Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki has invested a substantial amount of money into electric drivetrains, but it’s not ready to ditch the internal combustion engine. It unveiled a prototype powered by an experimental, hydrogen-burning supercharged four-cylinder engine.
Development work started in 2022, according to enthusiast website Motorcycle, and Kawasaki became the first company to publicly test a hydrogen-burning motorcycle when it showcased its prototype on the Suzuka track in Japan. Power comes from a 998-cubic-centimeter supercharged four-cylinder that’s related to the engine found in the Ninja H2, but it has been modified to burn hydrogen. On paper, this sounds a lot like what Toyota is testing. In contrast, companies like BMW use hydrogen to generate electricity in a hybrid-like drivetrain.
While the experimental Corolla looks a lot like the model sitting on your nearest dealer’s lot, the Kawasaki prototype stands out with a highly futuristic design characterized by sharp curves. It’s more difficult to integrate hydrogen storage tanks in a motorcycle than in a car. In this application, hydrogen is stored in a pair of luggage case-like tanks positioned behind the rider. It’s lighter than gasoline, so the location of the tanks shouldn’t have a catastrophic effect on weight distribution, but it’s not as dense so Kawasaki needs bigger tanks to achieve the same range. We’re told that the prototype’s chassis is entirely new; it was developed from the ground up with hydrogen technology in mind.
