Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid (2024) - Long Term Review

Mileage: 1515 | Economy: 62.8mpg | Power: 68.5bhp | Torque: 44.5lb·ft | Weight: 227kg | Price: £12,088

Part One – September 2024

I’ve crammed a fair bit into my first 1500 miles with Kawasaki’s Z7 Hybrid. In that time I’ve taken it on a tour of Scotland, had it flat out down a runway in the name of consumer journalism, done plenty of cross-town commutes to experience the fusion of petrol and electric motors working together in their element, as well as some not-so-sensible thrashing along country roads just for the fun of it.

It’s taught me plenty about the bike, all of which you can read below – what the bike is, how its powertrain(s) work(s), how fast and how frugal it really is, plus the subjective side of how it feels to ride, what’s good, what isn’t, and plenty more besides.

It’s fortunate that I’d already got all this ticked off, because I’ve just (late Sept 2024) been told by Kawasaki to not ride it a single mile further. Along with the Ninja 7 Hybrid, Kawasaki have issued a safety recall to correct the bikes’ electronic gearshift system, and instructed owners (as well as faux-owners like me) to “not use the motorcycle again until the repair is completed.” The good news is that the “repair” appears to be just a software update. The bad news is that the new software isn’t expected to be ready until the end of October or start of November.

In the letter to owners, Kawasaki say “there is the potential for the motorcycle to shift to neutral when the operator attempts to shift from 1st to 2nd gear due to improper programming of the shift control system” which can “cause the motorcycle to lose drive”. To be clear, this is nothing to do with the hybrid system itself. There’s no fault with the battery or the electric motor, and by the sounds of it nothing physical within the gearbox, just the wrong 0s and 1s in the ECU.

In truth, the recall hasn’t come as huge surprise. My Z7 Hybrid has frequently missed gearshifts – and not just from first to second but changing up through all gears, especially (but not always) under what I’ll politely call full throttle conditions. If the new software can deliver a smoother, quieter and more reliable shift, it’ll make an enormous improvement to the riding experience. Sadly, it sounds like it’ll be a while before I can find out.

Until then, let’s start at the beginning and go from there. Why did Kawasaki build a hybrid motorcycle in the first place, how does it all work, and does the reality up to the claims?

What is a Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid?

Along with its faired sibling, the Ninja 7 Hybrid, these two models represent motorcycling’s first proper steps into hybridisation. In regular English, that means the powertrain is made up of two halves: a petrol combustion engine; and an electric motor as well. The two sides are integrated in such a way that the bike can run solely on petrol power, or solely on electric power, or with both shoving the bike forwards together for full performance.

Why might you want such a thing? A few reasons, but greater performance and better fuel economy are two good places to start. Hybrid tech is well-established in the car world, where it’s been around since the Toyota Prius back in the late 90s, but this is the first time the idea has been properly implemented in mainstream motorcycling. And, no, we’re not counting the Piaggio MP3 Hybrids from 2010, because a) they had too many wheels and b) you’d forgotten they even existed.

Kawasaki see hybrids as part of their broader carbon neutrality plans, announced back in 2022, which also include their all-electric Ninja and Z1 e-1 commuters, as well as experimental work on hydrogen-combustion engines. As a technological pioneer, the Z7 Hybrid proudly bears Kawasaki’s “River Mark” logo on its nose. This recently revived symbol is used by Kawasaki to denote their boldest, most ambitious, most radical bikes, including their supercharged H2 line-up and their flagship ZX-10R superbike. However, the Z7 Hybrid definitely isn’t a standalone, no-expense-spared clean-sheet project – it shares much with the Z500 middleweight, including the fact that it’s built in Thailand.

How does a Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid work?

Let’s start with the familiar bit. The Z7 Hybrid is primarily powered by a fairly standard-issue 451cc parallel twin – essentially the same motor that’s also used in Kawasaki’s Z500, Ninja 500 and Eliminator 500. Lurking behind the cylinders you’ll find a small water-cooled electric motor, powered by a 1.37kWh (50.4V / 27.2Ah) lithium-ion battery under the rider’s seat, tucked lengthways between the rear subframe rails. The electric motor’s output shaft drives the gearbox’s input shaft via a chain.

Now things start to get clever. On that same input shaft you’ll find a clutch that’s electronically controlled, with no lever for the rider to pull. And while the gearbox contains the usual choice of six separate gear combinations, all the physical shifting between them is performed electronically. Again, there’s no gear pedal by the left footpeg.

From a rider’s perspective, it can feel a bit alien at first. Turn the ignition key and you’re presented with the choice of three very different riding modes: Sport, Eco and EV.

In Sport mode the petrol engine runs the entire time, and the rider decides when to change gears by pressing + and – buttons on the left switchgear. The electric motor provides subtle assistance in the background, but you can also briefly summon its full force by pressing an “E-Boost” button on the right bar. More on this later.

In Eco mode you have the option for either manual gearchanges, as above, or a full automatic mode where the bike decides when to shift. In addition, the hybrid system can switch the petrol engine off at a standstill, and even pull away up to around 10-12mph on electric power alone.

Last but not least is full-electric EV mode, designed for low speeds (under 40mph) and short distances (around 7 miles). Unusually, as the electric motor drives through the gearbox, the bike still changes gears even in EV mode. It does this automatically, though only goes as far as fourth gear.

How fast is a Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid?

Though it has a 451cc engine, the extra punch from the electric motor means overall power and performance is closer to 650-700cc machines – hence the ‘7’ in the bike’s name. On its own the petrol engine makes up to 58bhp, while the electric motor makes up to 12bhp. Running together, maximum combined output is 68.5bhp. That’s a smidge more than Kawasaki’s Z650, but less than Suzuki’s SV650.

What does that really mean? On a mile-long runway, the Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid’s top speed is an indicated 122mph, with the rev counter blinking at over 11,000rpm in sixth gear. My VBOX datalogger taped to the tail unit records a true 116.6mph. That’s a bit down on the 130-ish you might reasonably expect a 700cc naked to achieve.

If outright speed isn’t the Z7’s forte, perhaps it’s all about acceleration. After all, Kawasaki boldly claim it has “the instant acceleration of a 1,000cc-class supersport model from a standing start”. This one’s really easy to test: come to a stop, select Sport mode, press the E-Boost button to prime the system for a full-force launch, then snap the throttle to the stop and hold on.

My datalogger reveals the Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid has a 0-60mph time of 4.27s, and achieves a quarter-mile sprint in 13.44s at 98.8mph. While they’re nippy figures for a sub-500cc machine, neither will worry a superbike. If the Z7 really can match a litre bike off the line, it’s for a matter of metres at most.

What is the fuel economy of a Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid?

A hybrid system should deliver superior fuel economy for two reasons. Firstly, it has the ability to recover some of the energy that bikes normally waste when they’re slowing, capturing it and storing it in the battery to drive the bike forwards (effectively for free) later. And secondly, the electric motor can assist (or take over completely) when the petrol engine is struggling through an inefficient point in its revs, like at low speeds.

Kawasaki’s claimed fuel economy figures for the Z7 Hybrid are 70.6mpg in Sport mode, and 76.3mpg in Eco mode. That compares to Kawasaki’s claimed of 74.3mpg for a Z500, and 64.2mpg for a Z650.

Over 1500 miles of meticulous measuring, the true fuel economy for my Z7 Hybrid has averaged out at just 62.8mpg. The most frugal figure I’ve recorded so far has been 71.4mpg (pretty close to Kawasaki’s claims), while the worst has been 54.8mpg. Given the, ahem, enthusiastic riding responsible for that particular tankful, that’s actually not bad…

How do you charge a Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid?

You don’t. There’s no socket, no charger, no way of plugging it in either at home or when you’re out on the road. Instead, Kawasaki’s debut hybrid system is what marketing types might optimistically/cynically describe as “self-charging”. In short, the traction battery is only topped up by the petrol engine running as you ride.

On the end of the Z7’s crankshaft is something called an Integrated Starter Generator (ISG). This replaces both a conventional alternator and a regular starter motor. It serves two purposes. First, it can fire up the petrol engine almost instantly, way faster than a traditional starter. Second, it’s used to generate the electricity that, after it’s been stepped up to 48V, goes on to charge the hybrid battery.

In practice this means that if you run the battery right down, either by hammering the E-Boost button too frequently, or simply by riding for 7 miles or so in full EV mode, you’ll have no choice but to switch to Sport mode (Eco isn’t selectable when the battery gets very low) and burn some petrol to charge it up. It’s not an especially quick process – in my experience it takes more than 30 miles of brisk A-road riding to fully refill the battery.

What is a Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid like to ride?

The riding experience is equal parts novel, curious, frustrating and fascinating. I’ve found it takes a while to get to know the Z7 Hybrid – which I wasn’t expecting given I’ve owned several hybrid and electric vehicles, and generally enjoy getting under the skin of new tech.

Living without a clutch lever or a gear pedal hasn’t been a problem. I haven’t missed them, and quickly got used to changing gear using the buttons on the left bar (thumb to shift down; forefinger to shift up). To me the principle doesn’t really feel any less engaging or involving than using a two-way quickshifter, and I suspect if Marc Marquez rolled out next year on a bike with push-button gearshift and no clutch lever, suddenly everyone would want the same.

One irritation, however, is that the throttle has to be fully closed to change down a gear, while it has to be open to shift up. These logical locks built into the software might sound intuitive and obvious, but in practice they’re a tad frustrating. A latest-generation two-way quickshifter is smarter, letting you shift down with an open throttle (for snappy overtakes), or shift up with a closed throttle (like when you’re coasting down to a cruising speed).

Still, manual mode is preferable to the full auto setting within Eco mode. It only ever wants to shift up between 3000-4000rpm, presumably keeping revs low to save fuel, but the resulting acceleration is very lacklustre. Around town it also means there are too many gearshifts – by 30mph it wants to sit in fifth gear – while out on faster roads the rock-bottom revs mean there’s barely any acceleration when you open the throttle. It doesn’t, for example, detect from a wide-open throttle position that you want to get a move on and shift down to a lower gear to help you on your way.

I really like how the petrol engine switches off when you’re waiting at a set of traffic lights in Eco mode, and I adore the few seconds of silent, smooth acceleration as you pull away from a standstill before the engine fires up. In fact, I like it so much that I quickly found myself trying to use full EV mode as much as possible.

But this raised two issues. The first is that you can only switch into or out of EV mode below 16mph. This is, as anyone who’s ever ridden a motorcycle will be aware, excruciatingly slow. In practice, it’s so slow I frequently find it impossible to select EV without holding up traffic. Worse is rolling respectfully and stealthily through a village in EV at 30mph, spotting a national speed limit sign ahead, knowing that means you’ll soon need Sport mode, which then means quickly figuring out where you’re going to slow down or pull over to swap settings before you get there.

The second is that Kawasaki’s hybrid design means the electric motor drives through the gearbox – and so the peaceful serenity of a smooth, silent powertrain is somewhat undermined by the clunky, staccato shifts. In fact, the gearshift itself is easily one of the Z7’s worst features, regardless of riding mode. The changes simply aren’t slick or smooth enough – they’re big, jolting GA-CHUNK changes that fall a long way short of a modern two-way quickshifter’s refinement. The way it sometimes misses upshifts, particularly when you’re on full-throttle acceleration, leaving you floundering in a false neutral, gets tiresome too.

(Note: all Kawasaki hybrid models have been recalled in late September 2024 to “reprogram the shift control system with countermeasure software”.)

The most fun part of riding the Z7 Hybrid is E-Boost, a feature exclusive to Sport mode. It’s a bit like an electric nitrous button – pressing it gives a five-second burst of full electric grunt on top of your petrol power. It’s ideal for overtakes, so long as you don’t try to shift up while E-Boost is active. When you’re cruising along in a high gear and need a sudden squirt of acceleration, it’s far quicker and easier to push E-Boost on the right bar than paddle down the gearbox on the left bar.

Ironically, my suggestion to improve E-Boost further would be to do away with the button altogether, and simply have the system automatically deliver additional electric drive based on your throttle position. To my mind, once the throttle’s on the stop, that’s a pretty clear signal you’d like the system to deliver as much drive as it can muster.

Away from the hybrid system, what about the rest of the bike – the chassis, suspension, brakes etc? To be honest, it’s all in the fine-to-mediocre range. The chassis is closely related to that of the Z500, but with an enormously lengthened swingarm (the Z7’s wheelbase is 160mm longer) to accommodate the battery. Suspension and brakes are basic (unadjustable right-way-up forks; a preload-only shock; sliding two-pot Nissin calipers), as are their performance. And the Z7 is on the chunky side of middleweight, weighing a true 227kg – around 55kg more than the Z500. That’s a lot of extra weight to be lugging about, especially in a chassis that doesn’t ride bumps brilliantly, and has a habit of feeling long and ungainly in corners.

How much does a Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid cost?

Kawasaki UK lists the RRP of a Z7 Hybrid at £11,949. However, that doesn’t include first registration (£55) or a year’s vehicle excise duty (£84), so by our sums the true on-the-road price is £12,088. Kawasaki disagree – their online PCP calculator puts on-the-road costs at £110. We think they’ve accidentally used the VED price for a 151-400cc motorcycle (£55) rather than the figure for a 401-600cc bike (£84). Hey ho.

Either way, that’s a pretty steep sum. If you wanted to soften the blow with PCP finance, a £2500 deposit will leave 36 monthly payments of £160.79, followed by an optional final payment of just £6071.00 to buy the bike. That’s based on riding 4000 miles per year, with an APR of 9.9%. If you prefer traditional HP, that same £2500 deposit leaves 36 monthly payments of £298.71. Once again, the APR is 9.9%. Both quotes are correct as of September 2024.

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2024 Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid - Technical Specification