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2024 Kawasaki Ninja 7 Hybrid

A chain connects the transmission with the 48v traction motor & LiFePo4 battery of 1.3kWh under the seat that required the swingarm to be longer. It has 650 level performance, Prius like idle-stop, EV start till 11mph when the engine comes to life. It can operate in EV mode in the first 4 gears up to 40 MPH, and if the battery goes to 20% low charge the engine will turn on automatically to charge it. A combined starter alternator mounted to the engine crank directly to reduce weight created by adding motor & hybrid long life lithium iron phosphate battery, controllers & wiring harness. 

Early testing on the dash shows 50-56 MPG while it has to come to the USA & sell for a while in good volumes for real world fuel economy testing. The engine a 451cc parallel twin from the Eliminator, with extensive tweaks on the intake, ignition, exhaust, ECU & cooling to enable the hybrid motor assist, brake energy regen, Eco mode HEV operation, sport E-boost modes & other riding modes with seamless transition between the engine or motor, for smooth torque & power, though the transmission automatic, no manual shifting here. The engine makes 56 HP * the HEV motor makes 12hp peak, 7 hp nominal. Combined, Ninja 7 Hybrid brings 650cc class performance with the fuel economy of a 300cc bike. 

See Riding the World's First Production Hybrid Motorcycle (msn.com)

Toyota & Yamaha & Our 20 MT03 (Exceptional, I Love It) 

I love our 2020 Yamaha MT03 & have spiritual experiences on it! Its balanced agile riding, comfy seating geometry, excellent thermal efficiency & good fuel economy, snappy performance like a 400HP car, amazing tactile foot feedback shifty click 6 speed sequential transmission excellent with dash gear selection data at a glance easy to read dash display, featuring a clock, fuel economy, tachometer, engine temperature, and modes selected via the B&W sunlight readable LDC display :) I can glance at it & see the important info easily fast. 

Noting that when ridden normally my 2020 Yamah MT-03 achieves about 53-58 MPG from its 321cc offset parallel twin derived from 11 years of use in the R3, refined & optimized extensively. Toyota did that in the 2022 Corolla Hybrid with HSD & 2ZR-FXE which has been used in Prius III & IV since late 2009. Noting that Toyota & Yamaha work together on vehicles & engines all the time, and Toyota does not sell motorcycles, so Yamaha is the closest thing you can get to a Toyota motorcycle. I can hypermile the MT03 up to over 80MPG, and if I flog it like I stole it, it still gives 44 MPG. Sure, the Corolla Hybrid does better than the MT03 in terms of fuel economy, but while the MT03 was $6K out the door, the 1 year used 22 Corolla Hybrid cost me just over $28K, or almost 5x more. 

Understanding Premium Efficiency (Expensive to Get Best Energy Efficiency)

With mini-split heat pumps, cheap 3.1 COP units cost $500 while the hyper efficient premium 7.2 COP units cost $1600 or more. So with more capital you can buy "Premium Efficiency" devices, machines, systems, appliances, vehicles, buildings, homes & other high energy efficiency stuff. Otherwise known as chasing diminishing returns. A home furnace for forced air heating with 85% natural gas to hot air creation efficiency might cost $4-$6K while the 96% efficiency natural gas furnace costs 30-50% more in upfront cost, even though it will cost less long term because of natural gas savings. 

Consider operating costs long term more than upfront capital costs, because operating costs over 12 or more years usually eclipse the capital cost, and this broadly applies to many systems & devices. The more expensive system is to achieve premium efficiency, the more resource intense they are, meaning more indirect harm to nature or the biosphere of Earth with more pollution emitted during the manufacturing of the higher technology premium efficiency machine or device or system. 

1918 Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technology

Hybrid Electric Vehicle an idea that comes from 1918 when Ferdinand Porsche founder of the eponymously named automaker in Germany, created the world's first hybrid electric vehicle, the Loehner Porche which has huge spring mounted flooded lead acid batteries, electric wheel motors & a gasoline engine prime motor that also charged the batteries. Mixte Loehner Porsche was very expensive at ~$95K USD2023 when other gasoline cars & BEV's of that time were selling for under $10K USD2023 equivalent when adjusted for inflation more or less. 

Toyota the Hybrid OG Big Daddy King

Starting in 1981 & accelerating in 1994, Toyota began commercialization efforts to produce the strong hybrid OG 1st generation Prius :) Now Toyota has sold many tens of millions of hybrid electric cars, SUV, and trucks that are reliable when driven daily for many years on end of many thousands of hours with basic maintenance. Toyota has a sterling reputation & famous all over the world for making the most reliable vehicles. 

I buy Toyota Hybrids (Made in Japan: Higher Quality) (Quality Obsessed Culture in Japan)

Our 2005 Prius II still going strong with original hybrid battery! Gives 46 MPG all day, now Allan driving it a lot more that I was. I think we can milk it for 850,000 mi ODO eventually. Its possible to hypermile the 1NZ-FXE 1.5L second generation Prius to over 50 MPG. 

Our 2010 Prius III still going strong with original hybrid battery, with ~160K mi ODO, it gives 48 MPG real world all day long around town & on all highway 70-80 MPH mountain pass climbing road drips throughout America like we did 2 years ago in the Summer :) Hypermiling this Gen 3 prius can get the fuel economy to around 55 MPG. 

Our 2022 Corolla Hybrid only has just less than 27,000 mi ODO & gives more than 55 MPG real world. I can hypermile it to around 74-77 MPG in normal mode without using ECO using hypermiling techniques that I learned about from Wayne Gerdes via AutoBlog Green back in 2006, probably from Wikipedia & Jalopnik also. 

Hypermiling From Wikipedia Hypermiling - Wikipedia

(Copied & Pasted for Easy Fast Info Access) 

Hypermiling is driving or flying a vehicle with techniques that maximize fuel efficiency. Those who use these techniques are called "hypermilers".[1] In the case of cars, this is an extreme form of energy-efficient driving.

Hypermiling can be practiced in any vehicle regardless of fuel consumption. It gained popularity due to the rise in gasoline prices in the 2000s.[2] Some hypermiling techniques are illegal in some countries because they are dangerous.[3] In 2008, the New Oxford American Dictionary voted "hypermiling" the best new word of the year.[4]

Safety and awareness program[edit]

Hypermiling has come under fire from several sides because some hypermilers show dangerous or illegal behavior, such as tailgating larger vehicles on motorways to save fuel, cycling between accelerating and coasting in neutral, and even turning the engine off when its power is not needed.

For this reason, the Hypermiling Safety Foundation was established in August 2008 to promote a safety and education program that promotes legal fuel-saving techniques.

Hypermiling techniques with gas-powered cars[edit]

There are various techniques used by gas-powered car driving hypermilers that help increase their gas mileage.

Techniques that can be used to minimize fuel consumption while driving include:

  • Avoiding unnecessary braking and acceleration
  • Maintain a lower, steady speed in the highest gear at a low RPM
  • Shift up gears as early as possible
  • Avoid idling
  • Utilizing cruise control
  • Use air conditioning and electric equipment sparingly
  • Keep windows closed to reduce drag[7]


Techniques that can be used to minimize fuel consumption before driving include:

  • Planning to avoid traffic congestion
  • Monitoring energy efficient tires & inflation using TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system)
  • Adjusting aerodynamics devices
  • Avoid overfilling the fuel tank
  • Keep up on proper and timely maintenance


Additionally, carrying the least amount of weight possible will aid in less fuel consumed. Things like golf clubs, toolboxes, strollers etc. can add unnecessary weight to the vehicle.
Even wearing thin-soled shoes can aid in reducing fuel consumption; thinner soles can result in increased sensitivity to the gas pedal. [8]

Additionally, a technique that has been a subject to controversy is that of drafting. This involves driving close to or slipstreaming behind the car in front, potentially saving 40% of fuel. Drafting can save energy by using the car ahead to push air out of the way. This technique is subject to controversy due to the reduction in visibility and the risk of not being able to brake fast enough if the car in front stops or slows down quickly.

Hypermiling with electric cars

The range of electric cars is limited. To get the most out of the battery, drivers sometimes use hypermiling techniques. Some aim to set a record for most mileage from a single charge. For example, a Tesla Model 3 ran more than 1000 km with one battery charge. The average speed was 38 km/h and the whole drive took around 30 hours. The tester used the autopilot of Tesla Model 3, running the car unmanned. The test car did not drive on a public road.

Hypermiling with aircraft

There have been several aircraft hypermiling competitions held throughout the years, such the FuelVenture and CAFE challenges. Klaus Savier won the 2009 Fuelventure 400 in a VariEze aircraft which got 45 MPG at 207 MPH with a modified Continental O-200 engine upgraded with a computerized fuel injection and ignition system by Light Speed Engineering. By slowing to extend range, mileage approaches 100 miles per gallon.[14] 

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