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.
