Taking lead among motorcycle manufacturers, Kawasaki launched their first production motorcycle with forced-induction last year with its supercharged Kawasaki Ninja H2 and its track variant the Ninja H2R. Following recent rumours about Kawasaki planning to expand its forced-induction motorcycle portfolio, we were eagerly waiting for something new and exciting to be unveiled by the Japanese manufacturer at the 2015 Tokyo motor Show.
Kawasaki has not disappointed us and instead of a full-fledged motorcycle in the flesh they have spiked our imagination with the computer-generated image of its new concept called the Kawasaki SC 01 Spirit Charger. We suspect that this could be what rumours suggested as the middle weight S2 from Kawasaki. However, the poster and images hints that the concept is still in very early stages of its development.
Unlike the Ninja H2/H2R, the Kawasaki SC 01 Spirit Charger would not be an outright high-performance motorcycle. Kawasaki said that this new motorcycle would be a middle-weight machine powered by a newly developed 600cc supercharged engine. They also say that they want to make a bike which is comfortable and suitable for everyday riding.
Announcing the new ‘Rideology’ strategy and explaining their top priorities, Kenji Tomida, President of Kawasaki Motorcycles said, “Firstly, the need is for machines to possess power and grace, secondly, Kawasaki motorcycles should continue to be fun and rewarding to ride and, thirdly, the ongoing reliance on the skills within the entire Kawasaki Group would be used to harness cutting-edge technology to enrich the lives of people worldwide”.
Kawasaki’s booth at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show also displayed a mock-up of the new 600cc supercharged engine. The engine features the similar centrifugal type supercharger as in the H2/H2R models. Interestingly, the supercharger has a unique adjustable intake setup to control the amount of airflow into the supercharger. The intake would probably be controlled electronically to eliminate several drawbacks of a direct-driven centrifugal supercharger. This would ensure smoother power delivery, precise boost control, reduction of boost surge and also increased fuel efficiency.
Kawasaki seems to be keen on capitalizing on its new technology which is clearly evident from the new engine and the Kawasaki SC 01 Spirit Charger concept displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show. We hope Kawasaki pushes its concept to production in the near future. Time is of essence all the more now for Kawasaki with Suzuki also unveiling its middle-weight turbocharged engine technology and the Suzuki Recursion concept bike. The competition is getting stronger for Kawasaki and it won’t be long when Yamaha and Honda follow suit. Apart from the new Kawasaki SC 01 Spirit Charger concept, Kawasaki also confirmed that the Ninja H2 and H2R will remain in limited production with new paint schemes and an updated ECU.