Kawasaki trademarks E-Boost name

[advrider]

It looks like Kawasaki is very close to launching its hybrid motorcycle. Team Green recently filed a trademark for the name “E-Boost.” Reportedly, the plan is to use the name for upcoming electric motorcycles and hybrids.

Kawasaki’s electrifying plans

Almost all the manufacturers are open about their plans to develop electric scooters, but motorcycle OEMs are playing very different games, with their electric motorcycle development. Some are playing it very close to the vest, running their skunk works projects under third-party banners (cough cough, Honda/Mugen, cough cough). Most of the major OEMs are signed on to a new consortium to develop swappable batteries, but we don’t know much about the bikes they’re developing around those batteries.

Kawasaki is not playing it sneaky, though. After showing off an electric sportbike prototype at the 2019 EICMA motorcycle show, Kawasaki issued regular updates on the bike’s progress. We haven’t learned much about the bike, but we do know the company is working away. We haven’t seen as many updates from the company lately—perhaps development is on hold, as they sort out the new swappable battery? It’s also possible COVID-19 slowed development.

We have seen some action recently on the patent front—Dean recently dug into that story here, showing new designs from Kawasaki showing development on a hybrid gas/electric motorcycle. One interesting thing we’ve seen from Kawasaki patents is the idea of a gas-powered bike that uses an electric motorcycle to add extra power to the gas engine—press a button and you go faster. That would certainly explain the “E-Boost” name.

So—when would we expect to see this machine debut? Typically the OEMs don’t nail down these names until late in the development program. Maybe we’ll see this bike come fall?

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