Supercharged Kawasaki Ninja H2 could restart the top-speed battle

Inspired by the Kawasaki legend – the 1971 750SS MkIV, or H2 – Kawasaki’s latest video talks of the original bike being ‘renowned as the world’s fastest motorcycle with incredible acceleration’. The H2 ‘made a great sensation in the motorcycle industry’.

It’s been a while since the big four battled it out for the fastest production bike, with Suzuki’s Hayabusa taking the crown from the Honda Blackbird with a top speed of over 200mph. A gentleman’s agreement saw bikes topping out at 186mph in the early 2000s, but this new video, which briefly shows the slim supercharged motorcycle on a high-speed circuit, appears to point to a firm two fingers up to the establishment from Japan.

KTM recently ruffled a few industry feathers when its Super Duke promotional videos focussed on stunts, something the manufacturers have recently shied away from in the hopes of preventing further legislation and restriction. As bike sales pick up, this could be a sign of renewed confidence, and a desire to reignite a suppressed excitement in some bikers.

A new video from Kawasaki, released today, shows the supercharger fitted to the superbike’s engine:

While this one is a close-up of the exhaust collectors during an engine test:

The Kawasaki Ninja H2 is due to be formally announced at the Intermot show in Cologne on September the 30th. Martin Lambert, communications and PR Manager for Kawasaki Motors UK told us: “That combination of a simple letter and a number conjures up so many evocative feelings and emotions for Kawasaki fans. Say Z1 or H1 and, instantly, you are on the same page. Say H2 and the heady days of the 1970’s spring straight to mind along with the hard-core and uncompromising 750cc three-cylinder Mach IV. Take it for granted that the reputation and reverence among enthusiasts that surrounds H2 to this day is of tremendous value to Kawasaki. To decide to call a new machine H2 is not something that is a spur of the moment decision.  The expectation is tangible and the feeling is that yet another iconic bike is soon to emerge from the Kawasaki factory”.

Hear about the history of the Hayabusa and other top-speed focussed bikes on the MoreBikes Podcast here.

The previous videos released in a teaser campaign can be watched here.