The Ninja H2R is the fastest Kawasaki to date and is currently their flagship model of motorcycles. Being profoundly knowledgeable in the world of engineering, Kawasaki manufactures some of the world’s most sophisticated pieces of machinery— the Ninja H2 being one among them. When launched, the H2 revolutionized the way motorcycles were engineered with several accolades adorning this Japanese beast.
The Ninja H2R is a hardcore version of the H2 with more power and less weight. To put that into context, the H2R has 50% more power than the fastest street-legal motorcycles out there. The Ninja H2R is in fact THE fastest bike in the world with a claimed top speed of 250 mph!
The Ninja H2R Has A Supercharger On Board
In the heart of the H2R lies a 998 cc inline-4 motor. One of the highlights of this engine is its adoption of a supercharger. Yes, a supercharged motorcycle! In fact, the H2R is currently the only supercharged motorcycle offered by a mainstream manufacturer.
The engine runs in two states of tune; the Ninja H2 makes do with 227 hp and 98.5 lb-ft of torque. In this configuration, the H2 runs the supercharger with a 20.5 psi of boost. Move on to the H2R and power figures jump significantly. The motor puts out 310 hp and 115 lb-ft of twist, enough to get from 0-250 mph in 26 seconds. The power figures can be improved if fitted with a ram air intake. The resulting boost is rated at 239 hp for the H2 and 326 hp for the H2R.
With the bike weighing in at 476 pounds (215 kg), you’re looking at some insane power to weight figures. According to autowise.com, the H2R has a power to weight ratio of 1.663 hp per kg and bags first place in their list of 10 motorcycles with incredible power to weight figures. In comparison, the Bugatti Chiron’s power to weight ratio of 0.752 hp per kg looks rather paltry in front of the H2R.
Too Amazing To Be Road Legal
With great power comes responsibilities, and public roads are not where Kawasaki wants people riding the H2R. The construction of the bike, with respect to aerodynamics and the engine, is not road-legal, so to say.
Instead of rear-view mirrors, you have MotoGP inspired winglets that help with aerodynamics. There are no catalytic converters, and instead, you have straight-pipes that help shed weight. The bike comes standard with slicks which pretty much sums up the intention.
From an enthusiast standpoint, we’d rather use this on a track than anywhere else. Being a 300+ hp motorcycle, it really doesn’t make sense to use on public roads. With all that said, Kawasaki has managed to let it loose on some tracks and boy does it fly. In 2015, the H2R managed to clock 206 mph on the Sulby straight lending it a record for the highest top speed attained in the Isle of Man. This limited-number excuse for absurdity can be yours for a mere $55,000.
Sources: wikipedia.org, cycleworld.com, bikebandit.com