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Kawasaki Ninja H2R TT on-board video is two-wheeled madness you need to see

“Do not imitate this riding style,” the credits of Kawasaki’s Ninja H2R video tells us. We’re in no rush because a video of the superbike in action made us go very weak at the knees.

Kawasaki wanted to show off its H2R track and circuit-only machine in a way that would capture the attention of the internet. So it handed the keys to Isle of Man TT winner James Hillier, who was tasked with driving it at ludicrous speeds around the 37.75-mile circuit.

And ludicrous he most certainly achieved because the various on-board cameras capture trees, bystanders and houses flying past so fast you would think somebody cheated and sped up the footage. But we can assure you they haven’t.

There’s no real need to cheat anyway when you have more than 300hp developed by a 1.0-litre supercharged four-cylinder engine, nor when that sizable engine is encased in a carbon fibre body that makes it weigh less than a week’s worth of groceries.

What the bike needed, in fact, was someone with balls the size of melons and 30-year-old Hillier makes the legendary circuit look easy. But it’s anything but a slow run as he clocks a new top speed record on the island, an astonishing 206.9 miles per hour ─ a feat achieved on the Sulby Straight.

Besides showing just how fast the Ninja H2R is, how mad TT riders are (as we already knew) and blowing Kawasaki’s own trumpet, the video gives you a guide to some of the more significant circuit sections so it’s worth listening. This is a course few get to experience.

Speaking on the bike, Hillier said: “The thing is fierce, it’s so responsive and angry so it’s quite intimidating.” We’ll take his word for it and stick to much less terrifying four-wheelers.

Kawasaki Ninja H2R at the Isle of Man video

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