Kawasaki Ninja H2 2027 Spotted in US Documents, Power Can Drop to 197 HP

JAKARTA - The latest version of the Kawasaki Ninja H2 and Ninja H2 Carbon appears in the emission and homologation documents or technical and emission approval documents in the United States. However, there is a big note for fans of this supercharged superbike. Its peak power has the potential to drop quite a bit.

Visor Down, quoted Tuesday, July 7, reported that the latest documents from the California Air Resources Board or CARB and the US Environmental Protection Agency or EPA identified the motorcycle as a 2027 model.

Homologation is the process of certifying a vehicle to meet technical and emission regulations in a country. From the document, Kawasaki seems to be preparing an update for the Ninja H2 and H2 Carbon.

Supercharged is an air compressor system that helps the engine produce more power. This technology has long been one of the main attractions of the Ninja H2.

The last time the Ninja H2 was homologated in the US, the bike was claimed to have 228 hp or 224 bhp. However, the latest documents show a different direction.

Based on the emission details in the document, the specifications of the H2 engine seem to be aligned with the Kawasaki Z H2 SE. If true, the peak power could drop to 197 hp or 194 bhp.

The maximum power is also said to come early, namely at 10,500 rpm. That figure is 1,000 rpm lower than before.

According to Visor Down, the potential decline in power is not necessarily due to increasingly strict emission regulations, although this factor is almost certainly a factor. Another explanation that is considered more likely is that Kawasaki wants to simplify production by standardizing the specifications of the Ninja H2 and Z H2 engines.

Two very similar supercharged engines, but with different performance settings, are certainly not cheap to produce. If the engine specifications can be made more uniform, Kawasaki can reduce costs and make the production process simpler.

Even so, the reduction in power on paper does not necessarily mean the bike becomes much slower. The peak power figure does not always reflect the entire performance character of the bike.

The Down Visor compares it to the Suzuki Hayabusa. When Suzuki relaunched the Hayabusa with a claimed 190 bhp, many owners of the old model were pessimistic. However, road tests and testing on closed tracks show that the latest generation of Hayabusa is still very fast in the important parts, even though its specific figures are smaller.

Therefore, if this homologation document really reflects the production specifications of the 2027 Ninja H2, the power figure can indeed shrink. However, whether the motor will feel much slower is still uncertain.

For the UK market, this news may only be an interesting note. Kawasaki previously announced that it would stop accepting new orders for the Ninja H2 and H2 Carbon road versions in the country. The 2026 model is also said to be the last edition.

This means that this US homologation document gives an idea of Kawasaki's plans in other regions. However, it is not necessarily that the motor will be available for buyers in the UK.