New Patent Drawings Reveal Progress
It would seem that Kawasaki has an electric motorcycle it’s working on. Visordown nabbed some patent drawings that show how the bike is progressing. In short, Kawasaki’s getting closer. There are two drawings that show some interesting things about the bike.
The first shows a mostly complete motorcycle, or rather a simple drawing of one. It’s all there, what looks like a battery and electric motor, handlebars, etc. This suggests Kawasaki at least has a design in mind and is working towards patenting its ideas.
The second shows a close up of the gearing and clutch. Yep, this electric bike appears to have a clutch. Visordown notes that the addition of the gearbox could help the electric motor spin more efficiently, allowing the rider to get the most out of the battery power. the addition of a couple gears also would make the electric motorcycle feel a little more conventional and less like a twist-and-go scooter.
The patent drawings are honestly pretty unclear. As Visordown notes, the information gleaned from the drawings could be incorrect. Kawasaki could just be patenting the designs for a future application. This would allow them to come back to it at a later date, or the manufacturer could be hiding something truly significant within the drawing that we didn’t notice. Either way, it shows that Kawasaki is working on something interesting.
The likelihood that its an electric motorcycle is pretty high. Kawasaki has had electric motorcycle concepts in the past (the J Concept comes to mind) and with electric bikes poised to become the future of the industry, it’s no wonder Kawasaki appears to be working on one.
incorporating a clutch / manual gears would be sooo Japanese.
stoically holding on to legacy and then fudge new tech.
the lack of gears is one of the plus points of electric –
it simplifies the experience.
Bravo Kawasaki! The lack of gears is what keeps me from having an interest in electric bikes. Who wants a simplified experience on a motorcycle, except someone who cant properly ride?
It will be interesting to see if adding gearing into electric motorcycles becomes more common. Adding them could help people feel more comfortable making the transition.