Kawasaki patents Versys 7 Hybrid adventure tourer motorcycle

Kawasaki has started shifting from fossil-fuel motorcycles to environment-friendly powertrain options. The Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer launched its first batch of electric motorcycles Ninja e-1 and Z e-1 earlier in 2023. Besides that, it is also working on a range of hybrid bikes that combine internal combustion engines and electric motors for better power and lower tailpipe emission.

Automotive publication Motociclismo has reported that the Japanese two-wheeler brand has patented the Versys 7 Hybrid, which comes as a hybrid adventure tourer. With this, the automaker aims to enter a new realm, as this is going to be the brand's first-ever adventure motorcycle with a hybrid powertrain. The report contains an image of the patent filed for the Kawasaki Versys 7 Hybrid.

The new Versys hybrid model will come as an updated avatar of the motorcycle. The silhouette of the adventure tourer would be like other ADV models in the market and other Versys models in the company's portfolio. However, tweaking the internal combustion powertrain in favour of a hybrid setup is going to be a challenge for the automaker. Expect the motorcycle to come offering the rider capability to switch to fully electric from internal combustion mode, in case, there is low fuel in the tank.

Powering the motorcycle would be a 451 cc parallel-twin engine, which would be paired with a 9 kW electric motor and a 1.4 kWh battery pack. Kawasaki has not revealed anything about the performance and specifications of this upcoming hybrid adventure tourer. However, the 451 parallel-twin engine is capable of pumping out 69 bhp peak power.

Expect the motorcycle to come with features like full LED lighting and a fully digital instrument cluster among others. Expect it to get a host of advanced safety features as well. Also, it could come with automatic gear-shifting options as well.