World first for Kawasaki as hydrogen-powered Ninja makes public debut

As we transfer to a zero-carbon transport future, Kawasaki is testing the waters of greener and cleaner motorbike applied sciences. Following the reveal of a hydrogen-powered Ninja H2 SX final 12 months, the prototype has made its first public look in Japan.

Powering a automobile’s electrical motor(s) by battery is presently the new favourite within the e-mobility combine the place automobiles, vehicles, pedal bikes and scoots are involved.

Battery-electric can also be enough for getting round emission-curbing cities on bikes. However those that need to enterprise farther afield and purpose for greater speeds than commuters are constructed for may be left wanting – for probably the most half. After which there’s the issue of ready round whereas your trip is juiced up.

Large advances in battery chemistry and fast-charging applied sciences are being revealed with growing regularity, however we’re an impatient lot and progress can appear painfully sluggish. If solely there was a method to motor alongside all day with out producing nasty exhaust emissions… and top-up in minutes.

Inexperienced hydrogen may effectively relieve lots of the ache factors for the intrepid distance rider of the close to future. And we have seen numerous efforts discover this vitality dense gasoline supply roll into our inboxes, most of them being fuel-cell prototypes – from 2005’s ENV to Suzuki’s Crosscage a few years later, and extra not too long ago a futuristic idea from Segway plus a modified velocity monster courtesy of MIT.

Kawasaki began engaged on a hydrogen bike undertaking in March of final 12 months, based mostly round a modified combustion engine that is fed from considerably cumbersome H2 tanks behind the rider. By December, idea renders turned actuality when a working prototype was unveiled forward of observe testing. Now the hydrogen-powered Ninja H2 HySE has made its first public look.

Kawasaki

The donor bike’s modified 998cc inline-four supercharged engine now contains direct injection of H2 into the cylinder through a specifically developed gasoline provide system and hydrogen gasoline tanks. These tanks include high-pressure gasoline containers and are full of hydrogen on the rear of the bike in minutes.

Which means that riders can nonetheless benefit from the roar and vibration of an engine between their legs, and announce their presence to different highway customers without having to pipe synthetic growls via onboard audio system. Kawasaki says {that a} small quantity of engine oil is burned in the course of the course of, however the one different emission is water.

“Hydrogen engines produce energy like standard gasoline engines: air is taken in, combined with gasoline, after which combusted,” mentioned undertaking chief, Satoaki Ichi. “Having the ability to really feel the air enter whereas interacting with the engine provides to the rider’s enjoyment of controlling the bike. When hydrogen combusts, water is produced. In the event you maintain your hand close to the tailpipe, you possibly can really feel it’s moist. It’s a very mild engine – like a humidifier on wheels.”

Kawasaki

Nonetheless, most hydrogen manufacturing is not as eco-friendly because it could possibly be in the mean time, so to scrub up the long-haul motoring act utterly riders would want to fill the tanks with so-called inexperienced hydrogen that makes use of clear vitality for its manufacturing. This type of H2 is presently the exception reasonably than the rule, however by the point any manufacturing motorbike rolls out, that state of affairs may have modified.

And as we famous in our earlier protection of this undertaking, these droning out the Hindenburg catastrophe at each point out of hydrogen as a possible gasoline supply for transport may need to learn our piece on hydrogen airships from 2021.

The hydrogen-powered Ninja H2 made its public debut on the Suzuka Circuit within the Mie Prefecture of Japan on July 20, although the observe footage under was recorded at Autopolis in Hita Metropolis. It is a part of the Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine expertise (HySE) analysis initiative fashioned in Might 2023 by Kawasaki, Suzuki, Toyota, Honda and Yamaha. There is not any phrase on potential manufacturing home windows for the undertaking.

Supply: Kawasaki