By Simon Hancocks Courtesy VisorDown

The first ever lap of the Bugatti circuit by a hydrogen-powered motorcycle took place at the weekend, with the 24 Heures Motos playing host as the Kawasaki H2 HySE opened the event.

The bike was ridden by Matthias Höppner, a development and test rider for Kawasaki Motor Europe. Höppner lined up on the start line less than half an hour before the historic race began. Adding to the nerves of riding the one-of-one prototype machine in front of the crowds was Höppner’s apparent lack of experience on the layout, as well as light rain and a slippery track.

He said “I stayed focused on riding the bike, on the lines, on the track. I didn't even see the spectators in the stands”. Höppner concluded that “The bike's handling was good."

The H2 HySE is Kawasaki's take on what an alternative to petrol or electric power could be. Instead of using hydrogen to power an electric motor (as is the method with hydrogen fuel cells), the HySE combusts it within the engine, using the gas in the same way as petrol is used. The advantages of using hydrogen in this manner are zero claimed emissions from the exhaust, with the only byproduct of combustion being water.

Using hydrogen does bring some challenges, though, with packaging being one of the biggest to overcome. The gas is stored in two large tanks at the rear of the bike. Pressurised to around 400bar (that's 5,800psi!), the tanks are both bulky and vulnerable should the bike be involved in a crash.

The bike’s appearance at Le Mans is its second public outing at an endurance race, with its first coming at the Suzuka 8 Hours in 2024. The bike is the result of a multi-manufacturer collaboration between Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha and the car maker Toyota. Each brand is using the HySE platform to explore and and experiment with using hydrogen as a fuel, and as such, the H2 HySE is not a bike we’ll be able to go out and buy any time soon.

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