The only ‘road legal’ Kawasaki H2R ‘Streetfighter’

The Kawasaki H2R is the pinnacle of Kawasaki motorbike technical prowess. It is an extreme race bike with 320hp, race use only, slick tyres, 136db exhaust, NOT road legal at all, no headlights, no radiator fans, etc…

With MADMAX Race team having been offered one by Kawasaki, we thought, it would be fun to ride it on the road and make it fully road legal. So we obtained a new H2, stripped both bikes down and combined the road legal parts of the H2 and transplanted them onto the H2R. This was done in conjunction with Kawasaki, as the H2R is very different to the H2.

The H2/H2R wiring loom and switch gear is all different. It is not an easy transplant. After many months, we ended up with a certified road legal H2R. This is no trade plate or day time use road legal ‘race’ bike. This H2R has full headlights, hi/lo beam, rear lights, brake lights, indicators. To make it road and UK race track compliant, we fitted a Akrapovic exhaust and tuned the bike, to deliver a compliant db noise level, with only 4hp loss to the engine power. The bike delivers 320hp at the engine and 300hp at the rear wheel. This is far more power than any ECU tuned H2 can produce safely. The brutal power delivery of the H2R makes it hard to get off the line quickly without lifting the front, even with all the clever, traction and electronic aids.

Even as a track bike it is not very friendly. Let’s remember a full factory Ducati Desmo GP race bike is ‘only’ 280hp and cannot be ridden easily without full race electronics. To make it useable for the road and straight line speed fun, we designed a CNCed single billet alloy swingarm, fully CAD stress tested.

Full BST carbon wheels were added for unsprung mass and fast acceleration and braking (less centrifugal inertia). CNC billet triple trees (yokes) were designed and made, with upright bars to allow a more comfortable ‘street ride’ and allow full on drag racing and drifting.

The bike is a complete hoot to ride, with effortless wheel spin and black stripes on the road. Is it practical – no, but it is fantastic fun and very fast and that is what MADMAX racing is all about.