After weeks of teasing the ‘revolutionary’ motorcycle, Kawasaki has finally unveiled the Ninja H2R motorcycle at the Intermot Show in Cologne, Germany. A motorcycle developed only for closed track use, the H2R is a result of the Japanese manufacturer’s behemoth efforts of creating the ‘world’s fastest production motorcycle’.
The Ninja H2R is built around a tubular trellis frame which is ornamented in Kawasaki’s trademark green. It is powered by a 998cc in-line four supercharged engine which will unleash 300bhp at the twist of the throttle. The Ninja H2R flaunts its bare carbonfiber bodywork, the single-sided swingarm and 4-into-1 megaphone muffler, with clear influences of the Japanese manufacturer’s ‘mass forward, minimalist tail’ philosophy.
The winglets and stabilisers give the Ninja H2 aerodynamic superiority and play a major role in helping the motorcycle attain its claim to fame of the world’s fastest production motorcycle. The bodywork is pretty basic and seems to be one of its numerous weight saving measures. This philosophy is also carried into the instrument cluster, which has a basic layout of an analogue tachometer, a large gear indicator and large digital speedometer.
The Ninja H2 captures the spirit of the original 750cc Mach IV H2 along with the 500cc three-cylinder H1 and the bonkers 903cc Z1 Super Four. With the Ninja H2, the battle for the fastest production motorcycle has been raised to a whole new level and it remains to be seen how Kawasaki’s competitors respond to this supercharged assault.
