Last year, Kawasaki began a project to research a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine on a motorcycle. On July 20, Kawasaki tested a prototype motorcycle at the Suzuka Circuit, making the Japanese brand the first in the world to do so by a mass-production motorcycle manufacturer.
The base was the 998cc in-line supercharged four-cylinder engine from the Kawasaki H2, with modifications done to allow the hydrogen fuel to be injected into the cylinders directly. The chassis was modified to carry the hydrogen fuel tanks and fuel supply.
The engine works like a traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and uses the same method of burning fuel and air mixture. The motorcycle also sounds traditional, like its petrol sibling.
Kawasaki’s Project Leader, Satoaki Ichi, told MCN that, “Hydrogen burns more quickly and under a wider range of conditions than gasoline, making it possible to create a more responsive feeling than ever. We are still at the basic research stage. We have finally reached the point where we can conduct riding tests on a two-wheeled vehicle. Stay tuned for more about this environmentally friendly future motorcycle.”
