Kawasaki has been one of the most active Japanese manufacturers when it comes to researching alternative fuels for motorcycles, and they have revealed a new prototype they hope will preserve the future of the internal combustion engined motorcycle as we know it – albeit one replacing petrol with hydrogen.

In recent years the brand has brought a pair of learner legal battery bikes to market, as well as the world’s first hybrid motorcycle. The hybrid, available in Z7 Hybrid and Ninja 7 Hybrid, feature a 451cc petrol engine combined with a small electric motor to give mid-capacity levels of performance. The latest machine is part of a year-long research programme to create a hydrogen powered bike and saw a public demonstration of an adapted Ninja H2 motorcycle, complete with a modified version of the stonking 998cc supercharged four-cylinder engine. Although Kawasaki have not released many technical details, the main changes to the engine appear to be in the fuel system, which injects hydrogen directly into the cylinders.

Unlike hydrogen fuel cell technology, which turns the gas into electricity to power an electric motor, the Kawasaki uses the hydrogen as a replacement for petrol. Using hydrogen combustion, the engine should retain the sensations associated with a traditional internal combustion engine, namely revving and the mechanical vibrations, but with no harmful tailpipe emissions.

Because it can theoretically be replenished quickly, and because it creates a conventional riding experience, hydrogen is seen as a desirable alternative fuel by many traditionalists. It uses a largely traditional engine design but when hydrogen combusts it emits water at the tailpipe, making it theoretically much cleaner. Critics will suggest that commercial hydrogen is difficult and expensive to produce, and that the amount of energy required to make it means the overall carbon footprint is significantly more than recharging an electric vehicle.

Also, hydrogen can be difficult to store and, as it is less energy dense than hydrocarbons, requires larger fuel tanks than petrol vehicles. This can be seen with the prototype, which appears to forgo a pillion seat in order to accommodate the large fuel canisters.

Kawasaki’s prototype was shown riding around Japan’s Autopolis circuit, where the bike indeed emitted a traditional motorcycle sound. Kawasaki’s engineers admit that the prototype is at a very early stage but appeared happy with their work to date. Because hydrogen combusts more quickly than petrol, in theory the engines should be more responsive than their petrol powered counterparts.

As part of their carbon neutral initiative, Kawasaki is conducting research and development with the aim of producing and selling a functioning hydrogen powered internal combustion engined motorcycle by the early 2030s. As part of the programme, the company is a member of HySE (Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology), a research association focused on hydrogen technology that is actively conducting basic research on hydrogen engines, hydrogen filling systems, and fuel supply systems in order to produce hydrogen-powered small mobility vehicles, including motorcycles.

It will be interesting to see if other manufacturers jump on the hydrogen bandwagon and if indeed consumer interest means that this prototype H2 represents the future of high performance motorcycling.