Kawasaki patents liquid-cooled e-bike

Kawasaki has lodged yet more patents for electric motorcycles that give a clear indication the Japanese bike maker is researching a high-performance e-sports bike to sit alongside its supercharged H2 superbike.

Given the patent refers to "straddle electric vehicles" which covers ATVs as well as two-wheelers, there is also a chance we could see a manic electric off-road quad bike.

The patent covers a means of using a liquid – either water or oil – to cool the inverter and/or motor. Air is funnelled into a passage and passes over a radiator, helping to chill the coolant and remove moisture from the air before it enters the interior of the battery case.

Kawasaki states the invention can be applied to improve the reliability and efficiency of the components.

The patent notes: “In the straddle electric vehicle, to ensure reliability of its operation, it is necessary to control the temperatures of electric components such as an electric motor, an inverter, and a battery,"

That indicates those components are going to be operating at much higher temperatures than we see in today’s air-cooled electric motorbikes, such as those potentially produced by an electric version of the company’s supercharged H2 sports bike.

Kawasaki has also been active on the retro front, last month trademarking the “Meguro” brand in the EU, US, Australia and New Zealand. That’s a strong hint we may see some more retro-styled Kawasakis in dealerships in the near future.

Meguro began building bikes in Japan in 1937 but made its bikes too expensive in the late 1950s and was taken over by Kawasaki. The last bike to bear the Meguro name was the 1964 Kawasaki-Meguro 250 SG.