Some weekends are surreal!! Never did I dream of riding a full-fledged production motorcycle with a supercharger – the last motorcycle with forced induction to roll-out off a production line was in the 1980s.
Launched in 2015, the Kawasaki Ninja H2 is the world’s only supercharged production hyper-sport street-bike. Held together in an electric green trellis frame, with the gorgeous star wheels and a brilliant silver mirror paint, the Kawasaki Ninja H2 looks like it appeared out of a worm-hole from another galaxy – imagine Silver Surfer meets a motorcycle!!
How does it feel to ride the Kawasaki Ninja H2 ?
It’s built for one and only one purpose “outright speed”. Hammering this thing off the line is the only way to ride!!
Beyond 4000 rpm with all the electronics – its an absolute effort to keep the front wheel on the ground (even in 6th gear)
However, around a slow corner, the engine throws tantrums with abrupt throttle response, gas-on and everything is back to its best behavior 😀
The Ninja H2 is so mindbogglingly fast – 200 kmph is a joke and it’s just getting warmed up for more!! It commands absolute attention while riding and razor-sharp reactions of an experienced rider.
I have never experienced this kind of urgency and violence in a motorcycle to go so overwhelmingly fast.
Some interesting facts about the Kawasaki Ninja H2:
- The Compression Ratio on a Ninja H2 is a mere 8.5:1 which is the same as Royal Enfield Classic 500 (pun intended :D)
- The Kawasaki Ninja H2 is the most commercially successful forced induction production motorcycle in the history
- The logo/emblem on the front of the motorcycle is known as the ‘Kawasaki River Mark’. The River Mark is a long-time Kawasaki symbol that dates back to the 1870s created by Shozo Kawasaki, founder of Kawasaki. Since then the symbol has been adopted by KHI Group (Kawasaki Heavy Industries) to express the company’s technology, originality and innovation.
- There is NO Start button, but a Ignition ON/OFF Slider on the handle to crank the motorcycle
- The stunning paint job on the Kawasaki H2 boasts of using pure silver to create the mirrored effect !!
- Attention to Aerodynamics:
- The chin spoiler on the upper front cowl (below the headlight) is function disguised in form, that contributes to generating more down-force
- There is a slot to tuck the bum of the rider into the seat for more aerodynamic position and also as serves as an anchor during the had acceleration
Hold on, no review of the Kawasaki Ninja H2 is complete without mentioning the ‘Orgasmic rasp of the supercharged engine’. Blip the throttle and the supercharger whirs and whistles – sheer music to a motorcyclist!!
It sounds like nothing else on the road and feels like nothing else too!!
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