New, Less-Powerful Kawasaki Ninja H2 Coming for 2027
Supercharged flagship sportsbike to adopt Z H2’s engine tune
Good news! We’re getting an updated Ninja H2 for 2027. The bad news? It looks like it won’t be as powerful as the current version of Kawasaki’s supercharged flagship.
The evidence comes to us via various homologation and emissions filings. Both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board have certified the Kawasaki Ninja H2 for the 2027 model year. What’s different is that instead of having its own individual certifications as it had in previous years, the 2027 model is sharing emissions data with the Z H2 SE, which uses a less powerful version of the supercharged 998cc inline-Four engine.
The EPA certified the 2026 Ninja H2 (as well as a limited edition Carbon variant) with a maximum output of 228 hp at 11,500 rpm, but for 2027, it is certified with the Z H2 SE’s peak of 197 hp at 10,500 rpm. The CARB data doesn’t include any performance figures, but it does confirm the Ninja H2 will share the naked model’s exhaust system, which includes a second catalyst.
The drop in peak horsepower will be disappointing to some people, but we have to remember that 197 hp is still impressive, and way more than most people can realistically handle on public roads. It’s also the same maximum output the first generation Ninja H2 was certified with when it debuted for the 2015 model year. For a model Kawasaki positions as the pinnacle of its engineering, however, it’s understandable to feel a bit let down.
The engine tuning may not be the only thing that has changed. The EPA and CARB filings only examine emissions-related data, with nothing related to the chassis, electronics, or styling. We can confirm that the 2027 Ninja H2 and Ninja H2 Carbon have been homologated in Australia with two new model codes, ZXT02W and ZXT02X, respectively, whereas the current Ninja H2 uses the model code ZXT02J. The change in letters suggests that Kawasaki considers the 2027 model to be a different generation for the Ninja H2, though it remains to be seen how different it will be.
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Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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Thats why is best to keep an eye out for a older used model and snatched one up that way and get the 228hp exhaust and tune and easy 300hp
Power out the box doesn't matter that much. It's going to be restricted, choked etc. Hardware is there and custom tune with new filter and pipe will turn it into fighter jet monster no sweat. Let's not forget that current bike can easily put down north of 200hp on rear tire, and new one will not differ. I hope for tweaked design.