Kawasaki's Supercharged H2 Superbike Is Returning. But The EPA Made It Less Powerful

31 horses have left the building.

By: Jonathon Klein

Jul 13, at 9:02am ET

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There's good news, and there's bad news about the 2027 Kawasaki Ninja 2, the supercharged speed demon that took the motorcycling world by storm a handful of years ago. The good news? It's returning for 2027, complete with the same 998cc supercharged inline 4-cylinder engine. The bad news? Well, because of stricter emissions regulations in California, it won't be as powerful as the 2026 model.

But hey, at least it's returning!

How much less powerful, you ask, though? Honestly, a good amount, as according to documents dug up by Motorcycle.com's Dennis Chung just a few days before the outlet's untimely closure (RIP), the superbike of superbikes is set to lose a solid 31 horsepower. Even though that's still a metric ton of power under your right fist, if someone's comparing last year's model with this year's, that's gonna be felt.

The good work done by Chung (hire these people, folks) indicates that Kawasaki's Ninja H2 will take on its Z H2 sibling's tune, according to CARB documents.

Chung's reporting states, "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."

So what's more than likely occurring is that it's taking on the Z H2's tune, along with its more restrictive exhaust system, which would then drop that peak power and rev limit. Think of how a vehicle's power opens up with just an aftermarket exhaust, you know? What's good about this, however, is that it seems like a simple fix if a customer would want to get back to that 228 horsepower number. Exhausts are a dime a dozen, and tunes are pretty darn easy to acquire.

What do you think?

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As for right now, Kawasaki hasn't announced its H2 lineup, so we'll have to wait and see if anything else was changed between the model years. But for the time being, it's likely to get less horsepower, less revs, and probably a quieter exhaust. A somewhat far cry from the supercharged hellion that the world fell in love with a few years back.

Still, the fact it hasn't been cut is cause for celebration.