They were originally announced for summer 2023, but that appears to have been a bit too optimistic. However, technical specifications of Kawasaki’s first electric motorcycles, the Ninja e-1 and Z e-1, have now been leaked.
It is already three quarters of a year ago that Kawasaki unfolded its CO2 neutral plans at the EICMA in Milan, drawing the curtain on two EV models, a naked Z EV and a streamlined Ninja EV, while indicating that these are not considered as the final model names had to be seen.
When it came to technical specifications, Kawasaki kept a low profile and still does, one of the few things that was announced to the world was that both models should be seen as 125cc equivalent, for around town and around town. So we knew that the power would be a maximum of 15 hp, the rest remained guessing.
While both EV models were announced before summer 2023 during the unveiling at the EICMA in Milan, we now know that this was a bit too optimistic. Officially, Kawasaki is still silent, but we have heard from a reliable source that the launch is still planned for 2023, as a 2024 model.
The fact that the launch of both models will indeed take place this year can be deduced from the fact that Kawasaki already has type approval in several continents for a Z e-1 and Ninja e-1, from which (besides the name) a few things can be deduced from.
For example, both models are a homologated power of 9 kW, or 12 hp for those who go for the primal designation. That is indeed less than the 15 hp (11 kW) that are allowed here in Europe for the A1 driving license, but because electric has a constant torque, those figures cannot be compared 1 to 1 with a 125cc.
In fact, because of that constant torque (which will be much stronger than a 125cc) we are convinced that the EV will beat the 125cc in terms of performance before even driving it for a meter.
Especially if we also add the weight. According to the documents, the naked Z e-1 weighs only 135 kilos (you read that right!) and that is no less than 11 kilos less than a Z125 (146 kg) puts on the scales. Kawasaki claims a weight of 140 kg with the faired Ninja e-1.
Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider that both models are not derived from the 125cc variants, but from the Z400 and Ninja 400. With a curb weight of 167 kilos, the difference between the Z e-1 and the Z400 is even 32 kilos, while the torque of the EV models will far exceed that of the 400s.
The wheelbase, at 1,370 mm, is the same as that of the 400 models, while the tire sizes (100/80-17 at the front and 130/70-17 at the rear) are in turn derived from the 125.
The only thing Kawasaki had confirmed was that both bikes will feature two battery packs with a combined capacity of 3kWh, the documents now showing these to be of the lithium-ion type.
Each battery weighs 12 pounds and they are designed to be interchangeable. Kawasaki has already entered into a partnership with the other Japanese manufacturers on this point. Together with ENEOS Holdings, the Big Four set up a company, Gachaco Inc., to design a battery exchange system and network.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.