The brand new 451cc parallel twin, water-cooled four stroke engine, offers an engine power of 43.5 kw (increasing to 51.1kw e-boost) and in terms of torque, the figures are equally impressive, with a maximum system power with ICE and EV combined of 60.4 N·m {6.2 kgƒ·m} at just 2,800rpm.

Weighing 227kg, the mid-size machine offers 700cc performance with 250-cc class fuel economy with a WMTC Class 3-2 certified rating of 4.0 L/100 km which becomes yet more economical in ECO-HYBRID mode.

In terms of power, this innovative new model is able to harvest energy while riding thanks to the regenerative system meaning when the rider rolls off the throttle the energy of deceleration is recycled back to the battery to ensure a longer cruising range.

Utilising a specially designed version of Kawasaki’s familiar trellis type chassis, the gasoline engine and 9kw max traction motor reveal a compact twinned power unit with the 48V lithium-ion battery near the centre point of the chassis to idealise weight distribution.

The traction motor is equipped with an ISG inverter (which coverts AC to DC power and vice versa) and DCDC converter (converting the battery pack’s 48 V to the 12 V power required by the ECU and other systems), the pair are unitised, helping to conserve space.