Kawasaki

Kawasaki unveils first hybrid bikes By Ben Purvis

The world's first 'strong' hybrid production bikes have been launched in the form of Kawasaki's Ninja 7 Hybrid and Z7 Hybrid - but are they answers to a question that nobody asked?

The two bikes are essentially identical, differing only in their fairings and bar heights, with the Ninja taking a sportier role and the Z7 Hybrid a more upright roadster stance, and the technology both share is undeniably impressive. 

Z7

Power comes from a 451 cc parallel twin engine that's related to the twin in the new Eliminator 500 and the Ninja 500 and Z500 models that replace the previous Z400 and Ninja 400, but in the two Hybrid models it puts out a peak of 43.5 kW (58.3 hp) as there's no intention to meet the 'A2' licence rules that the other models comply with, leading to their sub-35 kW (47 hp) outputs. 

However, the Ninja 7 Hybrid and Z7 Hybrid don't stop there, as both also get a 9 kW (12 hp) electric motor coupled to a 48V lithium-ion battery that hides under the seat. The two powertrains can be used separately - allowing the bikes to operate in pure-electric mode for up to 12 km at low speeds, in petrol-only mode (also recharging the battery) when out of town or, by using the 'E-Boost' function, combining both the electric and combustion engine power for a peak of 51.1 kW (68.5 hp) to maximise performance for brief periods.

As with most electric bikes, it's the torque of the electric motor rather than its peak power that really adds to performance, and Kawasaki says that the two hybrid machines offer performance that's on a par with a 650 cc-700 cc bike, but with off-the-line acceleration that matches a 1,000 cc superbike and economy that's better than a 250 cc machine.

These two power units are combined via a shared transmission, an automated six-speed manual that's controlled by buttons on the left bar - there's no clutch lever or foot-operated lever - or can work in a full-automatic mode. E-Boost is activated using its own separate button.

Ninja 7

Like most four-wheeled hybrids, there's also an idle-stop system, so the combustion engine stops when you come to a halt, and in 'Eco' mode, the bike will pull away using pure electric power before kicking the engine into life once on the move.

The electric motor also allows Kawasaki to include a 'Walk' setting that lets the bike use its electric power to shuffle forwards or backwards at low speeds, helping when it comes to parking or moving the bike around a garage.

The tech is impressive, but the chassis spec is less imposing, with similar suspension and brakes as the Ninja 650 and Z650 models.

Whether customers will buy these new hybrids remains to be seen, but given the relatively good fuel economy already achieved by bikes like Suzuki's GSX-S800 - while offering more performance - and the expected high prices of Kawasaki's hybrids, they could be facing a tough challenge to attract buyers beyond the most dedicated of early-adopters.