Kawasaki, one of the big four Japanese motorcycle brands is best known for its amazingly fast racer and naked bike models such as the Ninja, and ER models, but the iconic brand is now working on something that could impress friend and foe.
Last November, on EICMA in Milan, Kawasaki already presented a prototype version built on a Z650 frame, using parts from different models in the lineup. Since then, we’ve heard surprisingly little about the new project until two weeks ago when the Japanese brand finally released some interesting features, including the name of the new model: The Kawasaki EV Endeavor.
Promo videos show the bike on a circuit, a closeup of the frame including the battery and the electromotor which is connected to a 4-speed manual operated gearbox.
In contrast to some of its competitors such as Zero and Harley Davidson, Kawasaki has opted for a manual transmission. Looking around a bit on social media, the brand gets both praised and criticized for this decision, with some people saying that Kawasaki is ‘pulling a Harley Davidson’. One of the leading engineers at Kawasaki Heavy Industries, however, assures us that the new electric motorcycle will still be fun and exciting to drive.
As I’ve discussed before, range anxiety remains a big problem for electric motorcycles, and while nothing has been announced about battery size or output, the Japanese brand is starting to get serious about electric motorcycle development, given its cooperation with Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha in this field.
Kawasaki has also not confirmed anything about the final price of the motorcycle, but we suspect that the final price tag could be around $20,000. For now, we get to enjoy the photos and videos.
