Hard to believe that it’s already been nine years since Kawasaki stunned the motorcycling world when it introduced the street-legal supercharged Ninja H2 (and its no-holds-barred, racetrack-only sibling, the Ninja H2R) on an unsuspecting public in 2015. Leveraging its parent company Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ considerable experience and expertise in turbine technology (the turbines in majority of jet engines used in commercial airliners today are built by the company’s aerospace division) enabled the fitment of a highly efficient centrifugal supercharger that can run on pump gas and doesn’t require a bulky intercooler to cool the pressurized intake charge. That Kawasaki was able to build the street-legal Ninja H2 to pass emissions and other regulatory government tests while still delivering eye-peeling acceleration is a testament to the company’s substantial technological resources.
But the H2 certainly isn’t just all about the power. An in-house-built full electronics suite utilizing a five-axis IMU helps provide a safety net for this outrageous performance. The six-speed transmission features a MotoGP-inspired dog-ring design (utilizing lighter and smaller dog engagement rings instead of gears to slide on the shafts for quicker and easier shifting). A trellis-type tubular steel chassis saves space and weight, with a single-sided swingarm transmitting power through a monstrous 200/55ZR-17 tire. Suspension is handled by Kayaba’s latest 43mm AOS II fork, with a fully adjustable Öhlins TTX 36 shock with remote spring preload adjuster out back. Huge 330mm discs and Brembo’s Stylema Monoblock four-piston calipers deal with the majority of bleeding off the tremendous speed generated by the forced-induction powerplant.
The Ninja H2 and H2 Carbon (sporting a carbon upper fairing with a matte-finish silver mirror paint) are hand-built to order by specific personnel at the factory. Ordering requires a nonrefundable deposit within the order period toward the end of the year.
The 2024 Kawasaki Ninja H2 ABS is available in Mirror Coated Spark Black for $32,100. The Ninja H2 Carbon ABS is available in Mirror Coated Matte Spark Black/Candy Flat Blazed Green for $35,600.
