Is There A Motorcycle Faster Than The Kawasaki Ninja H2R?

Those who are even passingly familiar with the Kawasaki automotive brand have probably at least heard of one of the fastest bikes it ever made, the Ninja H2R. The Ninja H2R is an absolute terror of a motorcycle, and that's putting the matter nicely. It has set multiple records in sheer speed, outracing similar supercharged bikes from other major brands like Ducati and Suzuki. This thing is so fast, this Kawasaki bike is not even street legal in the U.S. Nothing but a proper race track could even hope to contain its fiery temper.

All that said, the winds of automotive development are ever-blowing. The Ninja H2R has been the top dog of the motorcycle speed fiends for years now, but there are always aspirants to the throne looking to get a piece of it. It's not a matter of whether another bike will one day rise up to wrest the reins from the Ninja H2R, but a matter of when. So, the question of the day is whether or not that upheaval in the motorcycle speed monarchy has actually happened already. As of this writing, the answer is no, the Ninja H2R is still the fastest. However, that "no" comes with a couple of asterisks.

If we're talking specifically about supercharged motorcycles driving on a straightaway race track, the Ninja H2R is still the big cheese. In 2016, professional rider Kenan Sofuoglu set a speed record on the Osman Gazi Bridge, clearing the bridge's length in 26 seconds with a max speed of about 248 miles per hour. It's worth noting, though, that this particular Ninja H2R was modified with racer-grade fuel and improved tires.

Without those modifications, the Ninja H2R reaches around 216 miles per hour in a standing mile. One of the Ninja H2R's chief competitors, the Suzuki Hayabusa, has a slightly slower top speed of around 201 miles per hour. However, the Hayabusa rockets from a stop to 60 miles per hour in 2.77 seconds, a slightly faster startup speed than the Ninja H2R. Again, in a straight line, the Ninja H2R would eventually catch and pass it, but it would be neck and neck for a while.

Outside the realm of traditional combustion engines, there are also contenders rising up. The LS-218, a fully-electric motorcycle produced by Lightning Motorcycles, has a rated top speed of up to 218 miles per hour. Granted, the LS-218 is a production motorcycle, so whether it counts is up for debate. Regardless, the point is, there are vehicles both available and in the works that could give the Ninja H2R a run for its money soon.