KAWASAKI NINJA H2™ CARBON

Claim One of Six Units Available in U.S.

Kawasaki’s standard-model 2017 Ninja H2™ sportbike has been refined with a high-grade model aimed squarely at discerning customers looking for something a little more exclusive. Simply known as the Ninja H2™ Carbon, this limited-edition model is an enhanced version of the original. It features a carbon-fiber upper cowl resembling that of the Ninja H2™R motorcycle, special mirror-finish paint, and a serial number plate. A limited run of 120 units will be produced globally, with only six available to the U.S. market.

“This limited edition Ninja H2 Carbon is going to create a lot of envy among riding enthusiasts,” said Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) Senior Vice President of Sales Operations, Bill Jenkins. “The Ninja H2 made a big splash in the industry when it was introduced, and I believe we will see a lot of activity when ordering begins on February 13.”

Customers interested in purchasing one of these exclusive models will have the opportunity to register at www.kawasaki.com on Monday, February 13, promptly at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET.

Orders for the Ninja H2 Carbon motorcycle will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis, subject to availability. Prospective purchasers will be required to place a $10,000 USD deposit at an authorized Kawasaki dealer within 48 hours of being notified by KMC. Additional details regarding the order process will be available on www.kawasaki.com.

A portion of the proceeds of the Ninja H2 Carbon sportbikes will go to charity, with Kawasaki donating $20,000 to the Road 2 Recovery Foundation. The non-profit was founded to help AMA-licensed supercross/motocross professionals with financial assistance should they suffer a career-ending injury, while also providing motivational, emotional, and spiritual support to those individuals and their families.

Construction

Kawasaki selected the literbike platform for its top-of-the-line Ninja H2-H2R model, rather than continuing with the higher-displacement hyperbike Ninja ZX-14. Kevin Cameron explained that the liter-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.

Engine and supercharger

Cutaway H2R engine and supercharger. Orange painted plenum surrounds impeller, behind which is visible part of planetary gear system.

The H2-H2R engine is a 998 cc inline-4, four-valve, dual overhead cam design with a two-speed, centrifigual supercharger. 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.Rider control is throttle by wire. It is the first production motorcycle with a supercharger,although turbochargers were available on some models in the early 1980s.                       A centrifugal supercharger has the advantage of generating less heat than other designs, especially scroll-type or screw-type superchargers.[13][38] Excess heat in the intake charge can cause pre-ignition that will destroy the engine.

Electronic aids

Various observers said the Ninja H2-H2R could be expected to have electronic rider aids including anti-lock braking system (ABS), traction control (KTRC), engine braking control (KEBC), and launch control (KLCM).

Aerodynamics

The front fairing of the Ninja H2R incorporates features said to look like wings, made of carbon fiber like the rest of the bodywork. They may be aerodynamic devices designed to create a low-pressure zone to help move cooling air through the engine bay, or to produce downforce at high speed, or to provide straight-line stability in a short-wheelbase sportbike chassis.

Chassis

The H2-H2R has a tubular, thin-wall steel trellis frame and a single-sided swingarm,with traditional sportbike wheelbase.

Explaining the advantages of the Kawasaki approach to exploiting aerodynamics instead of lengthening the wheelbase, a South African writer 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."

High speed motorcycles often have long wheelbases: extra length is added by the extended swingarm on a typical dragbike; a typical land speed record streamliner has a meters-long wheelbase (3.7 meters for the current record holder, Ack Attack).