Sources: cyprusshippingnews.com & bikeit.gr
The head of Kawasaki’s hydrogen project, Yoshimoto Matsuda, said the company aims to bring the hydrogen bike to market in the early 2030s.
On July 20, Kawasaki Motors, a member of the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Group, conducted the world’s first public demonstration run of a hydrogen ICE (internal combustion engine) motorcycle at Suzuka Circuit, an 8 Hours Endurance Race in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. The hydrogen ICE motorcycle was designed and built as part of research that began in March 2023. It is worth noting that Kawasaki’s H2H2 motorcycle is not the only hydrogen project that Kawasaki is working on, as the company also entered the Dakar Rally with a hydrogen vehicle that was even able to finish successfully.
Mounted in the machine is a hydrogen engine based on the 998 cm3 In-Line Four Supercharged Engine found in Kawasaki’s Ninja H2 motorcycle, with modifications to allow direct hydrogen fuel injection into the cylinders. The mechanical supercharger plays a pivotal role in the engine’s operation with hydrogen, ensuring proper combustion and the supply ratio so that the exhaust “cleans” the harmful nitrogen oxide pollutants.
The motorcycle’s chassis was designed to accommodate hydrogen fuel canisters and a hydrogen fuel supply system. Hydrogen ICE motorcycles run on hydrogen combustion, producing the rumble and pulsating sensation riders enjoy when twisting the throttle while emitting mainly water. The gaseous fuel will be injected directly into the combustion chamber – the test bike has injectors from a Toyota Corolla hydrogen and 25-liter tanks from a Toyota Mirai, with a filling pressure of 700 MPa. Due to the rapid ignition/burn of the hydrogen, the engine has a quick throttle response, which can be a nice feature for a motorcycle engine. The challenges for the bike continue as, with the current tanks, the autonomy of the H2H2 is still short – it amounts to about an hour of operation.
