Japanese two-wheeler brand, Kawasaki has revealed a concept electric motorcycle that features Ninja-series inspired styling with a polar bear friendly engine. The concept motorcycle, which was seen in action on the racetrack, appeared to be nearly production-ready, although Kawasaki is yet to reveal any launch details.
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The Ninja-series inspired styling brings twin-pod headlight to the front fascia, a full fairing layout and a windscreen. The headlight assembly is hidden behind track tapes/stickers – an exercise that is usually followed to avoid gets broken glass on the racetrack in case of a crash. The front blinkers, similar to the petrol-powered motorcycle, are integrated into the fairing for a cleaner look. The cockpit features a race-bike style LCD instrument console with carbon-fibre surrounds. The production-spec model, however, should feature a different setup.
Another resemblance between the cockpit of the electric motorcycle and the petrol-powered bike is the clip-on style handlebar. The shape of the body panel that sits in the place of a conventional fuel tank is noticeably different than the unit on the petrol-powered motorcycle. The split-style seat and the tail section, on the other hand, looks similar to the standard Ninja series products.
Speaking about the motor, Yoshimoto Matsuda, Senior Manager, Innovative Department, Research & Development Division, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, said:
The electric motorcycle you see here features one of the next-generation power units that, along with supercharged engines, we have been working on since the early 2000s. Of course, even our electric motorcycles are developed according to our RIDEOLOGY development philosophy. They will still be fun to control, exciting, and a reflection of Kawasaki’s passion. We have been thoroughly studying and patenting features ranging from packaging and chassis geometry to transmission and thumb brake-activated energy recovery systems.
The promotional video also confirms that Kawasaki will introduce electric motorcycles soon. Speaking about the future products, and the influence of the concept bike on them, Matsuda added:
Elements from this concept model will evolve and appear on next-generation motorcycles we are working on. These motorcycles will definitely make you smile. You can look forward to seeing them in the near future.
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The company did not reveal any details about the engine and battery specifications. The concept motorcycle, however, was seen with conventional telescopic forks at the front, a mono-shock suspension at the back and disc brakes on both wheels.
