The first Japanese manufacturer to make its debut among electric motorcycles is Kawasaki. The Ninja e-1 and Z e-1 will mark a historic moment for a brand that has been producing dream bikes for seventy years. After their appearance at the last EICMA, they are now presented in their final form, while we wait to see and test them on the road as soon as possible. Both models use the same platform and enter the 125 segment with the air-cooled permanent magnet motor with 5 kW of nominal power and 9 kW of maximum power with a torque of 40.5 Nm. Numbers that may seem low at first glance for bikes with Z and Ninja written on the fairings, but note that here we are talking about electricity and the values on the ground are different, power does not tell the whole story. For example, an important feature is the dual lithium-ion battery that is not only removable and can be charged on board through a socket under the seat or at a charging station, but is also connected in parallel. The units are 50.4 V and 30 Ah, therefore about 1.5 kWh and 11.5 kg each. Charging from 0 to 100% on a normal household socket takes 3.7 hours per battery and the combined range is approximately 72 km.The final transmission is a chain, but there is no clutch or gearbox, only one gear, as is normal in an electric vehicle, and there are two driving modes: Road (85 km/h) and Eco (60 km/h). To these modes is added the e-Boost function: a button placed under the right handlebar allows maximum power and acceleration for 15 seconds, for example, to overtake. The recovery time for e-Boost is not specified in Kawasaki’s press release, but an icon on the TFT display alerts us to its availability. The maximum speed with e-Boost is 73 km/h in Eco mode and 99 km/h in Road mode. There is also another mode, called Walk, which allows the motorcycle to move at a walking pace up to a maximum of 5 km/h, making maneuvers easier, especially on inclines. In this regard, the declared weight is also interesting: 135 and 140 kg in running order. The seat height is 785 mm.
Aside from the innovative propulsion system, we are facing two true “greenies”. The style and frame are very similar to those of the Ninja and Z 400 that we already know and appreciate. The frame is a steel trellis, in the front we find a 41 mm diameter Uni-Trak fork and in the rear a gas mono-shock with spring preload adjustment. The travel is 120 and 133 mm. The tires are 100/80-17″ and 130/70-17″ and the brakes have 290 mm and 220 mm discs with dual-piston calipers. Like good electric bikes, the Z e-1 and the Ninja e-1 are equipped with regenerative braking. The fully digital 4.3-inch TFT color instrumentation obviously offers the possibility of wirelessly connecting to the bike with your smartphone, but we still don’t know exactly which parameters can or cannot be adjusted remotely.
Kawasaki shows that it believes, or at least seriously wants to experiment with the bet on electricity, and does so from a segment that is currently conducive to this type of propulsion, namely that of lighter motorcycles suitable for mostly urban use. And it does so without betraying its own styles and principles. As we have already mentioned on other occasions, with the electric motorcycle, even our displacement references are destined to change, and within the 125cc range, we may have both motorcycles with a slightly sporty performance and small and agile scooters. That said, we also admit that, from the first reading of the technical data of these first “green” bikes powered by electrons, we expected to see something more in terms of performance and, above all, autonomy. However, it is always premature to judge a book by its cover and a motorcycle by its technical specifications. So, we wait to test them on the road. At that time, we will also have the last important information: the price.
