There was a unique sight on the iconic Mountain Course this week as former TT winner Phillip McCallen took a new Kawasaki Z7 Hybrid machine out for a high-speed demonstration lap.

The 11-time winner said: ‘It felt different yet very interesting to ride through the TT paddock silently using 100% electric motive power then line up for a standing start lap of what is the most famous road racing course in the world.

‘I engaged e-boost and got ready to be released but was not aware of quite how hard the acceleration would be using all the potential torque of the electric motor combined with the petrol engine – it was really impressive.

‘I think there were a lot of people around the course who were seeing a hybrid motorcycle for the first time, and I hope it was as much fun for them as it was for me riding such an amazing bike in an equally amazing location.’

Kawasaki says the Z7 has a ‘unique power unit that combines a 450cc combustion engine and a compact [electric] traction motor’.

It costs £11,949.