Did Kawasaki Just Figure Out the Future with Its Hydrogen Motorcycle?

• Kawasaki has produced a hydrogen-powered internal combustion-engined demo motorcycle that is pure ICE, with no fuel cell and no batteries.

• The demo is part of Kawasaki’s carbon-neutral initiative, wherein the moto-maker is conducting R&D “with the aim of achieving a functioning hydrogen ICE motorcycle as one carbon-neutral option for riders beginning in the early 2030s.”

• The hydrogen engine is based on the 998cc supercharged inline-four found in Kawasaki’s ultra-high-performance Ninja H2.

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
—Fire and Ice, Robert Frost (1923)

Robert Frost never rode a motorcycle, as far as we can tell, and when he talks about ice in his poem Fire and Ice, he’s talking about heaven and hell, maybe (English majors: This is your moment!). But his line, misquoted here, “Ice is nice and will suffice,” could refer to “Internal Combustion Engine.”

The whir and clicks of an electric motor can’t match the rumble and thump of internal combustion. At least for some.

Kawasaki just demonstrated a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine during the Suzuka 8 Hours FIM World Endurance race at Suzuka Circuit in Japan, the first motorcycle maker to do so. There have been plenty of electric motorcycles, as we learned a few weeks ago when we tried out a bunch of them. Electricity makes sense for relatively short hauls on two wheels, since you can get enough electricity into an onboard battery to clear 100 miles or more of range.

But no major motorcycle manufacturer has done a hydrogen motorcycle powered by internal combustion until now. Kawasaki’s hydrogen ICE motorcycle was designed and built as part of the company’s research that began in March of 2023, with test runs starting this year, culminating in this public demonstration run.

The hydrogen engine is based on the 998cc supercharged inline-four found in Kawasaki’s ultra-high-performance Ninja H2. It required modifications to allow direct injection of hydrogen fuel into the cylinders, while the chassis had to accommodate hydrogen fuel canisters and a hydrogen fuel supply system on-board.

The result could offer the best of both worlds.

“Hydrogen ICE motorcycles operate on hydrogen combustion, delivering the rumble and pulsating sensation that riders love when twisting the throttle, while emitting mainly water and a very small amount of CO2,” Kawasaki said.

Unstated in the announcement is that almost all of the hydrogen currently available for fuel is made by reformation of natural gas, a process that releases significant amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. But it is at least theoretically possible to make hydrogen cleanly, through electrolysis using solar power, for example.

Still, the idea is unique, at least so far.

“As part of its carbon-neutral initiative, Kawasaki Motors is conducting research and development with the aim of achieving a functioning hydrogen ICE motorcycle as one carbon-neutral option for riders beginning in the early 2030s.” Kawasaki said. “Timing and availability may vary depending on the hydrogen fuel supply infrastructure and the status of legal regulations in each country.”

“To further strengthen the Kawasaki brand, Kawasaki Motors will provide products and services that meet the needs of our customers and society, including efforts toward achieving carbon neutrality, as we challenge ourselves to examine all possibilities in the pursuit of happiness and joy of all those whose lives Kawasaki touches.”

So, who knows? Maybe they’ll figure out a way to make clean hydrogen economically and we could all be riding hydro-bikes.