What do you think of when you think of a Kawasaki Ninja?
While I'm guessing that you're more likely to ride motorcycles than not if you're reading RideApart, I'm curious what those two words mean to you, even if you've never ridden before in your life. Why?
Because they carry a certain sort of weight. Part of that is the fault of Tony Scott and Top Gun, but part of that is just the reputation that the bikes themselves have built up over the decades. Over and over, these bikes have cemented a certain identity in the minds of the general public, both rider and non-rider alike.
And that's why the latest video from YouTube e-bike enthusiast Sur Ronster (I mean, his username is a dead giveaway, right?) is of particular interest. See, Sur Ronster isn't a motorcyclist, at least, not a street one. He's all about the e-bike life, although sometimes he'll do other e-things with both two- and four-wheels.
Still, like anyone would, he was excited to try Kawasaki's Ninja E-1 and see how it matched up with the perspectives he's built over time, riding primarily e-bikes.
And like even non-motorcyclists do, he had certain lofty expectations of anything that carries the name "Kawasaki Ninja" anywhere on its bodywork.
Now, presumably he didn't throw a leg over expecting Ninja H2 R levels of power. That would be ludicrous, both because he's not really a motorcycle guy (and sorry, but that shouldn't be anyone's first bike), and also because he listened to what Kawasaki told him to expect out of the Ninja E-1.
We're talking single-digit kilowatts here, folks. Nine, to be precise. That's about 12 entire horsepower, if you're keeping track. On a bike that weighs just under 309 pounds at the curb. Claimed torque is 29.7 pound-feet, if you're wondering.
To be fair, it's got a lot of things going for it as well, if you're the right rider with the right expectations, and riding it in the right situation. With its estimated 40 miles of range, two removable battery packs that can either be charged on or off the bike, and handy stowing area for the charging cable located where the fuel tank would be on an ICE bike, it's clear that a lot of thought went into this design.
Handling is intuitive and simple, even for someone who isn't a seasoned rider, like Sur Ronster. Things like Walk Mode and Reverse are also nice to have. But it's slow, the range is pretty minimal, and it's almost $8K in the US (prices will vary in other markets where it's available).
It absolutely looks the part. Kawasaki nailed the family resemblance, no question. But if you're a non-rider, and you're looking to buy into the Ninja mystique while also keeping your emissions down at the same time, this may not quite be it. It's a potentially promising option for new riders, but the pricing kind of precludes that being the choice most will make.
For example, a shiny new 2024 Ninja 500 is almost an entire US $3,000 less. And if you're happy to buy a used bike, you can easily get smaller-displacement ICE Ninjas (haha, ice ninjas) for much less.
Electric motorcycles are having a tough time right now. From the recent collapse of Energica to the dissolution of Cake (and the probable vaporware of Damon), there's no doubt that it's hard out there in the EV motorbike space.
And it's clear that if EV motorcycles are to really take hold, a few things need to happen. One is that we need both viable startup firms, as well as legacy OEMs, to keep advancing technologies and moving things forward.
But to do that, they first need to convince folks to buy in. Because otherwise, why make any bikes at all? And to do that, the ranges, prices, and infrastructure all need to align to be appropriate for real-world use.
Credit where it's due, the Ninja E-1 is absolutely a step in the right direction in terms of pricing. While it's still not cheap, it's certainly a lot closer to the low price starter bike mark than, say, a Zero S or a LiveWire S2 Del Mar. Granted, it's also considerably less powerful, but it's also half the price (or even less) of either of the latter two bikes.
All that said, I sincerely hope that the first Ninja E-1 isn't the last Ninja E-1, and that we see future improvements that make it a more attractive package to new and/or commuter riders down the line.
It's meant to be a 125cc gas bike equivalent, so I get the power restriction for that reason, although it doesn't necessarily make a ton of sense in the US. In Europe and Asia, though, the power seems a lot more reasonable. But a bit better range and pricing will probably go a long way toward getting more riders to take up the Ninja E-mantle.
What would you like to see in future Kawasaki electric bikes? Let us know in the comments.
