis is totally new; it was developed from the bottom up with hydrogen know-how in thoughts.
Technical specs akin to horsepower, using vary, and weight have not been launched. Nevertheless, challenge chief Satoaki Ichi famous that the prototype ought to really feel and sound quite a bit like an everyday gasoline-burning motorbike with a number of added advantages. “Hydrogen burns extra shortly and underneath a wider vary of circumstances than gasoline, making it potential to create a extra responsive feeling than ever,” he mentioned.
Hydrogen-powered bikes face the identical main hurdle as hydrogen-powered vehicles: the shortage of an infrastructure. With that in thoughts, there isn’t any phrase but on what the longer term holds for Kawasaki’s prototype, not to mention after we’ll see it in showrooms. Kawasaki is working with rivals Suzuki, Honda, and Yamaha on the know-how, however Ichi confused that the challenge stays on the embryonic stage of growth.
