Manufacturer | Kawasaki Motorcycle & Engine Company |
---|---|
Parent company | Kawasaki Heavy Industries |
Production | 2015–present |
Class | Street-legal sport bike (H2) Track-only sport bike (H2R) |
Engine | Supercharged (two-speed centrifugal) 998 cc DOHC 4-valve inline-4 four-stroke |
Bore / stroke | 76.0 mm × 55.0 mm (2.99 in × 2.17 in) |
Compression ratio | 8.5:1 (H2) 8.3:1 (H2R) [1] |
Top speed | 322 km/h (200 mph) (H2) [2] [3] [lower-alpha 1] 400 km/h (249 mph) (H2R) [1] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] |
Power | H2: (2015–2018) 141.5 kW (189.8 hp) (rear wheel) [10] 150 kW (200 hp) (claimed) @ 11,000 rpm (2019–) 170 kW (228 hp) (claimed) [11] H2R: 326 hp (243 kW) @ 14,000 rpm [1] |
Torque | H2: 123.7 N⋅m (91.2 lb⋅ft) (rear wheel) [10] 133.5 N⋅m (98.5 lb⋅ft) (claimed) @10,500 rpm H2R: 156 N⋅m (115 lb⋅ft) @12,500 rpm [1] |
Transmission | 6-speed |
Frame type | Steel trellis |
Suspension | H2: Front: 43 mm telescopic fork, preload-adjustable Rear: Single shock, preload-adjustable H2R: Front: Fully adjustable KYB telescopic fork with steering damper Rear: single-sided swingarm with monoshock |
Brakes | Front: 2 x 330 mm Brembo disc with radial-mount monoblock calipers Rear: 250 mm Brembo disc with radial-mount caliper [12] |
Tires | H2: Front: 120/70ZR17 Rear: 200/55ZR17 H2R: Front: 120/60 R17 racing slicks Rear: 190/65 R17 racing slicks |
Rake, trail | 24.5°, 100 mm (4 in) (H2) 25.1°, 110 mm (4.3 in) (H2R) |
Wheelbase | 1,450 mm (57.1 in) |
Dimensions | L: 2,090 mm (82.1 in) (H2) |
Seat height | 32.5 in (830 mm) (H2) 830 mm (32.7 in) (H2R) |
Weight | 240.0 kg (529.0 lb) (H2) [10] (wet) 215.9 kg (476.0 lb) (H2R) [1] (wet) |
Fuel capacity | 17.03 L (3.75 imp gal; 4.50 US gal) |
The Kawasaki Ninja H2 is a supercharged four-stroke supersport-class [13] motorcycle in the Ninja sports bike series manufactured by Kawasaki, featuring a variable-speed centrifugal supercharger. [14] [15] [16] [17]
Its namesake is the 750 cc Kawasaki H2 Mach IV, [18] [19] an inline triple that was introduced by Kawasaki in 1972 to "disrupt what it saw as a sleeping motorcycle market". [20]
Its Ninja H2R track-only variant is the fastest and most powerful production motorcycle on the market, producing a maximum of 310 horsepower (230 kW) and 326 horsepower (243 kW) with ram-air. [1] The H2R has 50% more power than the fastest street-legal motorcycles,[ which? ] while the street-legal Ninja H2 has a lower power output of 200 hp (150 kW) [21] –210 hp (160 kW) with ram-air. [1]
Kawasaki selected the literbike platform for its top-of-the-line Ninja H2 model, rather than continuing with the higher-displacement Ninja ZX-14 hyperbike. Cycle World 's Kevin Cameron explained that the literbike class is "the center of the high-performance market", attracting the best development in racing, with the best chassis and suspension design, so it made sense for Kawasaki to create a machine that could leverage this. [20]
The H2 is the first production motorcycle with a supercharger, [22] although turbochargers were available on some models in the early 1980s.
Specifications in the infobox are from Kawasaki unless noted. [23]
The street-legal Ninja H2 has mirrors in place of the track-only H2R's winglets, [21] and plastic body panels in place of the H2R's carbon-fiber panels but there is the H2 carbon version that has them in carbon. The street-legal H2 is said to make 200 horsepower (150 kW), probably with reduced supercharger boost compared to the H2R. [21] The H2 and H2R share the supercharger (with a lower boost level on the H2) and many other components, with the exception of the head gasket, cam profile and timing with ECU mapping, exhaust system, and clutch (the H2R's clutch has two additional plates). [1]
For 2017, Kawasaki made a limited-edition model with 120 units produced globally: the individually-numbered Kawasaki Ninja H2 Carbon with special paint and carbon-fiber upper cowl. For 2017, the standard Ninja H2 was also updated. [24]
For 2018, Kawasaki made a new sport touring version of the H2, the Kawasaki H2 SX, with a claimed wet weight of 256.1 kg (564.5 lb). Features that are options on the base model H2 SX come standard on the Kawasaki H2 SX SE, which has a claimed wet weight of 260.0 kg (573.3 lb). [25] It has revised throttle bodies, camshafts, crankshaft, pistons, cylinder and cylinder head as well as a new exhaust system aimed at increasing mid range torque. The intake system and supercharger impeller were also redesigned. A new larger fuel tank, rear trellis subframe and panniers increase the bike's weight by 19 pounds (8.6 kg). [26]
For 2019, the H2 received an update with 15% more power from updates to the intake, spark plugs, ECU, and air filter, among other components. Also added was a new LED lighting scheme and a special top coat of paint that is claimed to be self-healing and able to smooth over small scratches in warmer conditions. Also new were lighter and smaller Brembo Stylema calipers, a new TFT dash, and smartphone connectivity that provides information about the GPS route, speed, RPM, current gear, fuel mileage, fuel level, and odometer. [27] [28] In addition, the 2019 Ninja H2 SX SE+ features electronically controlled suspension. [29]
The H2's engine is a 998 cc (60.9 cu in) 4-valve, dual overhead cam inline-4 with a two-speed centrifugal supercharger. [30] [31] [32] [33]
The supercharger is driven by a series of gears and shafts connecting the flywheel to a planetary drive, finally spinning a dog-shifted two-speed shaft attached to the impeller. [33] Throttle control is electronic. [34] A centrifugal supercharger has the advantage of generating less heat than other designs, especially scroll-type or screw-type superchargers. [33] [22] Without an intercooler (which the H2 lacks), excess heat in the intake charge can cause pre-ignition that can damage or destroy the engine.
Electronic rider aids include an anti-lock braking system (ABS), Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC), Kawasaki Engine Brake Control (KEBC), a Kawasaki Quick Shifter (KQS), an electronic steering damper (ESD), and Kawasaki Launch Control Mode (KLCM). [33] [35] [36] [37]
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: The description of the H2R's aero is hypothetical.(August 2022) |
The front fairing of the Ninja H2R incorporates winglets [38] made of carbon fiber, just like the rest of the H2R-exclusive bodywork. They may be aerodynamic devices designed to create a low-pressure zone to help move cooling air through the engine bay, [39] to produce downforce at high speed, [32] [31] or to provide straight-line stability in a short-wheelbase sportsbike chassis. [22] [40]
The H2 and H2R have a tubular, thin-wall steel trellis frame and a single-sided swingarm, [22] with a traditional sportsbike wheelbase of 1,450 mm (57 in). [41]
Explaining the advantages of Kawasaki's approach to exploiting aerodynamics instead of lengthening the wheelbase, a South African Dave Abrahams said, "It's easy to build stability into a hard-accelerating drag machine with a long wheelbase... but Kawasaki wanted a track-day machine, one that would also go round corners." [41] High speed motorcycles often have long wheelbases. Extra length is added by the extended swingarm on a typical drag motorcycle, and a typical land speed record streamliner has a meters-long wheelbase (3.7 meters for the current record holder, Ack Attack).
The H2 was announced by Kawasaki in a late-2014 teaser campaign, and was widely expected to be fully revealed at the Intermot motorcycle trade show the same year. Before full details were released by Kawasaki, the supercharged inline-4 engine [17] was thought by several industry observers to be identical to, or closely related to, a nearly 1,000 cc inline-4 with a centrifugal supercharger displayed by Kawasaki at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. [15] [lower-alpha 2] [42]
Cameron published an analysis showing that an engine of that displacement, mildly boosted at 5 psi (34 kPa), would generate 203 horsepower (151 kW)—more than that of Kawasaki's current leader, the 191.7-horsepower (143.0 kW) [43] ZX-14 (horsepower figures are expressed at the rear wheel). The same engine would generate 257 horsepower (192 kW) with 10 psi (69 kPa) of pressure. His analysis included a discussion of the benefits of a two-speed supercharger for more linear power delivery (as opposed to the intractable Japanese turbo bikes of the 1980s that suffered from turbo lag). Cameron also said Kawasaki patent documents suggested the engine would rely on evaporative cooling using port fuel injection, instead of a bulky intercooler. [20]
Kawasaki claimed the 2013 model had the first supercharger designed by a motorcycle manufacturer. [44] In 2013, journalists said that the engine could power the "next generation [Ninja] ZX-14R" sportbike. [45] Journalists also noted that Kawasaki already has a production inline-4 supercharged (albeit intercooled [46] ) engine powering the Jet Ski Ultra 300X personal watercraft. [47]
At the 2014 Intermot motorcycle trade show on September 30, 2014, Kawasaki announced that a race-only Ninja H2R model would be produced in addition to the detuned street-legal Ninja H2, which would be fully revealed at the EICMA trade show in November. [32] [18] The bike was shown for the first time in North America at the AIMExpo show at Orlando, Florida in October, 2014. [48]
According to details Kawasaki made public about the H2's engine at Intermot, it was confirmed to be a 998 cc inline-four engine with a supercharger, producing 300 horsepower (220 kW) in the track-only H2R variant, still by far the highest rated engine ever for any factory production motorcycle [32] [30] [31] (50% more than its nearest competitor, the BMW S1000RR). [18]
Global press coverage both before and after Intermot was extensive.
Before the full reveal of the H2R, reactions tended to emphasize the reintroduction of forced induction to the motorcycle marketplace, with headlines like "Hail the New Supercharged Era" (Autoevolution), [30] "Supercharged Ninja imminent" ( Motor Cycle News ), [14] "New Kawasaki sports bike will use a 1000cc supercharged engine" (Visordown (UK)), 2014 "Kawasaki officially uncovers Ninja H2 supercharger" (Cycle Online (Australia)), [13] "Kawasaki Ninja H2: How the supercharger works" ( Motociclismo ), [16] and "Kawasaki's H2 superbike: A technical look at Kawasaki’s upcoming supercharged superbike" (Cycle World). [20]
After the introduction, before any test rides had even been permitted, coverage turned to both the bike's unusual styling and its precedent setting power. Both industry and general-readership press said the machine "will beat up the supersport scene with a steam hammer" ( Der Tagesspiegel ), [49] "smashes the superbike class" (Gizmag), [31] is "a game changer" (Autoevolution), [50] "a quantum leap into the future that redefines the way we see motorcycles" (Independent Newspapers), [41] and "the poster child of 2-wheeled insanity ... so extreme it's hard to comprehend" ( Road & Track ), [51] or was simply "radical" (Motor Cycle News) [18] and even "ludicrous" ( Bloomberg Businessweek ). [38]
Cycle World and Motor Cycle News both commented on how Kawasaki had claimed the high end of the market with the H2, moving past a stagnant market (at least from the Japanese Big Four manufacturers) full of cookie-cutter sportsbikes and low-priced entry-level bikes, and had set up the H2 as a halo model for the entire brand. Cameron said, "When we look at the current crop of 1000s, all date from before our present "recession," and what little has come by way of new product has sought to please the mostly imaginary "new buyer" with low-tech delights." [33] Highlighting Kawasaki's ability to create a product leveraging aerodynamic, turbine and engine technology design expertise from across the large Kawasaki Heavy Industries conglomerate (called a "vast industrial complex" by Sport Rider [22] ), an unsigned Motor Cycle News piece said "The H2R you see here is the very pinnacle of what Kawasaki can do ... This is the firm's halo product, and every element is Kawasaki at its very best, from the engine and aerodynamic development, through to the mirror-finish black chrome paint specially developed for this model." [18]
Some analysts noted odd features of the supposedly track-only H2R model. Although it is outfitted with racing slicks and lacks many features required on a street-legal vehicle in most jurisdictions, such as headlights, rear view mirrors, and turn signals visible from the front or sides, it also has features that are unusual or absent on pure track bikes, such as an ignition lock and LED tail light. [18] [40]
Cycle World recorded a 1/4-mile time of 9.62 sec. @ 152.01 mph (244.64 km/h) with a 0 to 60 mph acceleration at 2.6 seconds and a top speed of 183 mph (295 km/h). [10] Kent Kunitsugu, editor for Sport Rider magazine, competing in a land-speed racing event in Mojave, California at the Mojave Air and Space Port airfield in the Mojave Magnum land-speed racing, took a Ninja H2 with just a few bolt-on performance parts adding over 70 horsepower and achieved a top speed of 226.9 mph (365.2 km/h). [52] [53]
On August 12, 2018, rider Shigeru Yamashita, with an unofficial team of Kawasaki employees (known as Team 38), [54] set a 202.743 mph (326.28 km/h) speed record in the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) P-PB 1000 class for under-1,000 cc displacement production supercharged motorcycles with limited modifications at the Bonneville Speedway. On August 15, Yamashita broke his own record with a new speed of 209.442 mph (337.06 km/h). [55] [56] [57]
In June 2015, TT race competitor James Hillier rode a Kawasaki H2R around the 373⁄4-mile TT road course as an inter-race demonstration lap at near-race speeds, [58] using normal Superbike slick race tires, [59] leading to a TT record of the highest top speed attained in the Isle of Man by a motorcycle. [60] The top speed of "over 206 mph" (332 km/h) on the Sulby Straight was recorded on Hillier's personal Strava GPS smartphone app for cyclists. [61]
On June 30, 2016, Kenan Sofuoglu, a five-time world champion Supersport circuit-racer, made a top speed attempt. [62] [63] Kawasaki supplied a stock H2R augmented only with special tires developed by Pirelli for the top speed attempt to withstand extreme high speeds, and the bike was supplied with race-grade fuel. [64] Sofuoglu was also supplied with a special one-piece leather suit to enhance aerodynamics for his record attempt. [64]
This attempt, with the Turkish president in attendance, was made across the then-newly completed Osman Gazi Bridge, at the time was the fourth longest in the world at just over a mile and a half. [65] Kawasaki quoted the H2R's maximum speed to be 380 kilometres per hour (240 mph). [66] After training and preparing for four months, a speed of 400 kilometres per hour (250 mph) in just 26 seconds was claimed by a video-recording of the bike's dashboard display. [9] [67] [68] [69]
The speed was not officially confirmed or independently verified. No fixed point optical sensors for distance/speed calculations, chronometers, or hand-held devices were used, [8] and the speed was only given later with a theoretical calculation, [70] using the distance he traveled in 26 seconds on the 8,799-foot-long (2,682 m) bridge. Cameron had calculated two years earlier that with the right gearing, the H2R's engine power could theoretically overcome aerodynamic drag up to 250–480 miles per hour (400–770 km/h). [33]
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R was a motorcycle in the Ninja sport bike series from the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki produced from 1989 until 2003. It remained largely unchanged through its production. Kawasaki used inverted forks starting in 1991, added ram air using a single tube, and in 1996, twin tube ram air and Tokico six piston brakes and fully adjustable suspension. From 1989 through 1995 in the US market, Kawasaki called the ZXR-750 and ZXR-750R the ZX-7 and ZX-7R respectively. Starting from 1996 Kawasaki dropped the ZXR name worldwide and the former ZXR-750 was now ZX-7R and the limited edition homologation special ZXR-750R/ZX-7R started in 1991 was now ZX-7RR.
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R is a motorcycle in the Ninja sport bike series made by Kawasaki from 2000 through 2006. The 1,199 cc (73.2 cu in) inline-four engine produced 178 hp (133 kW) at low speed, and increased to 190 hp (140 kW) at high speed due to its ram-air intake, making it the most powerful production motorcycle up to 2006 and the release of the ZX-14. It was a contender to be the fastest production motorcycle, and played a role in bringing to a truce the escalating competition to build an ever-faster motorcycle. Its top speed was electronically limited to 186 mph (300 km/h), tying it with the Suzuki Hayabusa and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 as the fastest production motorcycle on the market, after the 303–312 km/h (188–194 mph) 1999 Hayabusa was replaced with a speed-limited version as part of a gentlemen's agreement between motorcycle manufacturers that lasted until the 298–311 km/h (185.4–193.24 mph) 2007 MV Agusta F4 R 312.
The Kawasaki GPZ900R is a motorcycle that was manufactured by Kawasaki from 1984 to 2003. It is the earliest member of the Ninja family of sport bikes. The 1984 GPZ900R was a revolutionary design that became the immediate predecessor of the modern-day sport bike. Developed in secret over six years, it was Kawasaki's and the world's first 16-valve liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder motorcycle engine.
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is a motorcycle in the Ninja sport bike series from the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki, the successor to the Ninja ZX-9R. It was originally released in 2004 and has been updated and revised throughout the years. It combines an ultra-narrow chassis, low weight, and radial brakes. In 2004 and 2005 the ZX-10R won Best Superbike from Cycle World magazine, and the international Masterbike competition.
A sport bike, sports motorcycle, or sports bike is a motorcycle designed and optimized for speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on asphalt concrete race tracks and roads. They are mainly designed for performance at the expense of comfort, fuel economy, safety, noise reduction and storage in comparison with other motorcycles.
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R is a 636 cc class motorcycle in the Ninja sport bike series from the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki. It was introduced in 1995, and has been constantly updated throughout the years in response to new products from Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha. The ZX series is what was known as the Ninja line of Kawasaki motorcycles in the 1980s and still carries the name today.
A motorcycle engine is an engine that powers a motorcycle. Motorcycle engines are typically two-stroke or four-stroke internal combustion engines, but other engine types, such as Wankels and electric motors, have been used.
The ZZR1400 or Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 and ZX-14R (2006–present), is a motorcycle in the Ninja sport bike series from the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki that was their most powerful sport bike as of 2006. It was introduced at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show and released for the 2006 model year as a replacement for the Kawasaki ZZ-R1200 (2002-2005). The ZZR1400 is capable of accelerating from 0–60 mph in 2.5 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 186 mph (299 km/h) as a result of an agreement between the major Japanese and European motorcycle manufacturers.
The Kawasaki triples were a range of 250 to 750 cc motorcycles made by Kawasaki from 1968 to 1980. The engines were air-cooled, three-cylinder, piston-controlled inlet port two-strokes with two exhaust pipes exiting on the right side of the bike, and one on the left. It was the first production street motorcycle with capacitor discharge ignition (CDI). Right from the first triple model, the 1968 Mach III H1 500 cc, it was a sales success that gained a reputation for almost unmatched acceleration as well as an air of danger for inexperienced riders trying to cope with the bike's increased power to weight ratio over any previously available stock motorcycles.
The ZZ-R1100 or ZX-11 is a sport bike in Kawasaki's Ninja series made from 1989 to 2001, as the successor to the 1988–1990 Tomcat ZX-10. With a top speed of 272–283 km/h (169–176 mph), it was the fastest production motorcycle from its introduction until 1996, surpassed by the 270–290 km/h (170–180 mph) Honda CBR1100XX. It was marketed as the ZX-11 Ninja in North America and the ZZ-R1100 in the rest of the world. The C-model ran from 1989 to 1993 while the D-model ran from 1993 to 2001, when it was replaced by the ZZ-R1200 (ZX-12C) 2002-2005
Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. is a Japanese mobility manufacturer that produces motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, utility vehicles, watercraft, outboard motors, and other electric products. It derives its origins from Kawasaki Aircraft Industries, a subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and is rooted in the motorcycle, boat, and engine businesses. In 1953, they began manufacturing engines for motorcycles and have since produced products such as the Mach and Ninja series in motorcycles and the Jet Ski, which has become a generic term for personal watercraft. Until 2021, it was a division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, known as the Kawasaki Aerospace Company (川策重工業汎用機カンパニー) and later the Kawasaki Motorcycle & Engine Company (川崎重工業モーターサイクル&エンジンカンパニー). In 2021, it was separated as Kawasaki Motors, Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
The Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX is a motorcycle in the Ninja series from the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki sold since 2011. Other than its name, it is unrelated to the Ninja 1000R produced from 1986–89, or to other Ninja motorcycles.
The Honda CBR250R, CBR300R and CB300F are lightweight 249.5–286 cc (15.23–17.45 cu in) displacement single-cylinder motorcycles made by Honda since 2011.
The Ducati 1199 Panigale was a 1,198 cc (73.1 cu in) Ducati sport bike introduced at the 2011 Milan Motorcycle Show. The motorcycle is named after the small manufacturing town of Borgo Panigale. Ducati had announced a larger displacement 1,285 cc (78.4 cu in) 1299 Panigale for the 2015 model year.
Forced induction in motorcycles is the application of forced induction to a motorcycle engine. Special automotive engineering and human factor considerations exist for the application of forced induction with motorcycles compared to other forms of motorized transportation.
A quickshifter or quick shifter is a device that eliminates the need to use the clutch or throttle when shifting gears on a manual transmission. This can increase the safety and comfort of the vehicle and allow for faster gear shifting and is thus a popular performance enhancement for motorcycles.
The Kawasaki H2R was a racing motorcycle built by Kawasaki from 1972 to 1974. It was based on the road going Kawasaki H2 Mach IV air cooled, two stroke triple. In 1975 it was replaced by a water cooled development, the Kawasaki KR750.