There’s good news, and there’s bad news, about the 2027 Kawasaki Ninja 2, the supercharged speed demon that took the motorcycle world by storm a few years ago. Good news? It is returning in 2027 with the same 998cc supercharged inline 4-cylinder engine. Bad news? Well, due to the strict emission regulations in California, it will not be as powerful as the 2026 model.
But hey, at least it’s returning!
However, you ask, how much less powerful? Honestly, a good amount, as per the documents examined motorcycle.com Dennis Chung, just days before the outlet’s untimely closure (RIP), Superbikes’ superbike is set to lose a solid 31 horsepower. Although that’s still a metric ton of power under your right fist, if one is comparing last year’s model to this year’s, it will feel off.
According to the CARB documents, the good work done by Chung (hire these guys) indicates that Kawasaki’s Ninja H2 will follow the tune of its Z H2 brother.
Chung’s reporting states, “The EPA has certified the 2026 Ninja H2 (as well as a limited edition carbon version) with a peak output of 228 hp at 11,500 rpm, but for 2027, it is certified by the Z H2 SE with a peak of 197 hp at 10,500 rpm. The CARB data does not include any performance figures, but it confirms that the Ninja The H2 will share the naked model’s exhaust system, which includes a second catalyst.”
So it’s more likely that it’s working on tuning the Z H2 with its more restrictive exhaust system, which will then drop that peak power and rev range. Imagine how much power a vehicle can unleash just from an aftermarket exhaust, you know? However, the good thing about it is that it seems like a simple solution if a customer wants to get back to that 228 horsepower number. Exhausts are a dime a dozen, and tunes are very easy to achieve.
At the moment, Kawasaki hasn’t announced its H2 lineup, so we’ll have to wait and see if anything else has changed between model years. But for now, it’s likely to get less horsepower, lower revs, and perhaps a quieter exhaust. A far cry from the supercharged hell the world fell in love with a few years ago.
Still, the fact that it hasn’t been cut is cause for celebration.
