A side view of the Kawasaki Ninja 7 HEV
Cornering on the Kawasaki Ninja 7 HEV
Cornering right on the Kawasaki Ninja 7 HEV
A front view of the Kawasaki Ninja 7 HEV
Town riding on the Kawasaki Ninja 7 HEV
Kawasaki Ninja 7 HEV front fairing
Right side view of the Kawasaki Ninja 7 HEV
Side on view of the Kawasaki Ninja 7 HEV
Kawasaki are jumping head first into their pledge towards sustainability, revealing more details on their Ninja 7 petrol-electric hybrid just weeks after launching their first fully electric motorcycle.
Following in the footsteps of the naked Z E-1, the Ninja 7 HEV is set to be available in the UK from April 2024 with prices to be confirmed nearer the time.
It combines a new 451cc parallel twin engine – offering either manual or automatic gearshifts – plus a 12.1bhp electric ‘traction motor’ and battery to provide an additional ‘e-boost.’ Peak power is a claimed 69.1bhp, with the twin cylinder engine (housed in a trellis chassis) likely to be the 451cc unit already teased for the incoming Eliminator 500 cruiser range.
To help with weight distribution, both the electric motor and 48V lithium ion battery are housed towards the centre of the bike, before being shrouded by a set of sporty fairings finished with matt lime green under cowl with silver and black bodywork.
Kawasaki claim that when using the electronic boost function, the Ninja 7 will offer “instant acceleration to rival that of a 1000cc-class supersport model from a standing start” alongside a frugal fuel economy to rival that of a 250cc combustion machine.
Three riding modes will be available through the mobile connectable TFT dash, and consist of Sport-Hybrid, Eco-Hybrid, and EV – the latter using only the electric motor and limiting both speed and range.
Like the Z E-1 to come before it, you can also ‘walk’ the bike backwards and forwards on the electric motor, and there’s also a new Automatic Launch Position Finder that selects first gear for you at a standstill.
Keyword: Hybrid minds: Kawasaki combine petrol and electric with new Ninja 7 HEV