Hybrid Motorcycles Are Here! We Ride The Kawasaki Ninja 7

Kawasaki has released the first production hybrid motorcycle in the world. It's called the Ninja 7 Hybrid, and no, it rides nothing like a Prius. With more and more places around the world getting tougher and tougher on emissions, some areas are making it difficult to ride a gas-powered vehicle into their borders. The Ninja 7 Hybrid is a clever loophole around that, as you can ride in full electric mode which, as Road Test Editor Troy Siahaan found out, is kinda nice sometimes when riding in congested cities. Watch the video to learn what the riding experience is like overall. And let us know if you want a more detailed tech video.
This video is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Ninja 7. There's a lot more to cover, so don't forget to read the full written review here: www.motorcycle...
Thanks to Motorcycle Mechanics Institute for sponsoring this video. Learn more here: s.uti.edu/MMI-YT
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[@Ian-dj2nj]

You have to hand to Kawasaki, they embrace engineering. Like the supercharger, they are not afraid of bringing new technologies to the market. I applaud this and am excited to see how new tech evolves.

[@Supernova12034]

kawasaki and yamaha building cool bikes, suzuki and honda sleeping.

[@yvonjasser]

While a appreciate the addition of a supercharger, it is not new technology at all…

[@johnny7406]

​@@yvonjasserit is for bikes because not many have them

[@ZeroXSEED]

@@yvonjasser Grand total of mass-produced supercharged motorcycle: a few All Kawasaki Kawasaki mostly produce heavy industrial machines and used motorcycle as branding for marginal profit

[@yvonjasser]

@@ZeroXSEED rare doesn’t mean new technology. No profit doesn’t mean new technology.

[@nathancooley8459]

This bike looks seriously awesome for anyone riding in and around major cities. Which, statistically, would be most people. I often find myself wishing I had a quieter and more efficient bike for cruising through neighborhoods and surface streets. Then to be able to really open it up on highways and twisties sounds like the best of both worlds. I can’t justify a second bike, especially at that price, but this is really exciting tech.

[@pitchforkpeasant6219]

Highways no. Top speed 37 mph. Given highways in cities are typically backed up though😂

[@kwaitefuni9152]

I appreciate how Kawasaki is always bringing something new. I don't know if the Hybrid/EV models will be popular, but at least they're giving it a shot!

[@lakwatserongkuripot7351]

not gonna lie.that is one aesthetically gorgeous looking bike.

[@ronniesakchaisitkul4893]

I love the idea of electric but personally I really enjoy the clutch and shifting manually.

[@kleinbottled79]

Yeah, the transmission is the least compelling part of this bike. (imho)

[@billygowhoop]

I agree. Flipping through the gears everytime you pull away from a stop is a lot of fun. Not having a clutch lever or shifter is kind of disappointing. It's probably necessary though if you're going to integrate an electric motor into the bike.

[@aspecreviews]

@@billygowhoop you can manually shift.

[@pleasedontwatchthese9593]

I think a good part of this bike is being automatic. There's kinda basically no or not many automatic sport bikes. This is good for people who may have a hard time working a clutch or shifter due to injuries

[@PetrolJunkie]

I think a communter would consider a hybrid motorcycle. The reason being is that when you're in slow traffic where you are wasting fuel this can run on battery. That could dramatically increase your fuel milage / range. Maybe you have some nice twisty roads nearby. That seems like the best fit for this bike.

[@pitchforkpeasant6219]

Unless you’re stuck in traffic. Lane splitting and lane filtering is still illegal in most places. Splitting is through moving traffic and filtering is moving through non moving traffic

[@amitsurve]

Maybe they will make hybrid adventure touring motorcycles in the future especially for folks who like to camp a lot and provide accesories supported/connected to the electric motor but that seems afar away for now.

[@simpletonballsack]

There's very little chance that would be further away than 2025.

[@flasher702]

hybrid adventure bike + drone...

[@pitchforkpeasant6219]

@@flasher702drones illegal in national parks. Not currently sure about national forests

[@baconberries8097]

Totally! Especially since those platforms are larger, allowing more battery. I really thought that an adventure/touring kind of bike would be the very first to come to market, but I'm not complaining!

[@impreza99rs]

i would love to see a second video, going over performance.... 0-60, 1/4 mile ect...

[@dannygaron]

Probably sucks hard at regular sport bike stuff.

[@tmcclennen1]

I owned a Concourse C14 before Covid. I'm not a sport rider, I'm a touring rider who likes an S/T configuration (that is: I like a bike that is a little narrower and lighter than a full-dress touring bike). I am REALLY excited for a hybrid bike. When I'm planning a trip that is between 300 miles and 1,000 miles, fuel efficiency starts to make a bigger difference.

[@dainjahrus]

Biggest issue with EV motorcycles are the range and cost. This seems to give a good answer to both. I live in a city and would love to be able to go any/everywhere on that EV mode and then take that same bike up to the canyons or on a road trip where the infrastructure just isnt available for us. Cost is going to be the big question, EV bikes are still waaaay to expensive for me and most people, if this is only a grand or 2 more than its gas equivalent then im interested!

[@sonicnofadz]

nah. biggest issue is WEIGHT

[@trsskater]

They said in the video the bike is 12k. So its more than double the price of the bike its built from. But also less than half the price of the long range EV bikes. So it is still like a middle ground.

[@dainjahrus]

Yeah thats pretty pricy but i dont think its too far off not compared to a lot of 700cc style bikes. Itd be cool to see how it compares to the other bikes in its price range

[@pitchforkpeasant6219]

37 mph max speed. Sounds like city only.

[@EricWZ]

@@pitchforkpeasant6219goes a lot faster than 37 mph lol

[@damoncatacalos8519]

my 2012 V Strom 650 gives me 50+ mpg in mostly city riding. On a ride from DC to Atlantic City, NJ this summer it gave me 62 mpg (and I was not riding like a granny either, but I wasn't cracking the ton either). I would need much better mileage that Troy's "50 to 56 mpg", even tho he was dogging it. I'd want 70 mpg at least outta this bike. My 2022 Honda Accord hybrid gives us on average 49 mpg in all sorts of driving.

[@K113-A]

If you want beautiful bikes, visit Ducati. If you want technological forward bikes, visit Kawasaki

[@Kingsoupturbo]

Makes sense in Asia\Europe where electric scooters and motorcycles are already really common, you get your electric in the city, many who are starting to have congestion charges and restrictions (and pollution problems to be fair) and then you can rip it when you get out, with no real range restrictions.

[@joshuahaewardii8540]

absolutely a followup detailed video please!

[@brianrizzo3301]

i want one i love my nc750x dct i like automatic i have manual too but i fine myself using them more

[@AbnormalWrench]

As an owner of a Zero motorcycle, I do like to see companies putting new innovative technology on the market, but I too find it hard to figure out who is going to buy this. As a commuter, there are more gas efficient bikes for way less money. For the tree hugger, you can just go EV. I love the idea of a hybrid motorcycle, but I'm not sure this is the best way of doing it.

[@jeffomspaugh6691]

I was getting 62-64mpg on my 2018 ninja 400. Why go hybrid?

[@codevlogs9005]

lies

[@johntomasik1555]

I'm more a dirt bike enthusiast, and the electric MX bikes are starting to show up. There are still many shortcomings for the average recreational rider, but in some applications they're ok with a fun factor that's better than their ICE counterparts. Often I thought what a hybrid would do, but then I'd remember how weight is a huge deal to many dirt riding environments. Just looked up the Ninja 7's weight....500 lbs. Whoa....for a 68 hp bike, that's a lot. But, for the street, that's not such a big deal. Wouldn't be surprised to see more manufacturers offer road hybrid bikes.

[@St.FighterZ]

56 mpg!? I can do that and better on my z400 even "hooning" around as you put it. Its 150lbs more and like 12k dollars. Am i missing something here because none of this makes sense. And you used technology and simplicity in the same sentence. This is anything but that.

[@HustlingEryDay]

Could be a good commute bike. The NC750 is still a better option for commuter due to the storage and better mpg.

[@jeffruebens8355]

Weight is a much bigger problem for motorcycles for cornering. Less of a problem for 800 pound Goldwing type interstate tourers. A hybrid makes more sense to add range to a heavy tourer in the US.

[@DougJessee]

Wish they had started at the 1700 Vaquero line, maybe a 800/900 cc engine with an electric motor and batteries. I would also have the engine just create electricity and use that to drive the electric motor. That frees up having to mount the gas engine to line with a belt/chain/shaft drive. This should allow for a much more efficient packaging of the components, keeping the weight low, etc.

[@Super3xtr4]

There are no city's in Europe where you can only enter with an ev. I am sure there are some exceptions to that statement. But that will be less than 0,1% of the cities.

[@mike17032]

I think it’s not that you can’t enter, it gets around congestion charges in some places.

[@henryslager9406]

Yeah. France for example has different environmental classifications 0 to 5, based on the type of vehicle, carbon dioxide emissions and manufacture year. Based on your vehicles classification you need a sticker on your vehicle to be able to enter some areas. Level 0 classification is EV and hydrogen only, level 1 includes post 2011 petrol cars and post 2016 motorcycles. And on it goes for subsequent levels. So far the most strict environmental zones are levels 0-2 and 0-3. For motorcycles that level 3 is motorcycles built after june 2004 and level 2 is motorcycles built after 2006. So (at least in France) you do not need an electric/hybrid motorcycle at all, as any post 2006 motorcycle will suffice. Even if they change it to the more strict level 1 in the future, you can still enter it with a petrol motorcycle, if it is built after 2016. Do note that there are some temporary environmental zones that can change the required level based on the current pollution in the area. I don’t know what the strictest levels there have been so far.

[@photonicpizza1466]

There’s legislation in many major cities like Amsterdam that’ll go into force in the 2030’s which will allow only EVs and hybrids to enter the city centre, and already many cities in the EU have emission limits and manufacturing date limits, but yeah, for the vast majority of cities, internal combustion engine vehicles will still be able to enter

[@benkalies7432]

Not the biggest fan of hybrids, but could definitely see this being used for Dual Sport bikes. Especially ones used for overlanding/cross country rides

[@Starship007]

Cars have gone thru VVT, turbo’s, direction injection with higher compression, and hybrids. Cars already euro 7 with euro 6 developing soon motorcycle. Cars have gone to smaller engines with 48 volt assist. V12’s and V8’s will disappear. This is an exciting motorcycle

[@Starship007]

We all end up breathing the same area. EV’s are going much faster other countries vs USA. Why did hybrid Prius start out first vs a truck hybrid!

[@Starship007]

I am a tech guy. I bought one of first Tesla Model X’s. I would be interested in this bike. I am all for hybrids and full EV’s. Full EV’s are catching on with Tesla leading the way with all its superchargers everywhere. People who bought non Tesla without charging network were very disappointed. I would recommend a hybrid car or hybrid motorcycle instead. Obviously this motorcycle does not need a charging station but full EV motorcycles are around the corner as batteries improving

[@aronmiller7648]

Full evs have way to many problems and are not actually better for the environment. I however love hybrids I even see hybrid technology for performance.

[@MixedGrid]

It's not a strong enough hybrid. It weighs too much and it's got the little 451cc motor. US buyers won't have much interest. Versus would make more sense but still a hard sell in the US. Also they priced it wildly high for US market compared to the other bikes you can get. They did the same with the Ne-1 and Ze-1 just wildly expensive illogical purchase. If anyone didn't know... It's $12,499 MSRP for this N7. Th 1000SX is $13,699 only weighs 12 extra lbs. Yea it's mpg is around low 40's, but it's also wildly more powerful. The N7 isn't a bad bike. Just a bad price. Needed to land around $9k to make sense.

[@tharillest]

Wow! Just wow. I have 4 motos but I really feel like I need this one!

[@randomtravel4361]

Give me a Versys 10 with a 650 hybrid engine please. It would make a lot of sense for NA market.

[@williamnelson4836]

im happy hybrid technology is finally in motorcycles

[@motosportadv8177]

I want a more in depth review as in ride review so enough of the flip flap ride the thing on the road , I’m interested in this bike , so what boxes does it check off ?

[@chibinyra]

Is it a plug in? I know bikes are small, but non-plug in hybrids always seem like a huge "miss" to me. But I'm in the US and I TOTALLY want one! However, I am a motorcycle instructor and commuter so I love smaller bikes because a 650 is more than enough for every day commuting. I would love to commute on this, if it were a plug in... and had bags for grocery runs (I ride like a European, not an American) -- I did 10k electric miles commuting year round on my Zero SR for 2 years pre-COVID (now WFH and the bike sits with little worry for oil or gas age, having flown pass the ~18k miles "break even point", nice!) Don't own a car.

[@alejandromato1992]

Idk what u mean by plug in but if u mean charging the battery with a chord it’s not necessary as the engine charges the battery so you never need to manually charge it. I imagine this kind of technology really being put to use in the touring/adventure market in where u can go out to remote areas and not have to worry about the insufficient infrastructure for charging stations for plug in charging evs.

[@ROrneli]

if i was still commuting to work on a bike i would totally get this bike , i am not going to lie

[@luisnavarro880]

Hybrid mode only up to 10mph? Scooters are getting to 15mph and 20mph

[@WednesdaysVlog]

Americans could still enjoy this. Electric in the suburbs, through the neighborhoods, then petrol on the highway. Or if you get stuck in traffic you can switch to electric mode to avoid wasting fuel. I don't think you need to live in a city to justify purchasing this. Also, just having the ability to utilize two fuel sources (electric and petrol) makes it really utilitarian. Honestly I love this.

[@Curious359]

Itd make more sense if it had a plug in option for using purely eletric during shot commutes

[@rickrack78]

About $12k, saw it at the EV Expo in Long Beach California today. About 600lbs. 3.7 gallon tank

[@WHITE_FF_JOD]

Everything is oke but No Usd ?

[@Hallowsaw]

This is a great option if you are a car enthusiast who needs a family vehicle but does not want to pay sport sedan type money. You can buy that toyota camry and get your sporty fix with a bike. Some of us also dont want to spend more than this on a 900,1000,1200cc bike.

[@markjmaxwell9819]

Hybrid and electric vehicle technology is definitely here to stay with this motorcycle another example of the way the future is heading. And you have to give the Japanese a pat on the back for trying virtually every type of technology including Hydrogen vehicles. It's also great to see Kawasaki leading the charge when it comes to implementing cutting edge low emissions range extending technology into motorcycles with supercharged motorcycle's obviously just the start of their innovation. People sometimes forget that Kawasaki are pioneers in many fields with the very popular robotic side of their company not widely known about by the general public. 😎🇦🇺👍

[@IkaikaArnado]

Being able to accelerate like a liter bike with displacement of a 300CC ICE, without the range restriction of electric, would make for the ultimate communter bike. I'll definitely get the Versys version.

[@karlInSanDiego]

I wasn't aware that any US city has a restriction against combustion engines. The closest I heard to this was a several block section of Santa Monica but it was voluntary. Anyone else know of places where the EV only mode would be useful to meet regulation in the USA? Indoors, I guess. NYC had a law prepped and then the mayor pulled it in the 11th hour. I do appreciate the idea of 250 fuel efficiency with the acceleration of a much bigger engine. I guess I'll have to check other reviews to see if they got alarmingly good efficiency.

[@markjeffriesjr2448]

Can you run the gas engine and the electric motor at the same time

[@95castle]

can this be turned full auto without needing to use the manual gears yourself

[@tripwheelerton2417]

It’s really very clear. For the USA this ninja is made for grom/ebike owners looking to upgrade. It also feels like a missed opportunity for a marketing gimmick of “E-NOS,” on the side. Overall keep it up Kawasaki, we are all circled around now.

[@nicozimmermann8672]

Why no normal classic shift levers?

[@Avetho]

This is the ultimate form of a motorcycle for both eco and performance. Full EV has many failures including the sheer pollution the batteries cause and the power grid strain rising numbers cause, full ICE has shortcomings in efficiency and reliability -most of which have been rectified but sadly that solution is currently a military exclusive option by contract- so combining the two and throwing out the battery for a far lighter supercap bank is the best possible option. Cheaper and far cleaner and safer too, since supercaps don't consume themselves as fuel when they get critically damaged like Li-ion does in lethal runaway right between your legs, so seeing a hybrid motorcycle is very nice. Sad it uses a lithium battery, but you can't have everything, eh?

[@RA1994AQ16]

So beautiful. I admire it.

[@joshuahaewardii8540]

This bike is for those of us who live in areas that have sparse electric stations, but still want to support EV development. For example, if I were to have this bike, I'd likely use it in EV mode most of the time, and then if the battery gets low while I'm on the road, I can switch to the Eco or even sport mode to make it to the nearest electric station or outlet.

[@himadriguha6780]

This will sell like hot cake if brought in India Loved it.

[@OldYgg]

I would love this bike. But it's over 12k and I don't love the price

[@Kista79]

Honestly I'm not really all that impressed, I have a 2013 Ninja 650 and get 56-58 mpg fairly easily and Kawasaki wants $12,499 for this thing which is way too much. If I was going to spend around that much I'd go with Triumph or BMW.

[@333fux8]

The idea of this is cool having a bit more fuel efficiency is cool they really should have made the sport mode a full litre bike power, and the mid power more of the 600 range, It's a cool idea for new riders iffy on learing the clutch system. The boost button seams dumb just have it kick in on sport mode all the time. Also 56 mpg is pretty pathetic when plenty of bikes are already in that range

[@churchofmarcus]

This seems like a good only bike. Being stuck in traffic with a clutch is kind of aweful. Thats part of why I love my Zero so much. But unlike the Zero, you could take this anywhere without worrying about the sketchy charging network.

[@needsmctherapy1447]

I personally can see myself owning it (once i get better than minimum wage income lol) in the US. Granted, I wouldn't be able to take full advantage of it, but in my day-to day there are situations where I can use full electric mode as well as enjoy the extra fuel mileage without trading off power and even having MORE fun with the real life equivalent of a video-game nitrus boost button. Plus another thing that NOBODY seems to even care about is that this, to my knowledge, is the very first EVER twist and go, fully automatic, clutchless, sport motorcycle. And as someone who wants to take it easy just as often as I want to go full send I can appreciate that. Plus it will lower the bar for future new riders and my friends who seem overwhelmed by all the controls they need to keep track off. Overall, I do consider this motorcycle, even in it's baby age and brand new not-to-polished state, a very worthwhile purchase if I had the bank for it. The pricetag in 2024 does sting though, being up in the 13k range before all the dealership fees.

[@jaythomasni]

They took the Prius route. Cheap commuter category. They should have targeted sport hybrid category. middleweight high efficiency engine with hybrid system having high build quality and components. to compete in the litter class sport touring class. like Ninja 10 Hybrid pricing around 15 K

[@sailor81]

give it some time..

[@dikopbun9571]

Can I use a racing exhaust on a hybrid ninja motorbike?

[@100toeface]

What is the noise level, a big benefit of EVs is silent running.

[@Khangbng]

Would’ve been a better design if the lose the rear brake paddle and move it to the left-side former clutch lever position. Make the control more symmetrical, like a Moped

[@Zekenificent]

I applaud Kawasaki's approach. This seems like a good commuter bike. But this just isn't for me. I prefer Kawasaki's non-hybrid internal combustion engine equipped motorcycles.

[@aronmiller7648]

I do like where hybrids are going though because the internal combustion engine is here to stay. Hybrid tech does show a lot of promise even with performance.

[@95castle]

looks beautiful, bit heavy though 227kg!

[@djking44151]

I know we always say this, but if the e motor was a LITTLE more powerful (30hp?) and had a LITTLE more range (40 miles urban?) then I would be interested. I'd be happy to pay more and have a bit more weight added.

[@thinkdunson]

there's also a Z7 version. both are $12.5k for 2024.

[@C4six-two-one]

A longer video would be greatly appreciated. Lik3s. Dislikes. Comparisons to other ICE bikes. Comparisons to other electric bikes. All of it.

[@Zen_Ft5e]

I'll wait for a real hybrid. All electric drive, with the torque and performance that comes with it, and ICE driven electricity generation. It's what we need in Australia with massive distances and tiny country towns that will never have recharge stations.

[@nokneedownian8521]

Could hybrids be the bwsr if both worlds, you get the noise from the exhaust and engine its compliant in ulez here in England and no range anxiety as you just put petrol in it

[@frederickstaana1269]

In depth video is needed :)

[@michaelbond569]

You should definitely do the in depth video

[@claytonnoble568]

The techs got a little further to go i think. I want it but the range for my personal commute doesnt quite warrent it

[@amirulh166]

Whats with the exhaust?

[@mctlucky]

I was so close to saying I'd give it a try. Unfortunately I don't want a motorcycle that I don't shift and have a clutch. Ugh

[@imgoingforaride]

Hopefully, a 650 is next .

[@aronmiller7648]

This bike is a utility commuter bike not some to rip and road. why would the sport mode be push button only? Why not sport mode be optional automatic or push button? I get they want the excitement factor but pushing buttons can't compare to using the clutch. Make it an option and a reasonable price and I'd consider buying as a commuter or a little cruise around bike. And also they need to improve the battery.

[@andrewgnan9033]

What about people who live over an hour from any electric chargers I live 3 hours from any major city

[@Josue-j4i]

Wooow Kawasaki ninja 700 lovely nice bike wonderfull

[@Mikaylah-s6f]

I actually really like this bike. I can see this bike being extremely beginner friendly due to the automatic transmission mode in EV. Allowing completely new riders to get comfy with riding a bike whilst your brain learns that muscle memory.

[@williamnelson4836]

i would want that i love that bike and i live in the US

[@PioneerOPioneer]

I assume I might be target market. I would be a returning rider and below 50. A bike I don't have to hear going up and down a parking deck everyday is a big plus, its still relatively tight and able to have fun with, but my commute is just the same shitty traffic and I might as well lessen my fuel bill and enjoy the evolution of technology in bikes. I never would've bought a Prius because they look like a Prius, but this bike doesn't look like a Prius for motorcycles. I still get to look a little cool while being a tree hugging tech hippy.

[@LFTRnow]

I've always wanted a PHEV or HEV motorcycle but this is actually pretty disappointing. For comparison, I have a Suzuki 2009 Vstrom 650 which regularly gets over 60 MPG with mixed Hwy/City use (beating this hybrid 7), it has more power (66 HP vs under 60 for '7), AND more torque (which is surprising, as the electric assist really should make a difference), weighs 10-20% less, and even new costs way less than this. (~9k vs ~12+k and I paid 3k for mine used 12 years ago). There's even only 7 mi electric-only range, so if the idea is to use in a city where gas isn't allowed, there's not even a plug-in option, so you get 3 mi in and 3 mi out. Useless. What's the benefit here?

[@TylerMcMillen-qh4pw]

What’s top speed??

[@hanzgunther]

No offense but you struggled through this whole video. Maybe script your future videos better. Good luck

[@stephenabbott7259]

Next video show us what it sounds like.

[@Thatguychris86]

I cannot find a top speed for this anywhere 😭

[@markrobber5252]

Personally, if only it is equipped with USD forks and ZX-4RR style swingarm. I think it'd be PERFECT

[@Zee216]

Do it with Versys and do it bigger, more engine and more battery and more motor. That's what i would want to buy

[@alejandromato1992]

Or ninja 650/1000 sx platform for short kings like me who can’t get on the versys lol

[@openscholar9908]

Akira would be proud.

[@Annoy51]

I do want one, but its just too damn expensive. And not being plug in, it doesnt get any tax brakes either, in norway, at this time the bike costs about 200k nok, and has similar performance to bikes for 120k nok.

[@johncolburn4353]

This whole vibe felt forced. If the interviewer was having a hard time trying to like the bike, it won't do well.

[@zero11010]

You mean … you DON’T like being lied to?

[@glenndeason]

😂

[@Mastermnd1]

Same in his previous kawa review. 2nd strike. Third and i unsub.

[@johncolburn4353]

@@Mastermnd1 you seem highly invested with his personal opinion.

[@Mastermnd1]

Not really, i just dont watch long videos by people that do a half assed job

[@colinpeters3809]

Give Kawasaki a chance, sounds like a good effort but obviously the dinosaurs will gripe at anything that isn’t traditional.

[@sqd8r]

While I'm all for EVs, hybrids and other environmental movements, the best way is to not increase the footprint. So buying a new bike. no matter how environmental, will never beat out just keeping your old bike or buying a used bike - IOW not increasing the bike footprint on the planet.

[@ShadVonHass]

Eventually bikes will go, and then you'll need new ones. Or maybe someone who doesn't have one wants one, there's no problem creating new ones for at least those two markets

[@Bairagi_Biker]

This hybrid setup would make more sense as a cruiser.

[@duane5326]

Lithium batteries themselves cause a massive amount of pollution-Especially when it comes to sourcing/disposal of these materials

[@bruceheimbigner9587]

What modern 400-900 cc (non race) bike doesn't get 50 to 60 MPG. my Husqvarna 901 gets 60 easily.

[@brianm263]

Seems like the wrong platform to release this tech. Take a small lightweight sporty bike and add weight doesn't seem like a good recipe. If they made a zx14 hybrid or a big lux sport tourer, that might make more sense. Like a Tesla, semi luxury car that can also go fast. The extra weight wouldn't hurt it as much, and the wealthy tourers might actually see some range boost. I do like the idea of the tech, but my 1250cc bmw makes the same mpg with gobs more power and torque when I want it. I have considered a small electric bike for commuting as a second bike. The Ninja 7 might be a good option for someone who primarily wants a smallish efficient commuter, that could also be a weekend getaway bike every once in a while without needing a second bike. That commute would have to be a shortish city commute for it to make sense though.

[@RandyLaheyJulian]

They should make the Zx4rr an automatic transmission. I have left foot drop but I don’t want an electric bike

[@zaarkeru3391]

And with that they could have easily left it derestricted. That would have been a fun bike

[@aronmiller7648]

Don't like fully electric, but definitely interested in hybrid statistically they are cleaner than fully electric. I will say hybrid can help with performance in example the immediate torque.

[@BuntaBall40]

Drop this into a VERSYS and yes

[@coulda1157]

They absolutely failed by not putting cruise control for use highway commuters.

[@aaronbehindbars]

Interesting tech, but I'm with Troy on wanting this in the Versys platform. I don't think this will catch on, though. Imagine trying to get one of these going 20-25 years from now with few to no parts availability. Could end up being a throw-away item if these do not catch on and parts availability falters. I hope I'm wrong, though.

[@future62]

Plenty of gas bikes are throwaway and hard to get parts for at 25+ years so I don't think that's a big deal. For me the bigger issue is the gas mileage isn't crazy, you can get 50+ MPG in a regular bike.

[@sailor81]

have you tried to get parts for a 20 year old bike? unless its an sr400 or similar you are going to have a bad time regardless. Dealers don't want to know about 10+ year old bikes.