Want a Kawasaki H2 or H2R? Then hie thee down to thy local dealer with deposit in hand, but don’t expect to see the bike in the showroom.
Kawasaki’s Canadian site has pricing up now for both the H2 and H2R (“subject to change without notice”), and they aren’t going to be affordable by your average squid. The current price tag on the track-only H2R is $55,000, with a minimum deposit of $10,000. The street-legal H2 is slightly more affordable, with a $27,500 MSRP and $5,000 minimum deposit.
However, you won’t be able to sit on one at your local dealer. According to Kawasaki, there will be no H2 or H2R dealer inventory; the bikes will be built on demand and shipped after they’re built. Team Green figures on building only one H2R per day, globally. Kawasaki reckons delivery will start in April or May of next year.
With those sort of restrictions in place, Kawasaki says to place your orders now. They want you to put your deposit down between November 4 and December 18, 2014. Their site says “Please note: Production capacity is highly limited due to the Ninja H2’s hand-crafted production methods, therefore limiting the total number of units available globally. Please place your deposit no later than 5pm EST, December 18, 2014 to initiate your H2. Confirmed customer orders received after December 18, 2014 will be placed on a priority waiting list.”
[…] Kawasaki H2, H2R: Not for showrooms – Canada Moto Guide – Kawasaki's Canadian site has pricing up now for both the H2 and H2R. there will be no H2 or H2R dealer inventory; the bikes will be built on demand and. kawasaki reckons delivery will start in April or May of next year.. This is what Mark and Dustin really thought about the Toronto Motorcycle Show. […]
I am a Canadian rider/owner of an 2015 H2…I have 31 years of litre bike experience and have enjoyed competitive racing over the years.I am approaching 50 years of age -physically…mentality is up for debate…I absolutely love this machine!In my opinion…It is the ride that you can compare to a rich guys Ferrari….For a motorcyclist…it’s the ultimate rush of acceleration…Should I open it up?No I should not….But it’s nice to have ….and when nobody is looking ….when I’ve picked my place….it’s going to be a lot of fun to open the throttle….That’s about all there is ….Limited fun ….Track day aside….it’s a machine that requires the discretion of an experienced mature rider…Definitely no toy….A Man’s Bike….Period!
I don’t see the point in this bike whatsoever. A track bike only, that doesn’t fit into any segment except perhaps drag racing? The street version has about the same power as most other 1 liter superbikes but an extra 100lbs? And for $27000? That’s a lot of R and D and should have been put into something they can sell. If its a “halo” bike it doesn’t represent and racing success like the new RCV will. I am also quite frankly tired of all the teasers and hype and feel sorry for the journalist that have to serve this to the public.
Think about the bike from Harley Davidson that $27k buys you (Street Glide SomethingOrOther). Now take another look at what’s packed into the H2. People get their kicks in chrome and cast iron, others in carbon fibre and high technology. For my hypothetical $27k I’d get the H2, even though it’s every bit as much of a poser bike as the Harley IMHO.
“and feel sorry for the journalist that have to serve this to the public.” Yep, it’s been a painful journey.
Given the limited production and by extension the very few that will end up in Canada it makes me wonder if it’s worth it for Kawasaki to submit the bike to Transport Canada.
And by extension what’s the point of transport Canada in the first place? This machine will be road legal in places with much higher standards than Canada so it would make sense just to accept the standards applied and tested in other jurisdictions and save the company and by extension the consumer some money.