The Kawasaki H2 is getting a horsepower hike for 2019, along with other improvements.
Changes to Kawasaki’s supercharged hyperbike bring it to 230 hp; previously, the bike put out around 200 hp. The non-street-legal version of the machine, the H2R, makes 300 hp, so the engine upgrades bring the H2 closer in performance.
The change in horsepower is thanks to a new ECU and intake chamber, along with new air filter and spark plugs. These changes also bring the emissions in line with Euro4 standards.
Now, the H2 makes more power than any of the superbike competition. Most Japanese litrebikes are around the 200 hp mark, and the Ducati Panigale V4 makes about 215 hp. Of course, tweaking with exhausts, ECUs and other bits may be able to extract more power from these bikes, but in stock form, the H2 once again outperforms them all, at least in horsepower (it’s still heavier).
Other changes to the H2 include a new paint that’s supposedly able to self-repair minor scratches and scuffs when it’s warmed up. Interesting! There’s also new Bridgestone RS11 tires, a new TFT dash, a new Bluetooth connectivity app with your bike’s vital information on display, and new Brembo Stylema brake calipers.
Overall, the basic bike might not look much different, but there are enough changes to make this an exciting update for the motorcycle for 2019, and it’s great to see a manufacturer continue to develop a hyperbike, instead of letting it drift into irrelevancy, which has seemed to be the case with other big-bore street bikes from the Big Four in recent years.
GALLERY
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I thought the TFT display stored data from your last ride, like lean angle, for example 😉
I know a guy selling his CBR1000 because it’s too much. He’s willing to take a 600 in trade. Who rides a 230 horsepower bike? Not me.
Wonder if the next Hayabusa will match it…if it ever arrives.
I think 2019. I don’t know it’s BHP but It’s been restyled and will be 1400cc.