Absolutely horrible. Key to motorcycles is easy and cheap to maintain. Like car EV anything like this and full EV will be worth buttons after 3 years and outside Warranty.
I reckon you should spend a week commuting from Surbiton to Walthamstow on it, see how it fares across London then over to box hill and new lands corner for butties and burgers in the weekend. It looks like it could be the ultimate commuter/courier bike.
I think electric is the future whereas hybrid vehicles just feel like a bit of a hack job to give the impatient something to play with until battery technology and charge infrastructure improves.
I think there's tons of potential for this kind of tech when applied to commuting and touring. If you can dramatically increase the range of a bike, it means you don't have to be as strict about sticking to your planned route because you have fewer than 200 miles between refueling. Being able to reverse a bike that's loaded with luggage is nice, and not having to work a clutch going through the city after a long day in the saddle will be a relief for any rider with arthritic hands.
I know that it's not the same, but there are plenty of bikes that can do that. Yes, they are mostly big fat pigs - my Grand America. Yes, I'll buy a 1000cc+ version...
I actually want this... almost. The ability to ride around my neighbourhood quietly - transformative. Turning off the engine in traffic on a hot day, instead of idling - amazing. But I want it on an adventure bike, like the KLR. A quiet, torquey electric motor would be a great complement to the big thumper off-road. Add to that valuable cargo capacity for adventures and city use.
@@mfennell70 I think the reasoning there is that people interested in sportbikes would be more interested in technology. So, it might be an easier sell, even if not as practical.
I 100% agree. I was surprised to see the Ninja 7 HEV. I expected a Versys 7 HEV. Seems like the drivetrain is a logical choice for the comfortable, easy commuter/light touring personality of the mid-weight Versys.
Impressive? it seems to be worse at pretty all aspects than nc750 from honda. And you can bet it would be more expensive. Truth is you are better of having nc750 for out of the city drives and in the city just buy or rent electric skateboard. I bet you would even have some money left.
NC750 is not a hybrid and better for it since it loses nothing and will be multiple times more reliable than this bike along with about the same fuel economy and more luggage space. @@michaelhoward142
@@hagestadIm fairly certain the performance is a lot better than an NC750x. Besides, this is the first try on hybrid bikes. Personally i think the hybrid will work better on tourer bikes which are already quite heavy. Imagine an ninja1000sx hybrid. 15kg heavier but wayyyy more torque and a bit more power + electric for city and suburban riding.
but if it's an urban bike, better to ditch the combustion part entirely and go pure EV. I've done this recently (BMW CE-04) and it costs about $2.50/100km to keep charged (note: I have no solar panels; otherwise it would be even cheaper) and gives me an easy 120km range. The *most efficient* of my combustion-engined bikes (BMW F650GS single-cyl) would cost around $8/100km in fuel if it wasn't currently broken. The CE-04 is also more fun than any of my other bikes. It's not even a contest. I haven't missed the combustion engine vibe for a single second.
@@jsleeioThe BMW CE-04 costs £13k for the base version or £15k+ if you spec it out. Fine if you're rich, but for most normal people, you get a far superior bike for less than half the price with the Ninja 400, without the range anxiety or need to find a charger.
@@shabs2134 10k GBP ex-demo for me, in Sydney, Australia. Avantgarde edition in gunmetal/orange, didn't bother with the fast charge option as I have a powered garage. Zero range anxiety and WAY more fun than every other bike I've ever owned/still own. Lately it's the only bike I *actually feel like riding* when I go downstairs to the garage. Combustion makes no sense within the big city, and I think it's disingenuous (at best) to only talk about the purchase price and ignore running cost. No oil, no chain lube, the belt gears should last way longer than sprockets, far less brake wear (it has regen), no clutch, ... just tyres, very rarely brake pads/drive belt, and the wildly reduced "fuel" cost as mentioned before. Also people everywhere, both bikers and non, seem to absolutely love the styling. I've had a bunch of cool bikes through the years and *none* of them attracted this level of comments from randoms on the street. I admit to being very surprised by this.
@@jsleeio I hear you. The styling is pretty cool! I very much like cyberpunk styles of bikes like the CE-04 and Suzuki Katana. I also agree that electric bikes make a lot of sense in the city if you have your own home-based charger (most people here in London do not). But still, apart from fuel, most bikes don't really have large running costs. Oil, lube, sprockets etc are all pretty cheap and only need changing after very long intervals. Brake pads also last a long time if you utilise engine braking. And in theory, tyres should last longer on an equivalent ICE bike due to less weight and less torque. But yep, fuel is the big one. One thing to note is that, unless you're charging at home, electricity costs almost as much as petrol at fuel stations, at least here in the UK. Plus, modern engines are capable of lasting 200,000+ miles, or basically a lifetime. Having said all that, I'm interested to see how far electric motorbikes can improve. I think it might be difficult to get much more range out of a battery without solid state technology. Personally, I think £10k+ is still a bit high for a bike with 42 hp and 80 miles of range. Still, I'd be interested in owning one one day.
I like the way the reviewer questions the use case for this new bike. Electric bikes are limited by their range and a hybrid can overcome this but at what cost? It's easier to make a hybrid car because there is more room for batteries and the electronics package. This is not for me but it's a bold first step for Kawasaki. It will be interesting to see the public's reaction to it.
I'd love to see an SX version of this: panniers, cushy seat, heated grips, tall windscreen, 250 highway miles at 80 mph. It's a modest sport tourer that doesn't look like the generic "adventure" tourers that are the crossover equivalent in the motorcycle world.
A want a hybrid bike, but done the opposite way. Take a full electric bike with an electric only drive train and put a tiny gas motor in it as a range extender. A 100cc cylinder if ran at peak efficiency is probably enough to keep a battery mostly level going down the highway, you could have 2 or 3 hundred miles of range with a setup like that with current batteries, and for around town run it in electric only mode. These light hybrids that are mostly just gas bikes seem like a technological dead end.
It all comes down to cost. I have an NC750X dct, which regularly does 70mpg on my commute. These are about 8.5k new. If this hybrid is north of 10k, I wouldn't bother with it. Depreciation may be an issue too, due to its complexity, making buyers nervous.
For a first gen product with a complex gearbox like Renault’s Multimodal unit it’s passable, but one thing for good, purchase now the bike you want because in EU things are changing and the axing of the R1 is a hint of things that are coming.
I'm actually not sure what the point is. It seems to get slightly better MPG than the Ninja 400, but with more power i suppose. I was expecting alot more. My Moto Guzzi gets about 55 mpg on highway rides, thats really not far behind this
I love to see such an honest feelings from a reviewer. I mean, you can see the disappointment in this man's eyes. Thanks for saying objective words and expressing your true feelings.
My NC750X manual does 3.2 to 3.6 l/100km without really trying. Huge amount of storage and versatility. High torque, great tourer, including 2 up capable. This new kwaka seems like a gimmic that achieves nothing more in reality. Maybe less usable in many ways.
@@felixarbable Sometimes, I've taken mine on the motorway many times, with a head wind it can do about 100kmh, in relatively calm conditions it can do about 110kmh to 115kmh, downhill I've had it up to 125kmh, its also 125kg lighter and really fun to ride.
i agree with your statement that this is meant to be a utility vehicle, not found of the paddle shifter like system for gear shifts seems a little inconvinient but i feel like the newly developed honda e-clutch is much better suited for hybrid bikes as you can have the best of both manual and automatic with the exact same feel
I think this is about a decade late tbh, if the Honda NC700 had come out as a hybrid when it came out then that would have sort of made sense. That said this bike appeals to me - I have a regular commute on mixed roads into a city - some 70mph dual carriageway, some stop-start traffic etc. I also have a regular work trip that's all motorway with some sections that get totally gridlocked. My version of "fun" riding is pottering about on country lanes, I like a winding road but I don't make a habit of exceeding the speed limit so I don't need a huge amount of performance. Overall I want a bike that's comfortable, economical, reliable and simple to maintain - this bike might tick those boxes but it's competing with the Honda NC750 and even the ADV350 in my considerations for a "next bike".
Thank you so much for this very useful review. I was planning on buying this Ninja 7 so I was very interested by the discussion you provided. I have a Ninja 1000 2018, GSX-R1000 2017, HD Sportster Iron 1200 and a Honda PCX160i, and so I was thinking that this bike will replace all four bikes but horses for courses, this bike does a little of all of my motorbikes but not a lot of either one it seems. Thanks again, and your review is very much appreciated and excellent unbiased review.
Interesting concept, With this Kawasaki and most of us are in twilight Zone or transitional zone as we don't know where it's going, But to give people another option to think about and evolve. I think it will still do good set of numbers and Kawasaki now have edge/ benchmark to better this or launch smaller or higher capacity rides from hereon. Welcome aboard kid.
I love the mention of bike heat. I don’t commute so the only time I deal with bike heat is when I choose to ride in the heat or traffic. The beauty of electric bikes is that you could get a cooled seat probably.
Hmm I never considered range. It seems like it'd be a luxury convenience if ranges could be extended to 300-400+ miles commonly. I assume it's not worth debating until 2-3 generations down the road. If they even get there. One thing I never knew I'd appreciate, was the convenience of visiting a gas station 30-50% less frequently (or even less with pure EV). It's not a huge deal, just a luxury that I could see someone pay for. Kind of like heated seats or some other creature comfort. And the freedom, or peace of mind, is worth a lot when I want to go explore wherever the road takes me. I hate feeling tethered to a gas station, or thinking about needing gas in the next 30-90 minutes. But a fuel bottle can fix a lot of that for
Regarding fuel consumption, the 2019/... CB500X does the same fuel consumption and less than that. I have been able to do between 2.8L and 3.8L per 100km. 👌
Yeah as a non-British person I appreciate the captions. Neevesy is a little easier for me to understand, but in this video i had to use the captions. And the automatic captions seems to have difficulty with the British accent as well😂
Good review, better than a full EV bike, which are mostly useless. I thing they should probably not used the Ninga name but I'm glad to see Kawasaki are being innovative
I own and ride a lot of bikes and I don't have any problem with this bike or this kind of bike. I'm sure I would enjoy riding it but I'm not sure I would buy one but if it was not expensive I very well might.
i do think the hybrid combination is the way forward for cars not EV's but i don't think its for me on two wheels it is better than just electric interesting really i would try a test ride though
I like it . Hope it comes to the USA 2 don’t have to preorder 3 the price affordable then am in. I really want the ninja e1 and am ready to buy but 41 miles range, which would be enough for me, worries me when winter riding because you will lose range riding in 27 degree weather.
I think what they've done would be better in a maxi-scooter rather than a sports bike, but it is a first effort and you have to start somewhere. Incidentally, on the subject of mpg, I was using a Gpz600 to commute to work 30 years ago, and on a 70 mile round trip which had a 28 mile motorway stint in it each way, it was getting 76 mpg, and I wasn't nursing it. So has all this technology really got us any further?
We need a more powerful electric motor, something in the order of 70+hp, mated to a 100+hp twin/triple mounted onto a sport or sport touring machine. That would get my interest for sure. But this current config mounted into a maxi-scooter would actually make sense for a daily town commuter.
Just to be clear: is the MGP based on UK or US gallons? I’d guess UK gallons of course because MCN is from the UK. But since CZcams is not limited by borders, I figured maybe they adapted to the audience.
I find it very interesting. It would be kind of cool to be able to switch to Electric around town that way you're not wasting Fuel and heating up your motor in slow traffic. But if it cost over $10,000 I'm not sure you get much bang for the buck
Bike looks great, and I would consider buying it as a commuter. But, a few things keep me from buying it. The first thing is something you mentioned in this video is the push button shifting. It is already automatic why not let the automatic do it's thing even in sport mode? And another thing you mentioned I agree with is pushing a button is not all that exciting or appealing as using the clutch and shifting in a conventional sense. I think the push button should be an option sure some may want it. Also, I can already see the price for this bike is going to be a no go for me. You touched on this bike not being made to rip around. I agree it is a utility commuter bike. I'd rather be fully automatic with the push button option than mandatory. I would not use this bike to rip around the bike is designed for a nice ride around town or commute.
If you need a city electric bike motorcycle is not where you look, there are countless PEVs you can get like EUCs and surrons and all that. But if you need to go real far on two wheels but still have most of the electric advantages this is perfect. You can go all electric in the city but use gas when you travel to another city.
I think bikes like these make a lot of sense for markets like India where motos are a primary means of transportation. Could also make more sense for something like a cruiser or adv bike. For a sport bike- where the combined carbon emissions for all riders in the world is negligible- I'll keep the ICEs.
I just need a decent commuter. I have my fun bike. I need something that can do both 120KPH in electric and petrol like the hybrid cars can. This is encouraging but not for me as 70% of my work travel is done at 100KPH on the freeway. I would see very little benefit between industrial areas. If you don't work in the city it might not be the right setup.
It's OK by me (and I'm a big 2 stroke fan), electric motors are needed to efficiently 'start' an ice engine, so it's just an extention of that for me, best of both👍
88mpg is kinda crazy. My Z400 did like 50-60 average almost all of the time. Im really hoping that this is just a way to test the waters and prove the concept before they go all in on a 636 hybrid. I cannot go back to a small set of tires again
The V-Strom 650 actually gets pretty bad mileage in city traffic. It shines on highways or long trips on back country roads. If this Kawi can get 88mpg in city traffic that's worth the price.
Yeah as a non-British person I’d appreciate proper captions/subtitles. The automatic version of CZcams seems to have difficulty understanding as well 😂
I think it really needs a "why", if Kawasaki wants to sell many of them. I could think of a few why's that a hybrid bike could try to answer: - Fuel efficiency. This one is kind of the obvious one. But it's quite hard to compete here. You could get around 3L/100km from ICE bikes like the V-Strom 650, and to be fair most of these 400cc class bikes don't consume much either. And for this to make sense, they'd have to cut fuel consumption by a LOT. Even 33% of 3L/100km is only 1L/100km less. - More performance. Sure, but it needs to be so much more performance that it makes sense not to just get a slightly bigger bike. And even if they DID get it to accelerate as fast as a 1000cc bike, it feels like having to press a button every time you want proper power doesn't sound that enticing. Also, it would need to keep the relative lightness and price close to the 400cc class it's in to make sense. - More fun. It seems like maybe a clutchless, shifterless bike which isn't too good in the twisties isn't that, at least for those riders who are comfortable with regular gearboxes. - More accessibility. Now this one I guess could make the best case. New riders aren't all comfortable with clutches and gearboxes. It could be enticing to someone who wants to get into riding but lower the bar a little. I certainly feel those are essential riding skills, but at least this way those people could start riding and work up those skills a little later. - A better ownership experience. This one is hard I think. While a fully electric bike massively cuts down on the regular maintenance, a hybrid really doesn't. It's more complicated than either an ICE or an EV. Consequently I don't think servicing intervals or costs will be any lower. However, insurance rates could be, in comparison to something with more CC's and more power. Usability in zero emissions zones is a bit of a plus, but I don't think that's a market big enough to get enough buyers. Not that I'm a market analyst of course. For the current bike, I guess I'd say the best hope is if it can pull in new riders who are looking for something that's easy to ride and technologically interesting, but isn't a scooter. Sort of similarly to Honda's automatic offerings. Especially it could be good for buyers who have lots of city miles and from warmer climates.
Feels like kawasaki kinda keep missing the mark by a little... Imo turbos should be used for mid CCs bike to boost power while retainer a small package. Hybrids could be used more on scooters to boost mileage and acceleration. But i guess motorcycles are not really like cars if they apply it the same way. But truly remarkable for being turbo and hybrids to try things out. Wish more manufacturers try them too
Sounds like the issues with the gearing and shifting is because they haven’t got an intelligent system, seems a simple ‘if 3500 revs shift up’ hence the manual in sport. Mk2 might have a better dct style gearbox ecu
I'd love it if the EV motor was a TINY bit more powerful and had a bigger battery (maybe 40 miles urban? Too Optimistic?) I'd be happy to pay more and have more weight. Honestly, if honda turned the NC750 into a hybrid like this with their DCT i'd be straight on it.
Absolute kudos to Kawasaki for diving in! As this is the first real commercial stab at something much more modern and relevant, even with few takers this is a big, bold step and we'll all learn and benefit from it. The next version's overall performance will be better, no doubt. This is an industry moment, certainly, and other manufacturers will be in the game soon. The brief mention about the positioning using the valuable Ninja name deserves more attention. Being a career product marketing person, even though it has a real "hook" to get initial attention, it has a very real effect of watering down the Ninja name's hard-earned brand value. After decades of building that value, it is irresponsible to the company to play fast and loose with it. The next version MUST, now, have a significant *riding* experience performance bump to redeem itself.
The potential is there, and in years to come, hybrids may well be amazing. But for now, a decent 125 will do better in nearly all respects, especially fuel.
This bike is for Our region😂. We love bike that looks fast..but our twisty narrow road doesn't allow speed above 100kph.😂. But need superfast overtaking
Hmmmm, looks like by trying to make it appealing to lots of different riders they've lost the reason that most riders would buy this type of bike. I think, although I'm no engineer, that it should have been an electric bike with a very small petrol engine that kicked in over a certain speed purely to recharge the battery for the main electric motor...
Seems pointless, if it is just for the city and commuting, and I wanted something more ecomomic, then I'd go for an electic bike. Now, I commute on a Pan America (which gives me a lot of confidence in traffic, I can get out off trouble quickly and brake very quickly, then on weekends I can tour, do mountain roads, and go off road), or I use my hotted up 1988 Lowrider with a sidecar, which is a lot of fun.
Do you think hybrid tech is the future? Let us know in the comments!
I hope it is. You should be able to have fun without trashing the air with toxins.
Yes this is the future for sure, Kawasaki would be wise implement this in there Sport touring bikes ! But you got to start somewhere .
Absolutely horrible.
Key to motorcycles is easy and cheap to maintain.
Like car EV anything like this and full EV will be worth buttons after 3 years and outside Warranty.
I reckon you should spend a week commuting from Surbiton to Walthamstow on it, see how it fares across London then over to box hill and new lands corner for butties and burgers in the weekend. It looks like it could be the ultimate commuter/courier bike.
I think electric is the future whereas hybrid vehicles just feel like a bit of a hack job to give the impatient something to play with until battery technology and charge infrastructure improves.
I think there's tons of potential for this kind of tech when applied to commuting and touring. If you can dramatically increase the range of a bike, it means you don't have to be as strict about sticking to your planned route because you have fewer than 200 miles between refueling. Being able to reverse a bike that's loaded with luggage is nice, and not having to work a clutch going through the city after a long day in the saddle will be a relief for any rider with arthritic hands.
I went to the NEC and saw 2 electric bikes with a range of 40 miles. Pathetic.
@@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne so what? Nobody is talking about those bikes.
I know that it's not the same, but there are plenty of bikes that can do that. Yes, they are mostly big fat pigs - my Grand America.
Yes, I'll buy a 1000cc+ version...
Yeah that’s a good point actually. This sort of setup would be perfectly suited for a touring bike.
@@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne yeah but it doens't smell like crap and is dead scilent. I bet those were for the city not touring.
I actually want this... almost. The ability to ride around my neighbourhood quietly - transformative. Turning off the engine in traffic on a hot day, instead of idling - amazing. But I want it on an adventure bike, like the KLR. A quiet, torquey electric motor would be a great complement to the big thumper off-road. Add to that valuable cargo capacity for adventures and city use.
If this takes off, they probably will put it on different body styles
Precisely. A hybrid Husqvarna 701-like motorcycle dounds like a dream.
Yeah, a 'sportbike' (of sorts) seems like a weird choice.
@@mfennell70 I think the reasoning there is that people interested in sportbikes would be more interested in technology. So, it might be an easier sell, even if not as practical.
I 100% agree. I was surprised to see the Ninja 7 HEV. I expected a Versys 7 HEV. Seems like the drivetrain is a logical choice for the comfortable, easy commuter/light touring personality of the mid-weight Versys.
Not for me but I like that tech is being developed leading to a future whereby we keep engines for longer.
I think they're developing this tech to make the 1000CC bikes faster.
I think this is an impressive first step into HEV motos for Kawasaki. I also anticipate them surprising people with what they're capable of.
Impressive? it seems to be worse at pretty all aspects than nc750 from honda. And you can bet it would be more expensive. Truth is you are better of having nc750 for out of the city drives and in the city just buy or rent electric skateboard. I bet you would even have some money left.
@@hagestad "... an impressive first step into HEV motos...".
HEV = Hybrid Electric Vehicle. Which the NC750 is not.
NC750 is not a hybrid and better for it since it loses nothing and will be multiple times more reliable than this bike along with about the same fuel economy and more luggage space. @@michaelhoward142
@@hagestadIm fairly certain the performance is a lot better than an NC750x.
Besides, this is the first try on hybrid bikes. Personally i think the hybrid will work better on tourer bikes which are already quite heavy.
Imagine an ninja1000sx hybrid. 15kg heavier but wayyyy more torque and a bit more power + electric for city and suburban riding.
I agree with your assessment, it's a start, and the whole point is to use way less fuel and still have the power and excitement.
but if it's an urban bike, better to ditch the combustion part entirely and go pure EV. I've done this recently (BMW CE-04) and it costs about $2.50/100km to keep charged (note: I have no solar panels; otherwise it would be even cheaper) and gives me an easy 120km range. The *most efficient* of my combustion-engined bikes (BMW F650GS single-cyl) would cost around $8/100km in fuel if it wasn't currently broken. The CE-04 is also more fun than any of my other bikes. It's not even a contest. I haven't missed the combustion engine vibe for a single second.
@@jsleeioThe BMW CE-04 costs £13k for the base version or £15k+ if you spec it out. Fine if you're rich, but for most normal people, you get a far superior bike for less than half the price with the Ninja 400, without the range anxiety or need to find a charger.
@@shabs2134 10k GBP ex-demo for me, in Sydney, Australia. Avantgarde edition in gunmetal/orange, didn't bother with the fast charge option as I have a powered garage. Zero range anxiety and WAY more fun than every other bike I've ever owned/still own. Lately it's the only bike I *actually feel like riding* when I go downstairs to the garage.
Combustion makes no sense within the big city, and I think it's disingenuous (at best) to only talk about the purchase price and ignore running cost. No oil, no chain lube, the belt gears should last way longer than sprockets, far less brake wear (it has regen), no clutch, ... just tyres, very rarely brake pads/drive belt, and the wildly reduced "fuel" cost as mentioned before.
Also people everywhere, both bikers and non, seem to absolutely love the styling. I've had a bunch of cool bikes through the years and *none* of them attracted this level of comments from randoms on the street. I admit to being very surprised by this.
@@jsleeio I hear you. The styling is pretty cool! I very much like cyberpunk styles of bikes like the CE-04 and Suzuki Katana. I also agree that electric bikes make a lot of sense in the city if you have your own home-based charger (most people here in London do not).
But still, apart from fuel, most bikes don't really have large running costs. Oil, lube, sprockets etc are all pretty cheap and only need changing after very long intervals. Brake pads also last a long time if you utilise engine braking. And in theory, tyres should last longer on an equivalent ICE bike due to less weight and less torque. But yep, fuel is the big one. One thing to note is that, unless you're charging at home, electricity costs almost as much as petrol at fuel stations, at least here in the UK. Plus, modern engines are capable of lasting 200,000+ miles, or basically a lifetime.
Having said all that, I'm interested to see how far electric motorbikes can improve. I think it might be difficult to get much more range out of a battery without solid state technology. Personally, I think £10k+ is still a bit high for a bike with 42 hp and 80 miles of range. Still, I'd be interested in owning one one day.
@@jsleeio ....And they released pure EV bike. SO I don't see why you're complaining.
I like the way the reviewer questions the use case for this new bike. Electric bikes are limited by their range and a hybrid can overcome this but at what cost? It's easier to make a hybrid car because there is more room for batteries and the electronics package.
This is not for me but it's a bold first step for Kawasaki. It will be interesting to see the public's reaction to it.
I'd love to see an SX version of this: panniers, cushy seat, heated grips, tall windscreen, 250 highway miles at 80 mph. It's a modest sport tourer that doesn't look like the generic "adventure" tourers that are the crossover equivalent in the motorcycle world.
Another advantage of the hybrid is... Not annoying my neighbours when I start up in the early hours. Great review!
Come on now, that's half the fun. Creates a sense of community 😂
A want a hybrid bike, but done the opposite way. Take a full electric bike with an electric only drive train and put a tiny gas motor in it as a range extender. A 100cc cylinder if ran at peak efficiency is probably enough to keep a battery mostly level going down the highway, you could have 2 or 3 hundred miles of range with a setup like that with current batteries, and for around town run it in electric only mode. These light hybrids that are mostly just gas bikes seem like a technological dead end.
Ya, they should make hybrid with this kind of formula (like Toyota Raize hybrid). 1.2cc engine just to power up the motor, not direct to the wheels.
So just a single cylinder generator screaming at 4k rpms constantly on an electric bike? Sorry but that would be garbage lol.
@@pauld.b7129 It would be the best. Steady state makes for a very efficient engine. No need to tune across an rpm range.
I think a versys 700 that's a competitor to the nc750x would be the way to go for this bike
It all comes down to cost.
I have an NC750X dct, which regularly does 70mpg on my commute.
These are about 8.5k new.
If this hybrid is north of 10k, I wouldn't bother with it.
Depreciation may be an issue too, due to its complexity, making buyers nervous.
For a first gen product with a complex gearbox like Renault’s Multimodal unit it’s passable, but one thing for good, purchase now the bike you want because in EU things are changing and the axing of the R1 is a hint of things that are coming.
I'm actually not sure what the point is. It seems to get slightly better MPG than the Ninja 400, but with more power i suppose. I was expecting alot more. My Moto Guzzi gets about 55 mpg on highway rides, thats really not far behind this
I love to see such an honest feelings from a reviewer. I mean, you can see the disappointment in this man's eyes.
Thanks for saying objective words and expressing your true feelings.
My NC750X manual does 3.2 to 3.6 l/100km without really trying. Huge amount of storage and versatility. High torque, great tourer, including 2 up capable. This new kwaka seems like a gimmic that achieves nothing more in reality. Maybe less usable in many ways.
id love to see this on a commuter, would be great to get 90mpg or something like that, maybe a versys style bike
Yeah this system belongs on a bike where I can keep luggage and do a grocery run.
You can already get 90mpg on a honda grom
@@benjy288 yould struggle on a motorway though
@@felixarbable Sometimes, I've taken mine on the motorway many times, with a head wind it can do about 100kmh, in relatively calm conditions it can do about 110kmh to 115kmh, downhill I've had it up to 125kmh, its also 125kg lighter and really fun to ride.
@@benjy288 yeh I'm totally pro grom just isn't really great for a 30 minute motorway commute.
i agree with your statement that this is meant to be a utility vehicle, not found of the paddle shifter like system for gear shifts seems a little inconvinient but i feel like the newly developed honda e-clutch is much better suited for hybrid bikes as you can have the best of both manual and automatic with the exact same feel
That was a great piece of well considered journalism.
I think this is about a decade late tbh, if the Honda NC700 had come out as a hybrid when it came out then that would have sort of made sense.
That said this bike appeals to me - I have a regular commute on mixed roads into a city - some 70mph dual carriageway, some stop-start traffic etc. I also have a regular work trip that's all motorway with some sections that get totally gridlocked. My version of "fun" riding is pottering about on country lanes, I like a winding road but I don't make a habit of exceeding the speed limit so I don't need a huge amount of performance. Overall I want a bike that's comfortable, economical, reliable and simple to maintain - this bike might tick those boxes but it's competing with the Honda NC750 and even the ADV350 in my considerations for a "next bike".
Excellent review, thank you.
Thoroughly enjoyed. A great, engaging and well balanced review.
Thank you so much for this very useful review. I was planning on buying this Ninja 7 so I was very interested by the discussion you provided. I have a Ninja 1000 2018, GSX-R1000 2017, HD Sportster Iron 1200 and a Honda PCX160i, and so I was thinking that this bike will replace all four bikes but horses for courses, this bike does a little of all of my motorbikes but not a lot of either one it seems. Thanks again, and your review is very much appreciated and excellent unbiased review.
Great review, lots of info ,interesting bike not sure how well it will sell though
Good, intelligent and well balanced review
Interesting concept, With this Kawasaki and most of us are in twilight Zone or transitional zone as we don't know where it's going, But to give people another option to think about and evolve. I think it will still do good set of numbers and Kawasaki now have edge/ benchmark to better this or launch smaller or higher capacity rides from hereon. Welcome aboard kid.
I love the mention of bike heat. I don’t commute so the only time I deal with bike heat is when I choose to ride in the heat or traffic. The beauty of electric bikes is that you could get a cooled seat probably.
❤❤❤❤ superbe merci pour la vidéo
Appreciate your honesty, this is GROUND BREAKING
Should've called it the Ninja 5 HEV instead of 7. Would've given them scope to add a 7 further down the line with an updated larger 650 engine
Hmm I never considered range. It seems like it'd be a luxury convenience if ranges could be extended to 300-400+ miles commonly.
I assume it's not worth debating until 2-3 generations down the road. If they even get there.
One thing I never knew I'd appreciate, was the convenience of visiting a gas station 30-50% less frequently (or even less with pure EV). It's not a huge deal, just a luxury that I could see someone pay for. Kind of like heated seats or some other creature comfort.
And the freedom, or peace of mind, is worth a lot when I want to go explore wherever the road takes me. I hate feeling tethered to a gas station, or thinking about needing gas in the next 30-90 minutes. But a fuel bottle can fix a lot of that for
Regarding fuel consumption, the 2019/... CB500X does the same fuel consumption and less than that.
I have been able to do between 2.8L and 3.8L per 100km. 👌
Hondas are just too smooth and just runs of the smell of fuel
What is the actual overall top speed? I know 40 in ev but what about sport?
What is it with MCN and their lack of captions lately? Enjoyed the review all the same
Yeah as a non-British person I appreciate the captions. Neevesy is a little easier for me to understand, but in this video i had to use the captions. And the automatic captions seems to have difficulty with the British accent as well😂
should be a great economical town commuter with enough to do a weekend ride - perhaps the Prius of motorcycles
Good review, better than a full EV bike, which are mostly useless. I thing they should probably not used the Ninga name but I'm glad to see Kawasaki are being innovative
I want to buy. Are there other colours,?
I think this would be good competition for the Honda NC750x dct. I'd like to see a comparison between the two
They should just do a Versys HEV and call it a day!
I own and ride a lot of bikes and I don't have any problem with this bike or this kind of bike. I'm sure I would enjoy riding it but I'm not sure I would buy one but if it was not expensive I very well might.
What a brilliant honest review. This guy has a fantastic attitude.
i do think the hybrid combination is the way forward for cars not EV's but i don't think its for me on two wheels it is better than just electric interesting really i would try a test ride though
I've been wanting this since the 90's.
I like it . Hope it comes to the USA 2 don’t have to preorder 3 the price affordable then am in. I really want the ninja e1 and am ready to buy but 41 miles range, which would be enough for me, worries me when winter riding because you will lose range riding in 27 degree weather.
I think what they've done would be better in a maxi-scooter rather than a sports bike, but it is a first effort and you have to start somewhere. Incidentally, on the subject of mpg, I was using a Gpz600 to commute to work 30 years ago, and on a 70 mile round trip which had a 28 mile motorway stint in it each way, it was getting 76 mpg, and I wasn't nursing it. So has all this technology really got us any further?
Would make much more sense for a maxi scooter, which don't sell well in the UK, but are everywhere in southern Europe (not to mention India and Asia)
I’ve been waiting for a sport bike to come with an automatic transmission 🎉. My left foot can’t bend upwards to properly shift. 😢
I agree this would make more sense as a maxi scooter or a long range tourer, its a bit odd Kawasaki made it like a semi sport bike.
I like the idea of not starting the engine for short trips, it’s like an escoot and a bike in one
I would consider a Versys 10 if the price was close.
Gran trabajo 👌
We need a more powerful electric motor, something in the order of 70+hp, mated to a 100+hp twin/triple mounted onto a sport or sport touring machine.
That would get my interest for sure.
But this current config mounted into a maxi-scooter would actually make sense for a daily town commuter.
Just to be clear: is the MGP based on UK or US gallons?
I’d guess UK gallons of course because MCN is from the UK. But since CZcams is not limited by borders, I figured maybe they adapted to the audience.
I find it strange that they didn't use the 650 engine!
I was hoping they were going to go a little more sport oriented with this bike, but it's cool tech either way.
I find it very interesting. It would be kind of cool to be able to switch to Electric around town that way you're not wasting Fuel and heating up your motor in slow traffic. But if it cost over $10,000 I'm not sure you get much bang for the buck
Its one thing to ride , its another to own and maintain it...
Will totally rent if the rental price is right.
Wat is the top speed
We need full E100 engines with electric hybrid. I hope solid state battery technology solves our need for energy density.
I’m looking forward to release of a Ninja H2 hybrid. The H2 needs more torque.
Bike looks great, and I would consider buying it as a commuter. But, a few things keep me from buying it. The first thing is something you mentioned in this video is the push button shifting. It is already automatic why not let the automatic do it's thing even in sport mode? And another thing you mentioned I agree with is pushing a button is not all that exciting or appealing as using the clutch and shifting in a conventional sense. I think the push button should be an option sure some may want it. Also, I can already see the price for this bike is going to be a no go for me. You touched on this bike not being made to rip around. I agree it is a utility commuter bike. I'd rather be fully automatic with the push button option than mandatory. I would not use this bike to rip around the bike is designed for a nice ride around town or commute.
If you need a city electric bike motorcycle is not where you look, there are countless PEVs you can get like EUCs and surrons and all that. But if you need to go real far on two wheels but still have most of the electric advantages this is perfect. You can go all electric in the city but use gas when you travel to another city.
price?
I think bikes like these make a lot of sense for markets like India where motos are a primary means of transportation. Could also make more sense for something like a cruiser or adv bike. For a sport bike- where the combined carbon emissions for all riders in the world is negligible- I'll keep the ICEs.
I just need a decent commuter. I have my fun bike. I need something that can do both 120KPH in electric and petrol like the hybrid cars can. This is encouraging but not for me as 70% of my work travel is done at 100KPH on the freeway. I would see very little benefit between industrial areas. If you don't work in the city it might not be the right setup.
It's OK by me (and I'm a big 2 stroke fan), electric motors are needed to efficiently 'start' an ice engine, so it's just an extention of that for me, best of both👍
I would love to have a bike which runs till 40 mph in electric mode and when i need power it has the ic
88mpg is kinda crazy. My Z400 did like 50-60 average almost all of the time. Im really hoping that this is just a way to test the waters and prove the concept before they go all in on a 636 hybrid. I cannot go back to a small set of tires again
The V-Strom 650 actually gets pretty bad mileage in city traffic. It shines on highways or long trips on back country roads. If this Kawi can get 88mpg in city traffic that's worth the price.
1:30 I find the speaker hard to understand. I normally understand English very well.
Yeah as a non-British person I’d appreciate proper captions/subtitles. The automatic version of CZcams seems to have difficulty understanding as well 😂
I think it really needs a "why", if Kawasaki wants to sell many of them. I could think of a few why's that a hybrid bike could try to answer:
- Fuel efficiency. This one is kind of the obvious one. But it's quite hard to compete here. You could get around 3L/100km from ICE bikes like the V-Strom 650, and to be fair most of these 400cc class bikes don't consume much either. And for this to make sense, they'd have to cut fuel consumption by a LOT. Even 33% of 3L/100km is only 1L/100km less.
- More performance. Sure, but it needs to be so much more performance that it makes sense not to just get a slightly bigger bike. And even if they DID get it to accelerate as fast as a 1000cc bike, it feels like having to press a button every time you want proper power doesn't sound that enticing. Also, it would need to keep the relative lightness and price close to the 400cc class it's in to make sense.
- More fun. It seems like maybe a clutchless, shifterless bike which isn't too good in the twisties isn't that, at least for those riders who are comfortable with regular gearboxes.
- More accessibility. Now this one I guess could make the best case. New riders aren't all comfortable with clutches and gearboxes. It could be enticing to someone who wants to get into riding but lower the bar a little. I certainly feel those are essential riding skills, but at least this way those people could start riding and work up those skills a little later.
- A better ownership experience. This one is hard I think. While a fully electric bike massively cuts down on the regular maintenance, a hybrid really doesn't. It's more complicated than either an ICE or an EV. Consequently I don't think servicing intervals or costs will be any lower. However, insurance rates could be, in comparison to something with more CC's and more power.
Usability in zero emissions zones is a bit of a plus, but I don't think that's a market big enough to get enough buyers. Not that I'm a market analyst of course.
For the current bike, I guess I'd say the best hope is if it can pull in new riders who are looking for something that's easy to ride and technologically interesting, but isn't a scooter. Sort of similarly to Honda's automatic offerings. Especially it could be good for buyers who have lots of city miles and from warmer climates.
Feels like kawasaki kinda keep missing the mark by a little... Imo turbos should be used for mid CCs bike to boost power while retainer a small package. Hybrids could be used more on scooters to boost mileage and acceleration. But i guess motorcycles are not really like cars if they apply it the same way. But truly remarkable for being turbo and hybrids to try things out. Wish more manufacturers try them too
For road trip,commute and fuel economy in style.❤
Sounds like the issues with the gearing and shifting is because they haven’t got an intelligent system, seems a simple ‘if 3500 revs shift up’ hence the manual in sport. Mk2 might have a better dct style gearbox ecu
Topspeed?
I'd love it if the EV motor was a TINY bit more powerful and had a bigger battery (maybe 40 miles urban? Too Optimistic?)
I'd be happy to pay more and have more weight.
Honestly, if honda turned the NC750 into a hybrid like this with their DCT i'd be straight on it.
Absolute kudos to Kawasaki for diving in! As this is the first real commercial stab at something much more modern and relevant, even with few takers this is a big, bold step and we'll all learn and benefit from it. The next version's overall performance will be better, no doubt. This is an industry moment, certainly, and other manufacturers will be in the game soon.
The brief mention about the positioning using the valuable Ninja name deserves more attention. Being a career product marketing person, even though it has a real "hook" to get initial attention, it has a very real effect of watering down the Ninja name's hard-earned brand value. After decades of building that value, it is irresponsible to the company to play fast and loose with it. The next version MUST, now, have a significant *riding* experience performance bump to redeem itself.
True - but there’s a few other Ninja’s which are also underpowered but bear the branding
Personally, I think the Hybrid system would be better suited to the Vulcan S where speed is not a problem it would be perfect for touring.
The potential is there, and in years to come, hybrids may well be amazing. But for now, a decent 125 will do better in nearly all respects, especially fuel.
I love the idea of the bike ,but using buttons to change gears seems really really awkward in sport mode which is a shame
Interesting bike but I agree that the problem is that it is too expensive for what it is. It needs to be priced UNDER $10,000.
Great idea and obviously will develop etc but who would buy a v1.0 bike knowing it will quickly be surpassed?
"its been very warm 25c". Haha as i sit in 37+ degree heat and 80%+ humidity 😅
Kawasaki designers: double chins are cool again. The rest of the world: they never were.
Seems like they should have gone a more upright riding position like touring or the new crossover segment, think Tracer 9.
This tech in a big scooter with Honda's DCT might be a better idea
This bike is for Our region😂. We love bike that looks fast..but our twisty narrow road doesn't allow speed above 100kph.😂. But need superfast overtaking
I like a good hybrid but I like a clutch a lot more
1:55 Ew I hate that oil filter placement, it's like a magnet for taking road debris damage.
Exelente
Is... that the oil filter hanging off the front of the engine? Wow😂
Maybe there'll be a hybrid ninja zx-636 that puts out much more hp
Hmmmm, looks like by trying to make it appealing to lots of different riders they've lost the reason that most riders would buy this type of bike. I think, although I'm no engineer, that it should have been an electric bike with a very small petrol engine that kicked in over a certain speed purely to recharge the battery for the main electric motor...
What is the point in a hybrid motorcycle, other than the marketing hype? 💰
Chris was saying it works well as a commuter, but as an engaging motorcycle...no
I am ok with an All electric motorcycle if someone would launch it
Weird choice of platform. It would have worked better on the Versys platform.
Bikes will be forced to change to, well done Kawasaki, a brave move.
Seems pointless, if it is just for the city and commuting, and I wanted something more ecomomic, then I'd go for an electic bike. Now, I commute on a Pan America (which gives me a lot of confidence in traffic, I can get out off trouble quickly and brake very quickly, then on weekends I can tour, do mountain roads, and go off road), or I use my hotted up 1988 Lowrider with a sidecar, which is a lot of fun.
Can’t help thinking that in two years time this is going to be well out of date
So, faint praise?
Wish it was not an automatic, a bike without a clutch handle isn't for me