Stunning Kawasaki Ninja H2R!

• ‘R’ version unveiled at the INTERMOT Show in Cologne
• Has a “design target of 296bhp”!
• Carbon fibre fairings
• Road version due for unveil at EICMA in Milan in November
• Road version will also be supercharged
• H2R = £50,000, only 10 available in UK from March 2015
• H2 = £25,000, only 15 available in UK from March 2015

Track day operators, stand by.

We’ve been subjected to teaser videos every few days for a month but now Kawasaki has revealed the rather mad-looking ‘R’ version of their new Ninja H2. The ‘R’ is not designed for road use, understandable really when its supercharged, liquid-cooled 998cc in-line four engine has a “design target of 296bhp”, some 50bhp more than Marc Marquez’s MotoGP-leading Honda RC213V.

Kawasaki promised a “ground breaking new motorcycle” and even in the looks department, dressed in its Carbon Fibre coat, the Ninja H2R is already going to keep you interested…and that’s before you comprehend the power of this bike. The street version of the Ninja H2 will also feature the in-house designed supercharger but will not be unveiled until the EICMA show in Milan at the beginning of November.

The Japanese firm have confirmed to Bike Social that the street version will not be producing 296bhp. We're relieved.

The appearance of the H2R may well catch your eye but when Kawasaki say the bike is going to “offer intense acceleration and a top speed in a range that most riders never have a chance to experience” then you begin to wonder how so much power is going to be applied to the ground to propel your forwards and not skywards. Probably something to do with the racing slicks it wears.

A brand new high tensile steel trellis frame has been developed to keep the bike stable at high speed which is accompanied by the Formula 1 style wings on the aerodynamic fairings, designed by Kawasaki’s Aerospace Company.

The high-tech mirrored-finish black chrome paint specially was developed for this model which can trace its roots back to the two-stroke Kawasaki Mach IV 750 from the 1970's, which was also known as the 'H2'. In its day it was the fastest accelerating bike so the name was an obvious choice to assign to this creature.

Here is one the teaser videos from Kawasaki's campaign of the H2 in action. What we don't know is if this is the H2 or the R (watch from 45s):

More details including price and a release date are to follow.