Kawasaki Ninja models get official launch By Ben Purvis
After being officially shown a year ago without any details on their technical specifications, Kawasaki's Ninja e-1 and Z e-1 electric bikes have been given a full unveiling - revealing some rather underwhelming figures for performance and range.
Given the bikes' visual similarities to the Ninja 400 and Z400, which share many of the same body parts and other components with the electric models, you might have expected a similar level of performance, but in fact, the electric models are below even the Z125 and Ninja 125 in that respect.
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The two electric Kawasakis are mechanically identical to each other. Both have an air-cooled, permanent magnet motor that's rated at just 5 kW (6.7 hp) with a shorter-term peak of 9 kW (12 hp). That makes them fractionally too powerful to be classed as 'L1e' mopeds, but rather less powerful than the typical 11 kW/15 hp 125 cc model in the 'L3e' licence category.
Top speed depends on the selected riding mode and varies between the Ninja and Z, with the faired Ninja having the higher top speed rating. In 'Eco' mode, the Ninja manages 64 km/h (40 mph) and the Z can hit 62 km/h (38.5 mph). In 'Road' mode, the Ninja does 88 km/h (55 mph) and the Z can achieve 85 km/h (53 mph). In both modes, there's an 'e-boost' available, adding a brief hit of extra power, that increases top speed by between 10 and 14 km/h, with both models having an absolute maximum of 99 km/h (61.5 mph) in 'Road' mode with e-boost activated.
Using all that performance will inevitably impact range, and there's not a huge amount of it. Under WMTC conditions, both bikes are rated to be able to do 72 km (45 miles) on a charge.
The energy is held in a pair of removable batteries, each with a nominal 50.4 V and 30 Ah capacity, weighing 11.5 kg. Charging time is 3.7 hours per battery. With the batteries fitted, the Ninja weighs a total of 140 kg and the Z e-1 is 5 kg lighter at 135 kg.
Will those performance and range figures be enough to tempt riders away from combustion engines? It seems unlikely, but we'll find out in 2024 when the bikes are on the market.
