Back in the late 90s Suzuki and Kawasaki were engaged in a serious top-speed war, both manufacturers determined to bring out the next “fastest bike in the world.”
When Suzuki brought out the Hayabusa, it reigned supreme, and by default would remain atop of that chart for the next decade as the Japanese government forced all manufacturers to limit the top speed of their motorcycles. That handshake agreement remains intact to this day, but Kawasaki found a loophole, and that loophole is the track-only H2R.
They are not bound by that agreement when the bike is not street legal and as good as the H2 is, the H2R is the realization of its full potential.
10 Unrivaled Riding Experience
A bike like this offers a totally unique riding experience, it certainly isn’t designed to be a dedicated track machine, which makes it, to say the least, a bit odd, seeing as though it isn’t street legal.
This is an exclusive thrill machine, for those of you who need the fastest motorcycle on the planet. Nothing even comes close, in fact, aside from purpose-built race bikes, nothing is even in the same league.
9 Not At All Beginner Friendly
A lot of sportbikes will try to attract novice riders by offering advanced electronic safety nets, or maps with reduced power, the H2, and by extension, the H2R is not one of those bikes.
This is a dedicated speed machine that only the most experienced riders will be able to enjoy, in the wrong hands it will be deadly.
8 It Has A Supercharger
At present this is the only platform that makes use of a supercharger in the motorcycle industry, and there is a good reason for that, it is very expensive to develop.
This isn’t a ZX-10R with a supercharger strapped to it, this engine was developed from the ground up, integrating the supercharger into the design, so they could optimize performance.
7 Fighter Jet On Wheels
In an example of some shrewd product placement, Kawasaki was able to insert their then “fastest bike in the world” into a certain movie where the bike raced a jet.
Today, there is no bike more fitting than the H2 to replicate that scene, but the H2R will show it, and the jet, a clean pair of heels on the ground with over 100 horsepower more than the standard model.
6 Pure Power
With 310 horsepower, there are no production motorcycles that can touch it in terms of pure power.
It is quite simply a ridiculous amount of power for a motorcycle to have, even some top-spec race bikes make less power.
5 Rev Happy
Most of its torque is available pretty low down in the rev range, but peak power comes in at a pretty lofty 14,000 rpm, a full 3,000 rpm more than the standard H2’s peak power.
It makes its power in the most theatrical way too, as the unrestricted exhaust system allows everyone to hear just how loud this motorcycle can be with some official tests registering the bike at 170dB. Making it illegal on some tracks…
4 Trellis Frame
Although there are now other lighter frames in the superbike world, the old trellis design has its benefits, as proved by KTM and their MotoGP machine, which makes use of a trellis.
It is still the most rigid design, albeit a little on the heavy side, this is an obvious choice for the H2 and H2R bikes as it plays a big part in getting the power down and not turning into jelly as you exit a corner.
3 Purposeful Looks
It isn’t pretty. Some might like its bold, angular styling, but from a traditional motorcycle design standpoint this is not a good-looking bike, it simply looks purposeful.
The addition of carbon fiber helps reduce the weight of the H2R by a good 40 pounds, but with over 300 horsepower all that amounts to is aesthetics, the addition of winglets is actually functional though as they will help keep the bike more stable at speed.
2 Nothing Faster
At present, there are technically some non-production bikes with more power, but when it comes to out-and-out speed, absolutely nothing can touch the H2R.
If you have a long enough straight, and enough courage, it will reach a top speed of 240 mph, which is just otherworldly for a motorcycle. To put that into perspective, MotoGP bikes are topping out at 225 mph.
1 Absolutely Terrifying
It is an adrenalin machine, made specifically for those speed freaks where nothing but the fastest will suffice. It is also built to prove a point; that Kawasaki makes the “fastest bike in the world.”
There is no disputing that fact at the moment, and even if you think there are much faster cars out there, they cost 10 times as much and don’t even come close to the sensation of speed the H2R offers.