Kawasaki is taking strong strides in developing sustainable and cleaner powertrain sources. The Japanese superbike brand unveiled its first electric motorcycles– Ninja e-1 and Z e-1– earlier this year. This was followed by the Z7 Hybrid bike which was also showcased at the recently concluded India Bike Week 2023.
It appears, Kawasaki isn’t stopping there and developing another hybrid motorcycle which resembles the Versys. A patent image leaked on the internet suggests that Kawasaki is working on a new Versys featuring a hybrid powertrain. This could be revolutionary since adventure tourers like Versys are currently the fastest growing segment of motorcycles.
In recent years, ADV bikes have been the preferred choice for riders venturing in long tours. Hence, fuel efficiency becomes a very important factor when it comes to buying an adventure bike. A hybrid powered ADV can be the exact solution to this problem.
Kawasaki Versys hybrid patent leaked
As per the patent image, the setup seems very familiar to the one used in the Z7 hybrid bike which was earlier presented at EICMA 2023. This hybrid setup consists of a 9kW electric motor and a 1.4kWh battery paired with a 451cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine. This unit delivers a peak power output of 69 bhp.
Therefore, the combined output from the engine and electric motor is most likely to be higher. The rider can also switch from fully electric to ICE once the battery runs out of juice. Kawasaki could also offer the bike with manual or automatic transmission options. The patent also illustrates a cooling system similar to the one used in the Ninja Z7 prototype.
In terms of features, we expect Kawasaki to offer full LED illumination, and digital instrumentation among others. Currently, Kawasaki offers the Versys 650 with a 649cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled motor mated to a six-speed gearbox. This powertrain kicks out 65 bhp and 69 Nm of peak torque.