While many are betting on electric power as the futur🌠e of mobi🏅lity, others have expressed serious doubts. That is particularly the case for motorcycles, due to the heavy weight and limited range of current battery technology.

The new group warns that: “To realize a decarbonized society, a multi-pathway strategy to address various issues in the mobility sector ไis necessary, rather than focusing ꦦon a single energy source.

“Against this backdrop, research and development targete▨d at commercialization of mobility with engines powered by hydrogen - deemed a next-generation energy source - is gaining momentum. “

The technical challenges in using hydrogen, to be addressed by the new HySE group, ꦛincludes “fast flame speed and a large region of ignition, which often result in unstable combustion” plus “the limited fuel tank capacity in case of use in small mobility vehicles”.

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The main resear⛄ch and devel🤪opment areas, and role of each company in the group, will be as follows:

1. Research on hydrogen-powered engines

Research on the model-based development of hydrogen-powered engines (Honda)

Element study on functionality, performance, and reliability of the hydrogen-powered engines (Suzuki)

Hands-on research using real hydrogen-powered engines on their functionality, performance, and reliability (Yamaha, Kawasaki)

2. Study on hydrogen refueling system

Studying the requirements for a hydrogen refueling system and hydrogen tanks for small mobility (Yamaha)

3. Study on fuel supply system

Studying the auxiliary equipment required for a fuel supply system and tanks, and the equipment installed between the fuel tank and the injector (Kawasaki)

“We are extremely pl🐓eased to announce the planned formation of the association,” said Kenji Kom🧸atsu, Chairman nominee of HySE and Executive Officer of Technical Research & Development Center, Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.

“There are many challenges in the development of hydrogen-powered engines, but we hope to see the association’s activities advance the fundamental research in order🥂 to meet those challenges.

“We are committed to this endeavor with a sense of mission to preserve the use of internal combustion engines, which epitomize the long-time efforts that our pred๊ecessors have invested.”

In addition to the four motorcycle manufacturers, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Toyota Motor Corporation will support the association as spe🥂cial members:

“Kawas🦂aki Heavy💝 Industries, being one of the main organizers of the 'CO2-free Hydrogen Energy Supply-chain Technology Research Association', will drive forward HySE’s activities, based on the knowledge gained from its activities for HySTRA.

“Toyota, on the other han🌜d, will assume the role of leveraging HySE’s resea🌠rch results to the maximum benefit for the development of hydrogen-powered engines, utilizing its know-how on experiments, analyses, and the designing of large hydrogen-fueled power units for four-wheel vehicles.”

While Honda and Yamaha continue to compete in MotoGP, Suzuki suddenly pulled out at the end of last year "to re-allocate resources on other initiatives for sustainability". Kawasaki withdrew from MotoGP in 2009 and switc✱hed its motorsport focus to WorldSBK, where Honda, Yamaha and Ducati also maintain factory involvement.

The five remaining MotoGP manufacturers - Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Aprilia and KTM - are currently discussing the future t🍰echnical rules from 2027 onwards.

It is already agreed that the premier class will use 100% non-fossil fuel from 2027 (rising from 40% in 2024). Ride-height devices could also be banned and aerodynamics tightened, but engine rules look likely to remain largely unchanged for ♋the next five-year contract cycle.

Any radical change in premier-class power source is therefore unlജikely before 2032.

Ducati now supplies machinery for the ꦓMotoE (electric) World C༒hampionship, which takes place at some of the grand prix weekends.