Photo: Kawasaki Motors Ltd
Now that Kawasaki Motors Ltd. has spun off as a separate business entity, the superbike manufacturer has recently revealed its plans on going forward, and those plans include a commitment to build forward-looking drivetrains.
By 2025, Kawasaki says they’ll roll out 10 electric and hybrid motorcycles, five of them off-road models with “advanced fuel” power plants.
The news came as part of a presentation in Tokyo, and the company says the plans include a near heretical hydrogen-powered H2 engine.
While motorcycles make up just a small bit of Kawasaki’s core business, they operate as stalking horses to market its large machine production facilities and products.
Part of the marketing is the use of their classic corporate logo. That design is essentially a Japanese character that represents the word for “river.”
Masaya Tsuruno, Managing Director of Kawasaki Motors Europe, says the changes are aimed at staying current with a changing world.
“The world has changed immeasurably in the century-plus history of the Kawasaki company – none more so that in the past few years,” Tsuruno says. “As we roll out our new corporate identity with the River Mark at its core, we look to take a next, bold step in terms of technology and engineering as well as enhancing the lives of countless people around the world with a focus on sustainability and emerging green technologies. While some things change others remain constant such as our commitment to be the best in our chosen fields; the River Mark is a fitting symbol of this commitment.”
As a result of the changes, you can expect electric motorcycles to replace the company’s smaller-displacement machines with models such as an electric street motorcycle to essentially replace bikes like the Ninja 400.
Kawasaki says that its efforts will be focused on the premium end of the market, likely meaning that these machines will be geared towards European and North American riders.
What it means is that you can expect Kawasaki to pressure other manufacturers to adopt non-traditional drivetrain systems and perhaps roll out up to 16 new motorcycles a year thru 2025.
The news came as part of a presentation in Tokyo, and the company says the plans include a near heretical hydrogen-powered H2 engine.
While motorcycles make up just a small bit of Kawasaki’s core business, they operate as stalking horses to market its large machine production facilities and products.
Part of the marketing is the use of their classic corporate logo. That design is essentially a Japanese character that represents the word for “river.”
Masaya Tsuruno, Managing Director of Kawasaki Motors Europe, says the changes are aimed at staying current with a changing world.
“The world has changed immeasurably in the century-plus history of the Kawasaki company – none more so that in the past few years,” Tsuruno says. “As we roll out our new corporate identity with the River Mark at its core, we look to take a next, bold step in terms of technology and engineering as well as enhancing the lives of countless people around the world with a focus on sustainability and emerging green technologies. While some things change others remain constant such as our commitment to be the best in our chosen fields; the River Mark is a fitting symbol of this commitment.”
As a result of the changes, you can expect electric motorcycles to replace the company’s smaller-displacement machines with models such as an electric street motorcycle to essentially replace bikes like the Ninja 400.
Kawasaki says that its efforts will be focused on the premium end of the market, likely meaning that these machines will be geared towards European and North American riders.
What it means is that you can expect Kawasaki to pressure other manufacturers to adopt non-traditional drivetrain systems and perhaps roll out up to 16 new motorcycles a year thru 2025.
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