During the presentation of “Group Vision 2030”, Kawasaki lifted the curtain on the Ninja H2 HySE, Kawasaki’s first hydrogen-powered motorcycle developed with the help of the HySE Consortium, consisting of Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and Toyota.
Last year, Kawasaki announced that it was developing a hydrogen-powered motorcycle, using a computer drawing of a touring sports model for animation, but now that the first roadworthy prototype of the H2 HySE has been unveiled, we can get a better idea of what Team Green has in store for us.
The Ninja H2 HySE is powered by a hydrogen version of the well-known H2 Supercharged 999 cc four-cylinder in-line engine, a block that was prominently displayed during the presentation of the Ninja 7 Hybrid in Barcelona. Kawasaki has housed the required hydrogen in specially developed side cases.
As far as the design of the H2 HySE is concerned, Kawasaki seems to have mixed elements of the Ninja H2 SE with those of the BMW K1 of old, with an equally hideous end result. But hey, that’s our opinion, if it appeals to you then there’s nothing wrong with that.
Some parts are very recognizable, such as the whopper of the rear silencer, while some things are quite funny, such as the H-shaped headlight unit, to underline the hydrogen drive. The color blue has also been chosen very subtly, in the automotive industry blue is seen as ‘green’.
Whether, and if so, when, Kawasaki will launch a production version of the Ninja H2 HySE is still unclear at the moment. The further development from the first prototype to the final pre-production model normally takes several years, but the biggest challenge will not be the engine itself, but the infrastructure. There are not that many filling stations where you can fill up with hydrogen.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.