Kawasaki patent: tilt technology instead of handlebars

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Kawasaki patent: tilt technology instead of handlebars
Kawasaki

Kawasaki patent: tilt technology instead of handlebars

Kawasaki patent: tilt technology instead of handlebars

Kawasaki patent: tilt technology instead of handlebars

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Kawasaki patent: tilt technology instead of handlebars
Kawasaki

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In a new patent, Kawasaki revolutionized the steering technology of motorcycles.

Kawasaki patent: tilt technology instead of handlebars
Kawasaki

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Cornering is initiated by shifting weight and electrically tilting wheels.

Kawasaki patent: tilt technology instead of handlebars
Kawasaki

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Instead of a handlebar, the driver only has a U-bracket.

Kawasaki patent: tilt technology instead of handlebars
Kawasaki

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However, the throttle grip and conventional brake levers are retained.

Kawasaki patent eliminates the need for handlebars

Inclination technology instead of handlebars

Motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki has patented a technology that is supposed to move motorcycles in lean positions and around bends without conventional handlebars.

W.hen the ingenuity of the Kawasaki engineers has its way, at some point in the future there could be motorcycles on the road that have little in common with current bikes. It seems clear that the electric motorcycle will come. In the latest patent from the Greens, even the handlebar is on the cross-off list.

Shifting weight as a steering impulse

The patent shows a two-wheeler on which the driver assumes a very sporty sitting posture. Both wheels are each guided on a generously dimensioned swing arm. These are supported on the main frame by means of a mono spring strut with deflection. However, the design has nothing more in common with a conventional motorcycle, because now the patent’s highlight comes: Both swing arms are provided with a joint around which they can be rotated in the longitudinal axis using an integrated electric motor. There is no provision for turning the front wheel about a steering axis. The driver specifies the steering request by shifting weight. Sensors detect this and tilt the front and rear wheels accordingly. Since the front wheel leans much more strongly than the rear wheel, cornering is initiated. The driver himself only grabs a U-bracket, which integrates a conventional throttle grip and conventional brake levers.

And the drive? Kawasaki relies on electric wheel hub motors in both wheels – i.e. all-wheel drive. The battery should be located where the internal combustion engine would otherwise take its place. Does it all sound very futuristic? It is. But the patent specification shows the directions in which possible motorcycle revolutions could go.

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