Kawasaki’s Ninja H2 R created more hype than a Kim Kardashian publicity stunt.
And just like the headline-grabbing starlet, it’s the Ninja’s figure that has captured everyone’s attention. Only in this case, it’s numerical.
In its standard trim, the supercharged 998cc in-line four cylinder Ninja H2 produces a blistering 197bhp at 11,000rpm, which is already impressive enough to turn plenty of heads, but the tricked-up R version’s staggering 306bhp and 121.6lb/ft has made the front pages.
The price tag is just as bold: try £22,000 for the road bike and £41,000 for the track-only full Monty. That’s almost twice the price, but with the Ninja H2 R you also get 50% more power and a carbon fibre adorned, hand-painted bike unlike any other.
Japanese motorcycles are sometimes scorned for having uniform styling, but the H2’s designers have thrown the rulebook out of the window to create one of Kawasaki’s most unique-looking bikes to date.
The functional design focuses on the bike’s aerodynamics and cooling qualities as well as its ride-ability. The bodywork looks like it has been folded sharply into shape rather than moulded, and flat fins protrude from both sides like little wings. This is as cutting as edges get.
It has slightly unconventional ergonomics, too. Compared to the firm’s current ZX-10R superbike, the H2 R has a more upright riding position. As for the pillion seat, there isn’t one. Probably because if you’ve seen this bike’s performance figures and still want to ride pillion, you clearly need saving from yourself.
Any modern superbike is more than capable of drying your eyeballs into raisins. The Ninja H2 R takes it one step further. Although the throttle response on the standard version is slightly snatchy, it’s less apparent on the R and with 109 extra stallions in the stable, the onslaught of power past 6,000rpm is absolutely insane. So is the noise.
Kawasaki produced the H2 R to push the boundaries of the possible when the restrictions surrounding road legal motorcycles are taken off the table. As a result, anyone within a five-mile radius will know exactly what gear you’re in and how hard you’re nailing it. After a day’s full track riding I had to rely on my limited lip reading skills to communicate, despite wearing earplugs for every single session.
With the H2 R’s compact 1,450mm wheelbase (1,455 for the H2), it would be impossible to unleash the entire 306-strong herd at once, especially in the lower gears, without a little help. Thankfully, the sophisticated and very subtle electronics prevent you from turning yourself upside down.
As with most bikes these days, the H2 R is loaded with gadgets. It has three riding modes, nine step switchable traction control, two-level adjustable engine braking and launch control. It also boasts Kawasaki’s first single-sided swingarm, a quick-shifter, an Öhlins steering damper, and KYB’s latest 43mm upside-down front forks and rear monoshock which are both, of course, fully adjustable.
By comparison to rivals like the R1 and Panigale 1299, the standard Ninja H2 not only feels surprisingly heavy on the front end, it’s also not quite the ground-breaking revolutionary motorcycle that its impressive styling and performance figures suggests.
For example, it lacks semi-active suspension, and although the brakes are supported by ABS, you can’t turn it off on the standard bike. It is also the same Bosch system used on the ZX-10R that works on both the front and back wheels, so it intervenes sooner than Ducati’s, BMW’s and Yamaha’s newer equipment.
The H2 R is, as you would expect, lighter, quicker and more agile than the H2 and, unlike the Panigale 1299, it never feels like you’re a wrist-twist away from seeing its darker side.
It is ridiculously fast. I reached an indicated 204mph on the back straight before jumping on the radial Brembo brakes and mimicking a human parachute in an attempt to scrub enough speed for the first turn. I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing is just as quick as fully-fledged MotoGP machinery.
The Ninja H2 is still stunning, but it’s a watered-down version of the more exotic model. It’s like a Mojito without the rum, or at least that’s the way it feels in a back-to-back ride. The H2 R, with the looks and character of a superstar, completely steals the show.