Kawasaki Ninja 7 Hybrid Launched In America At An Over-$12,000 MSRP

Let’s face it, we’re not anywhere near to full electrification. There are some key challenges–range anxiety, battery sizes, charging facilities–to be tackled, all of which means electric motorcycles are not the way to go right now. But what if we told you there was a “best of both worlds” solution? Of course, we’re talking about the Kawasaki Ninja 7 Hybrid and Z7 Hybrid–the first strong hybrid mass-market motorcycles. These have now been launched in America for you to enjoy.

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Kawasaki’s Hybrid Range Starts From $12,499

Kawasaki has priced the Ninja 7 Hybrid and Z7 Hybrid at $12,499. Each bike comes in a single Metallic Bright Silver/Metallic Matte Lime Green/Ebony colorway, and there are no variants to choose from. At this price, the Hybrid duo costs almost $4,000 more than Kawasaki’s own 650cc lineup (Ninja 650 and Z650).

The story isn’t all that different with the other middleweights, too. The Ninja Hybrid costs $3,000 more than the Suzuki GSX-8R, while the Z7 comes at $3,600 more than the GSX-8S. Interestingly, the Z is also pricier than the Kawasaki Z900 and the GSX-S1000. So it’s clear the hybrid duo isn’t a cheap or easy-on-the-pocket product. But luckily, there’s plenty to justify the money.

The Kawasaki Ninja 7 Hybrid And Z7 Hybrid Produce 68 Horsepower

The party trick here is the dual powertrain. You get a 451cc, parallel-twin engine that works in tandem with a 9kW electric motor. The result is a combined peak output of 68.5 horsepower and 45 pound-feet, where the latter is available right from the get-go. So much so that Kawasaki claims HEV has an “instant acceleration to rival that of a 1,000cc-class supersport model from a standing start”.

Another standout element is the unique six-speed transmission. It works both manually and automatically (depending on the ride mode), without the need for a physical clutch. You shift simply by pressing the buttons to go up or down the gearbox (like paddle shifters in a car). Speaking of modes, there are four ride modes–Sport, Hybrid, Eco-hybrid, EV–where ‘Sport’ means no electric motor intervention and ‘EV’ means no ICE intervention. Other notable features include:

• Idling start-stop system
• TFT instrument cluster
• Smartphone connectivity
• Adjustable brake lever
• Automatic launch position finder (automatically selects first gear when pulling away)

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Underpinnings-wise, both bikes take inspiration from the Ninja 650 and Z650. So you get a steel trellis-type chassis, attached to telescopic forks and a monoshock. Each end comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, where the front houses two disc brakes and the rear a single one. You should also know the Ninja and Z7 weigh almost 500 pounds–80 pounds more than the 650cc Ninja and Z–thanks to the hefty electric powertrain.

Source – Kawasaki