Kawasaki’s Ninja H2 and its H2R race track sibling are doubtlessly two of the most anticipated motorcycles of 2014. In case you thought that things cannot go more extreme than they already are, you’ll be surprised to learn that some beg to differ. And because such a bold claim needs proofs, here’s Rickey Gadson and his one of a kind Ninja H2 Hybrid, a custom creation which wants to re-write history.
A multiple dragracing champion, Gadson knows his way around fast bikes and is not easy to impress. However, the Ninja H2 set his mind on fire from the very first time he threw a leg over it. Honestly, it’s very easy to understand why a bike which can go north of 210 horsepower can instantly mesmerize even the toughest racers.
The hand-built wonder is becoming even more exclusive
The Ninja H2 is not your average assembly line sport motorcycle. Kawasaki is building these machines by hand, with exceptional care for details and apparently only one Ninja H2 or H2R is being made each day. This allows the house of Akashi to make sure the bikes which are delivered are top-notch and will provide the high-performance level their customers expect.
Still, when it comes to taking a motorcycle to the drag strip, things are truly radical, as the very sport is. A bike in stock trim would just not do, regardless of how much power it can harness. Drag racing is all about acceleration and speed, and this means the mechanics and riders have to be able to squeeze the very last bit of thrust from the machine. That is, if they want to win…
The Kawasaki spent 30 days in the Adams Performance workshop and the result is a custom Ninja H2 which is even more extreme. The factory swingarm has been replaced with Adams’ Strong Arm, extending the wheelbase to 67.5” (1,714 mm) and which still doesn’t seem enough to be able to keep the front end down when the throttle is pulled hard.
JRI provided the new rear shock, while Brock’s Performance BST carbon fiber wheels replaced the stock machined rims. Some 12 pounds (5.4 kg) have been shaved off the Ninja H2 in the rear section, while you can see the H2R winglets in place on the bike for added downforce and stability. Still the LED headlight confirms we’re looking at the H2 and not the H2R, despite several similar elements.
Gadson’s Ninja H2 ran an 8.213 quarter-mile on a cold early December day, but we’re going to have to wait for the summer to see what the bike can really do. Now, even though some might say the guys wrecked a perfectly good Ninja H2 for nothing, we’d say that no effort is worth sparing when we’re talking becoming the fastest rider of the bunch.
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