Kawasaki H2 & H2R Sound Comparison… Whats The Difference?

With a recorded top speed of 250 MPH, Kawasaki’s Ninja H2R is the fastest production motorcycle in the world, by quite a large margin. The track-only variant of the Ninja H2 has an insane 310 horsepower on tap, nearly double that of the road-going version, which tops out at 183 MPH. With a 70 MPH top speed advantage over the street legal version, the H2R is a force to be reckoned with, and it sounds oh so very good.

This is the first side-by-side sound comparison we’ve seen between the street legal H2 and the track-only H2R, and the difference is pretty staggering. Besides the street version’s massive rear muffler doing an excellent job of quieting things down considerably, the track-only variant also cranks out more boost from the factory supercharger. The Ninja is the first motorcycle to come with a supercharger from the factory, and it puts that air mover to good use in powering the H2 to mid-9 second quarter mile times. At the time, we don’t have any quarter mile times for an H2R, though we have to assume they’d be well into the 8-second zone with a capable rider.

The H2 has been well received in the market, with the Kawasaki having joined Suzuki’s Hayabusa as a benchmark by with others are judged. There’s video floating around of an H2R taking down a Bugatti Veyron on a top end run, and we’ve already seen just how wicked the bike is from a dig thanks to the launch control and quick-shift functions built into the bikes from the factory. With insane top end and the gadgets to make the bike leave hard from a dig, these are definitely going to hurt a lot of feelings. Keep your eyes out for an H2 near you, and if you’re considering a race with it, just know you might be in for more than you bargained for.