Supercharged Kawasaki H2 ninja

[Si.]

But, I had £5k..... Spent £3k on drugs and booze, £1,900 on hookers and I wasted the rest.

So, not me.

[duke63]

Its probably too late already, Si.

There are only 15 bikes earmarked for the UK.

[Blade]

I'm not liking it at all TBH Hopefully it will grow on me in the flesh but equally I m not that bothered if it doesn't as I have no need or even desire to own a 250 bhp motorcycle. I reckon there only bringing 15 bikes into the UK as they know in all seriousness there will only be a tiny market for a bike like that regardless of price as its just too much excess and it surprises me to hear myself say (type ) that but its true IMO.

Personally I m disappointed it wasn't a super lightweight 600 with current naturally aspirated 1000cc power levels of say 180 bhp.

[Blade]

Reminds me of this a little bit

[C00kiemonster]

I'm not liking it at all TBH Hopefully it will grow on me in the flesh but equally I m not that bothered if it doesn't as I have no need or even desire to own a 250 bhp motorcycle. I reckon there only bringing 15 bikes into the UK as they know in all seriousness there will only be a tiny market for a bike like that regardless of price as its just too much excess and it surprises me to hear myself say (type ) that but its true IMO.

Personally I m disappointed it wasn't a super lightweight 600 with current naturally aspirated 1000cc power levels of say 180 bhp.

I do agree. It's a missed opportunity really. A light 600 supercharged sports (or even smaller) would be far more relevant and popular.

This one is just bragging rights in the pub. It looks interesting but engineering exercise only IMO.

Will it get approval for wsb I wonder? If it does they will all be at it

[Deegee]

Will it get approval for wsb I wonder? If it does they will all be at it

I was wondering about this yesterday, I can't see it passing the regs for any current race series barring the open classes - races like Pikes Peak etc. Tbh I'm not sure it would be that much faster on a lot of circuits, there's only so much power you get down through a patch the size of a credit card and the MotoGP bikes with their exotic tyres can still spin the wheel anywhere they want except on a long straight.
It would make sense if there was a cc rule similar to the old F1 turbo days whereby you could supercharge a smaller capacity bike, but there's no such rule in MotGP or WSB that I can find, in fact the GP rules specifically prohibit both turbo's and superchargers. So I do wonder what the "R" model is for, I can only think its for trackday nuts with money to burn or collectors that already have an NR750 and a Desmosedici in their garage.

[Blade]

Agree with your comments Deegee.

Lap times are quicker in motogp than wsbk because of carbon brakes, gp chassis and bridegstone tyres the engine is not the performance factor in motorcycle racing any more, well not the power output maybe the delivery of the power but that's more electronics than engine anyway.

[DaytonAndy]

I don't think the H2 was ever going to be about racing or sales volumes, it's about headlines. You only have to glance through the biking forums to see it's doing its job! This bike pushes, no, smashes boundaries and is generating massive publicity for Kawasaki and well done to them for doing it. I just hope the bike 'works' as a few years time and we will be talking about the 180hp 600's we all want.

[Kwacky]

They may well do a 600. We don't know yet.

As said this is nothing more than a big dick exercise. It's Kawasaki reminding people that they are still about and can do what they want to.

They've beaten the other Japs hands down there. Where's Honda's road going MotoGP bike?

[duke63]

I have read its not eligible for racing anywhere.

Like Kwacky says its a marketing/engineering exercise to promote the company. Nothing wrong with that.

[Kwacky]

There is a class for boosted engines so Nos, turbos etc but it's not very popular.

[Deegee]

As a shout out to the Industry "We are still the big power brand" it's worked, as said previously the coverage it's gotten them has been beyond what advertising can do, so from that standpoint it's worked and worked very well.

However Kawasaki have developed a variable speed supercharger drive, this is on the lines of Audi developing the Quattro transmission, or the first common rail diesels, so after all the shouting about this bike has died down what will they do with it?

My guess is a generation of engines that are a lot more efficient and that have nothing to do with racing, smaller lighter power plants for a significant portion of products across their Leisure and Power Division.
The problem with superchargers has always been that they run at one speed, the correct speed for max power is too much of a power drain at low rpm and the right speed for good low end does nothing at the higher rpm, so it's always been a compromise. The new drive can change that in the same way that Vtec, Exups and electronic FI changed engine power characteristics in the past, I'm really interested in what this could bring to engine technology in the future.

[Kwacky]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv2q3yh4 ... e=youtu.be[/video]

[Kwacky]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=154xGajMOXU[/video]

[duke63]

Race bike testing. Sounds great.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGPqIv8ppqY[/video]

[Kwacky]

When do I get a go?

[duke63]

Thought that was you.

Anyone know where that is? Don't Kawasaki own a track in Japan somewhere?

[Kwacky]

I think they use Autopolis.

[Perkles]

it would look so much better with a lower fairing

[Kwacky]

I imagine it'll be an optional extra to have a belly pan fitted.