If there is one motorcycle manufacturer we can think of when it comes to dishing out radical and exciting products in the current times, it has to be Kawasaki. The Japanese bikemaker gave the World a monster in the form of the Supercharged H2, which now also has a street-spec version, called the Z H2. If you’ve already drooled over the ZX-25R, you’d know it’s not just exotica where all the excitement is. Kawasaki has also been working on electric motorcycles since work began on their supercharged engines in the early 2000s.
In a video which offers a peek into their upcoming range of electric motorcycles, Yoshimoto Matsuda, Senior Manager of Kawasaki’s innovation department talks about the electric future. The video features a fully-faired prototype, which features a conventional gearbox and the bike has been developed according to Kawasaki’s ‘RIDEOLOGY’ philosophy, which focuses on the machine being fun to control, exciting and reflects the bikemaker’s passion to build desirable motorcycles. Throughout the development phase, Kawasaki has been thoroughly studying and patenting several features, which range from chassis geometry and packaging to thumb-brake activated energy recovery systems and transmissions.
Learnings from the development work being carried on the prototype will be infused in the next-generation Kawasaki motorcycles which are currently in the works. The bikemaker promises that these new motorcycles will retain the ‘Fun’ part associated with motorcycling, keep the good times rolling and bring a smile on the rider’s face.
Also Read: The All-New Kawasaki ZX-25R Is A 4-Cylinder Performance Beast
Coming back to their current lineup, the Kawasaki Z H2 made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show, a few weeks ago. Mechanically, this naked streetfighter is fitted with the same 998cc supercharged, four-cylinder engine which powers the Ninja H2. It cranks out over 200 PS of maximum power and delivers 137 Nm of peak torque. Interestingly, the Z H2 is just a kilogram heavier than the Ninja H2, with a Kerb weight of 239 kgs. The frame follows a trellis-type architecture like the fully-faired machine and gets quality hardware in the form of Brembo M4 callipers and Showa BPF front forks.