Era of Hyperbike starts with Kawasaki H2R!

 By: Pranit    01:07  No comments

Though now that the time is here, it is hard to say something new about the 2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2R that hasn’t already been said. Rebirthing a name that is synonymous with the original superbike war between the Japanese manufactures, Kawasaki has reinstated an old game, and made a bold first move.

At the heart of the new Ninja H2R is a supercharged 998cc inline-four engine which produces 300hp horsepower. You did not read that figure incorrectly. Wrapped around it is a fetching steel-tube trellis frame.
Building a machine that conformed only to Kawasaki’s own desires to make the ultimate motorcycle, it is perhaps refreshing to see a sport bike that isn’t constrained by the rules of a racing series — though Kawasaki has some racing in mind with its carbon-fiber dripping Ninja H2R model.
Essentially a rolling showcase for Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the Japanese OEM hopes that the H2R will serve as a halo product for the rest of the company’s motorcycles, similar to what the Ducati 1199 Superleggera does for the Italian brand, as well as the Japanese firm’s work with its other subsidiaries.

Built as a closed-course model only, i.e. it is not street legal, the Ninja H2R features a centrifugal supercharger, with a focus on outright acceleration. The unit was built from Kawasaki’s extensive knowledge with turbines, as can already be seen on its personal watercraft offerings. Other components were built and design with help from Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ vast knowledge.
For example, the carbon-fiber upper and lower winglets were designed with assistance from Kawasaki’s Aerospace Company. Kawasaki says that these parts increase stability when riding in the ultra-high speed range, and that they were critical to the H2R’s overall design.
And while the 2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2R might best be known now for igniting a hyperbike ward within the OEMs, it likely also means the dawn of a new era in the motorcycle industry when viewed in retrospect, where smaller capacity engines with forced induction start replacing the naturally aspirated status quo.