My Ridiculous Quest to Uncover the Ninja H2R’s True Price
So yesterday, I got it into my head that I needed to figure out what this Ninja H2R rocket on two wheels actually costs. You know the one – looks like something Batman would ride if he was late for a meeting. Saw a video, jaw dropped, wallet whimpered in fear. Right then, decided I’d document the whole price-hunt mess. Buckle up.
First thing, obviously, I hit Kawasaki’s own website. Figured they’d plaster the price proudly. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Just endless specs and photos making me drool. Their motorcycle section? H2R wasn’t even listed neatly anywhere. Felt like they were hiding it! Had to dig deep into the “Special Builds” or some obscure corner. Finally found it. Heart pounding a bit. Clicked… Boom. Kawasaki drops the bomb: MSRP around $57,000. My mind went blank for a second. Fifty-seven thousand. Could buy a decent car, or maybe a small island. Almost closed the tab right there.
Couldn’t just take their word though. Wanted the real story – dealer shenanigans, fees, the whole ugly truth. Started scraping through forum posts and reviews. Found folks sharing their actual buying nightmares. Oh boy. Dealers slapping on ridiculous “market adjustments” because, you know, exclusivity. Like a giant neon sign saying “Sucker Tax“. Heard stories of this thing selling for:
- $65,000 (Made me choke on my coffee)
- $70,000 (Almost fell off my chair)
- $80,000+ in some insane locations (Yeah, nope)
Felt like prices were pulled out of a magician’s hat, just to make me cry. But wait! There’s more! Got it into my head this was just the start. Had to factor in the whole “owning a spaceship” experience:
- Freight Charges: Couple hundred bucks? Nah. More like $600-$800. For moving it across the country? Ouch.
- Pre-delivery setup: Another $500-$1000. Apparently putting mirrors on costs extra now?
- State Sales Tax: This is where the real knife twists. On $57k? Plus fees? We’re talking adding another $4,000-$6,000 easy.
- Insurance: Called my guy pretending I might get one. He laughed. Then quoted me something that sounded like monthly mortgage payments.
- Basic Gear: You can’t ride this beast in flip-flops. Decent helmet, jacket, boots… easily another grand. Minimum.
Tallying this nonsense up mentally. Base MSRP: $57k. Dealer markup? Call it a modest average $10k? So $67k. Fees? $1,500. Tax (roughly)? $5,000. Gear? $1,000. Insurance? No clue, just scary. Looking at scraping together $75,000-$80,000 just to get it onto my driveway and look at it. Probably without even riding it much because it’d be terrifying.
Why do this to myself? Honestly, no clue. Curiosity? Self-torture? Maybe wanted to confirm the universe isn’t fair. Ended up feeling like I sucked on a really sour lemon. That Kawasaki MSRP is pure fantasy. The real price? It’s basically “If you have to ask, you definitely, absolutely, cannot afford it.” My practical conclusion? That money? Could finally fix my leaky roof. Buy a whole bunch of groceries. Maybe even take a vacation. This H2R price hunt? Fun little adventure, confirmed I have sensible priorities. My roof wins. The end.
