All About The Kawasaki Ninja E-1 Motorcycle

The Ninja is one of Kawasaki's most famous motorcycles for good reason. This line is perhaps the most recognizable from Kawasaki, so it's not surprising to see a bike from the family be one of the most popular beginner bikes for a new rider. As the world continues toward an electric future with its vehicle, Kawasaki has also hopped on the bandwagon with the Ninja e-1, the fully electric motorcycle. It's not the first to hit the market, but it could quickly become one of the best electric motorcycles if all of Kawasaki's bets pay off.

Kawasaki is trying to make the bike as appealing as possible to both new and returning customers with its competitive price tag of $7,899. This pricing puts it in the middle of the pack compared to the rest of the Ninja line, so it can be very appealing to people looking to ditch gasoline. With the price in line with other Ninjas, it's important to know how it stacks up with its family in terms of performance. Spoiler alert — the results are promising.

Something many would-be electric vehicle buyers are interested in is the range their new purchase can get. This is important for people since they might have to plan out their trip based on how many charging stations they'll run into along the way, and it's a fair concern. The Ninja e-1's range is approximately 41 miles, so this will not be a good bike to take on long rides. If you're looking for something to drive around in the city, then the e-1 fits that bill. It tops out at 65 mph in ROAD mode with e-boost and drops to 47 mph with e-boost while in ECO mode. Charging up from a dead battery takes about 3.7 hours to go from nothing to 100%. 

While this is in the Ninja line, the e-1's closest comparison — at least comfort-wise — would be the Ninja 400 and 500 series as all three feature the same seat heights. The e-1 falls into the Sport category, so the six bikes in that line are the best comparisons. Perhaps the biggest difference you'll feel is the weight as the e-1 comes in at 308.7 lbs with its curb weight — down from the Ninja 400's 366.

There's just one color scheme to pick from with the e-1 and it's a blend of Metallic Bright Silver, Matte Lime Green, and Ebony. The big change here over the other Ninja bikes is the indicators that tell you how much range and life is left in your battery instead of a fuel gauge. With the nearly 4-hour charge time from zero to full, you won't want to be stuck somewhere because you drove on a low battery.

The e-1 comes equipped with an air-cooled engine and gives off zero emissions, so environment-conscious riders won't have to worry about a thing while cruising. Kawasaki's electric bike also lets you connect wirelessly to it with your phone, a staple among vehicles nowadays. Although the bike comes packed with cutting-edge features, EVs are still in their relative infancy and problems crop up here and there. While that wouldn't be ideal, Kawasaki knows issues can arise and you're covered by a 24-month limited warranty just in case.