We first caught a glimpse of this at the Suzuka 8-Hour endurance race last year, but now Kawasaki has brought its hydrogen-combustion-powered motorcycle to the European stage, showcasing it with a damp parade lap at the Le Mans endurance round.
Visually, the bike is hard to ignore — and not necessarily in a good way. The enormous high-pressure hydrogen tanks dominate its appearance, giving it a wild, Jetsons-esque sci-fi look. Beneath the bold blue bodywork is a modified version of the H2SX supercharged 999cc engine, re-engineered to run on hydrogen.
The potential of hydrogen as a motorcycle fuel is still up for debate. On the plus side, burning hydrogen only produces water vapour, and it can be created in virtually unlimited quantities via electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources like solar or nuclear. This could allow manufacturers to continue using existing internal combustion engine technology without carbon emissions.
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But there are significant drawbacks. The process of producing, compressing, distributing, and burning hydrogen is highly inefficient. It’s often more practical to use the same renewable energy to generate electricity and charge a battery directly via the national grid. Moreover, hydrogen combustion still produces pollutants like nitrogen oxides, and burning engine oil in traditional combustion setups would require catalysts to clean the exhaust.
Despite the challenges, it’s encouraging to see major manufacturers like Kawasaki exploring alternative fuels and pushing innovation forward — even if the road to hydrogen-powered motorcycles remains a complex one.
