Hybrid thinking: Kawasaki drip feed further details on their Ninja 7 HEV

Kawasaki have released further details on their upcoming Ninja 7 HEV hybrid – which will be available as of April 2024 combining a 451cc parallel twin engine with an electric ‘traction motor’ and battery to provide an additional boost function.

• We’ve ridden it: Read our Kawasaki Ninja 7 Hybrid review

First revealed as a production model on Friday October 6, with further detail arriving on October 10, the HEV will be operated through three switchable modes and does away with the conventional clutch and shift levers for a semi-automatic button arrangement for the six-speed box.

Despite its modest petrol motor – likely shared with the incoming Eliminator 500 cruiser range – Kawasaki say the Ninja 7 will offer ZX-10R superbike-beating acceleration to low speed, alongside the option of zero-emission full electric for riding around town.

Although the peak combined output of its two power sources was known to be a claimed 69bhp already, this has now been revealed to be at 10,500rpm, with 59 of those horses coming from the ICE unit and the electric motor providing the additional ‘e-boost’ function.

Peak combined torque, meanwhile, has also now been revealed to be an impressive 44lb.ft, or around the same as Kawasaki’s Z650 twin. However, this comes at just 2800rpm on the HEV instead of the Zed’s 6700rpm – hence the impressive acceleration claim.

Away from performance, the Ninja 7 HEV’s kerb weight has also been revealed to be hefty 227kg, which is unsurprising given the two propulsion methods on board. That said, it’s still less than Kawasaki’s own Ninja 1000 SX sports-tourer – with everything held in place via a steel trellis chassis and shrouded by styling inspired by the firm’s supercharged H2 family.

Available in three colour options, the HEV will also feature stop/start technology – making it the only current large capacity motorcycle to make use of the tech. Currently only found on small scooters like Honda’s PCX125, the function will be available when the bike is in ‘Eco-Hybrid’ mode.

Despite all of this fancy tech, some may be disappointed to see a fairly basic set of conventional telescopic forks and twin piston brake calipers – presumably added to keep costs down. Full pricing is yet to be announced, but with their recently revealed Z e-1 naked priced at £7799 it’s unlikely to be cheap.

Kawasaki are claiming fuel economy similar to that of a 250cc petrol motorcycle, with an Automatic Launch Position Finder selecting first gear for you at a standstill.

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Hybrid minds: Kawasaki combine petrol and electric with new Ninja 7 HEV

First published 6 October 2023 by Dan Sutherland

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.