Kawasaki Synergy | Concept Motorbikes

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Make	Kawasaki
Model	Synergy
Concept year	2009
Production year	-
Engine	fuel cell powered

The Kawasaki Synergy concept is the work of Piers Prendergast, a 2009 graduate of the Transport Design course at Coventry University. The bike was developed as his final year project and is; "a fuel cell motorbike aimed at changing the perception of environmentally friendly vehicles".

The striking design of the Synergy concept is characterized by the crisp, angular lines of the bodywork and the innovative hubless wheels. The frame has been cleverly integrated into the design and the shape closely follows the lines and angles of the bodywork.

The hubless wheels work via a fixed inner rim and a rotating outer rim that spins on internal bearings. The rim mount (where the swingarm is attached to the inner wheel) houses an electromagnet, when this is magnetized it spins the magnet track which is mounted inside the outer rim. Basically the rear wheel is a giant bearing with the tire fitted to the outer rim. The electromagnet makes the outer rim spin while the centre remains fixed. The electromagnet also helps recover a small amount of electricity through regenerative braking.

A 5kW fuel cell is used to produce the electricity for the electromagnet. The compressed hydrogen fuel cylinders slot into the fuel tank in the location of the usual filler cap, maintaining the familiar appearance of a motorbike petrol tank. The projected range of the bike would be around 150 miles, performance would be comparable to a 125cc/250cc sports bike.

Aside from the Kawasaki Synergy roadbike (white), Prendergast has also developed a racing version (green) for a theoretical fuel cell race series in the future. However thanks to the current advances in technology and the quickening adoption of cleaner drive systems a dedicated fuel cell race series is not that far fetched.

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