[NinjaH2Admin]

Kawasaki revealed a one-off Ninja H2 customized for 11-time drag racing champion Rickey Gadson. Presented at the New York International Motor Show, Rickey Gadson’s Custom Ninja H2 Hybrid was modified to meet the specific needs of drag racing.

The most noticeable difference is the extended Strong Arm swingarm from Adam’s Performance, stretching the length to 67.5 inches. The stock rear wheel was replaced with a BST carbon fiber wheel from Brock’s Performance (the Gadson bike retains the stock Ninja H2 cast aluminum front wheel), which, combined with the Strong Arm, Gadson says eliminated about 12 pounds of weight.

Other ugrades include a JRI rear shock and a handlebar-mounted air shifter which works together with the H2′s standard quick shifter. The Gadson H2 is otherwise essentially the same as the stock bike.

Riding the upgraded H2 at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina, Gadson recorded a quarter-mile time of 8.213 seconds with a speed of 166.48 mph.

 

[Nessuno]

Ah not quite, he was allowed to raid the H2R parts inventory. His otherwise 'stock' H2 is actually running an H2R ECU as well as the evident megaphone and CF wings also pilfered from the parts bin. He also noted that they've altered the gearing and AFM

 

[ninja boy]

Ah not quite, he was allowed to raid the H2R parts inventory. His otherwise 'stock' H2 is actually running an H2R ECU as well as the evident megaphone and CF wings also pilfered from the parts bin. He also noted that they've altered the gearing and AFM

Those are some significant mods. Like the press release said, you will not be able to buy an H2, for half the price, and dyno 326 Horsies. You will be able
to boost it up maybe 30 - 40 HP, which is quite nice....

 

[Somefun]

I'm good with 30 or 40 more HP

 

[Somefun]

I'm good with 30 to 40 HP More!!!! Can't wait to see this baby at the show this weekend!

 

[Ryder]

Seen the 1/4 mile run video of this thing and the introductry video of it... just badass. Good to see it show up now, wasn't expecting something like this to happen as fast as it did.

 

[Yamasuki]

Those are some significant mods. Like the press release said, you will not be able to buy an H2, for half the price, and dyno 326 Horsies. You will be able
to boost it up maybe 30 - 40 HP, which is quite nice....

quite nice indeed

When we checked the air-fuel ratio, it was 11.3 to 11.4. That’s how rich they had it. They had to make sure it’s safe enough for anybody who gets their hands on it to not blow it up. We knew from racing my turbo bike that we can lean it out quite a bit more than that. So we took the air-fuel ratio to about 12.2 and picked up 30 horsepower. With the leaner mixture and improved airflow, we went from 269 horsepower to 292.

 

[OzBooster]

Rich mixture will be one of the ways Kawasaki are controlling cyl temps
11.3-11.5 is very common on turbo bikes , and while Ricky can lean it out a bit for the very short runs he is doing, if it were left that way on the street for a highway blast or on a longer run like one of the mile events reliability could suffer
a bit scary to think about how many of these bikes could be subject to dyno operators treating them like a NA bike

 

[SilverbirdH2]

I've noticed something about HIS bike...the front forks.His are silver on the inner tube.Anyone care to guess what this is about?Trivial I know...but kinda strange,in a way?His aren't factory forks?I know he said they were strapped...but also maybe built differently than the factory setup?Wonder what that's about.Perhaps a refinement over the stock ones yet to be assembled?

 

[GoFaster]

I've noticed something about HIS bike...the front forks.His are silver on the inner tube.Anyone care to guess what this is about?Trivial I know...but kinda strange,in a way?His aren't factory forks?I know he said they were strapped...but also maybe built differently than the factory setup?Wonder what that's about.Perhaps a refinement over the stock ones yet to be assembled?

Good catch. What it means is that the inner fork tubes on his bike are missing the DLC coating that the production bikes have. The inner fork tubes on his are the old skool conventional chrome plating.

I suspect that his bike is a pre-production prototype build - an exercise that every vehicle manufacturer goes through to make sure that all the parts go together properly and work together properly. You will also note that his bodywork is green (with heavy metal-flake) and the frame is silver - the opposite of the production scheme.

 

[Ryder]

Good point on it possibly being a prototype build, something that would only be allowed for "off-road" purposes.

 

[SilverbirdH2]

Green...yup...only for Ricky It is a very cool look....I don't think the factory ones are gonna be any different however than the pics we've all been seeing...which is fine by me....I know ONE thing...that green isn't gonna show any real swirls and stuff...I DO like that.

 

[ninja boy]

It is an eye catching green flake paint job, and he painted the frame and forks silver. Cool look.

 

[SilverbirdH2]

"painted the forks silver"...ummmm...no,not actuallyLOL!!!!

 

[Bazza]

Is it just me or does the bike lose something in Candy Green? Mirror Black was just so... MEAN...

 

[SilverbirdH2]

Well...it DOES look good in the Green...up close and personal...probably VERY nice.But yeah...Mirror Black I'm good with...someone on one of these new videos said the fingerprints and such don't really show up with this paint technique....that's cool

Actually now...after looking some at the H2R's wings and such...I think I do like the H2 config better...not that the H2R's are less...but the wings(to me)would maybe bit a bit over the top for street use.I know I'd be wanting to test their effectiveness EVERYWHERE..that wouldn't be so goodThis bike is gonna be absolutely awesome....great for my roads here.

 

[NinJAHfu]

Seeing it in a different color might also be a good thing rather than just sticking to the usual green that you see ninja's in .

 

[SilverbirdH2]

I'm hoping the Mirror Black reflectiveness of the paint is gonna allow me to remain 'unseen' whilst I hide from the PoPo.

 

[Bazza]

I'm hoping the Mirror Black reflectiveness of the paint is gonna allow me to remain 'unseen' whilst I hide from the PoPo.

>>

 

[ZX-14R_stealthrider]

...Mirror Black I'm good with...someone on one of these new videos said the fingerprints and such don't really show up with this paint technique....that's cool

Wish it was true but... fingerprints galore on the H2 are readily seen in this video when played back at the higher resolutions... :|

A quality Spray Detailer will take care of those...