The Kawasaki Ninja H2R is the “hypersport” cycle of the eclectic Kawasaki Ninja series.
It is by far the most powerful Ninja in the range in terms of speed and horsepower but is also unique in that it is one that is not street-legal.
The H2R was built exclusively for use on the track.
There is a street-legal version of the H2R, known as the H2, but the H2R is the ultimate Kawasaki power racing machine.
This article answers the question: “What Is The Price of Kawasaki Ninja H2R In India?” and Compare with US Prices…
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What Is The Price Of Kawasaki Ninja H2R In India?
In India, you will pay 79.9lakh Indian rupees, which is 7.99 million rupees, or $109,586. When you consider that the same bike in the US sells for $55,500 as its MSRP, you realize that you pay an incredibly high premium for buying the Ninja H2R in India.
The source of the difference is India’s protectionist import tariffs designed to protect local motorcycle companies from foreign competition.
The result is hugely inflated prices on foreign brands like Kawasaki and others.
Is It Possible To Import Ninja H2R To The States?
Technically it is possible to import a bike like the Ninja H2R to the US, but there are numerous conditions that must be met first.
First of all, you must be a US citizen, resident, or have a US company in order to import anything into the country, including motorcycles.
There are some trickier conditions to worry about, too.
The US only allows vehicles of 25 years or older to be imported into the country permanently.
This is one of the reasons that the United States JDM market is not as developed as it is in Australia or the UK, for example.
That being the case, then importing a Ninja H2R is difficult. The bike is not 25 years old, but it can be imported. How? It can be imported temporarily for a special purpose.
The following are special reasons that you can make a temporary import of a vehicle less than 25 years old:
- Racing
- Display
- Repairs
- Leisure
- Vacation
- Exhibition
- Events
Since the Ninja H2R is not street legal in the US anyway, you could justify importing one to use for a special event like a race or to display it in an automotive show for some purpose.
If you wanted to purchase and import the H2R, this wouldn’t be possible under the vehicle age rules, but you wouldn’t need to anyway.
The Ninja H2R is available for sale domestically within the US market.
What About Warranty?
Manufacturers’ warranties are typically only valid in the country they were issued. If you were to import an H2R from one country to another, the warranty on that H2R would not be valid anymore.
General Import Rules For Motorcycles From India?
Whether you are importing from India or any other country, the same basic rules apply.
The first is that vehicles of fewer than 25 years old cannot be imported unless for one of the lists of reasons given above.
If you get past the age requirements, then there are other things to consider.
First, there is an automotive duty of 2.4 percent on motorcycles (2.5 percent on most vehicles, and 25 percent on trucks.)
Next, the car that you’re bringing in has to be immaculately clean so as not to bring any foreign soil and potential pests into the United States.
If you are a foreign visitor staying in the US for up to 12 months – perhaps working in the embassy, for example – then you are entitled to bring in a vehicle for free to use for up to12 months.
What Are The Risks Of Transportation & Insurance?
Whenever you import something to the US or any other country, especially vehicles of any kind, the biggest risk you take is the vehicle being damaged or lost in transit.
The vehicle has to be brought to the US via sea freight.
If there is a bad storm or other event and the container ship is damaged, loses cargo, or in the worst-case scenario is completely lost at sea, then your cargo goes with it.
You, therefore, need to add further to your expenses by purchasing insurance.
Car shipping insurance is usually affordable, at worst being about 1 percent of the car’s total value.
The shipping company you work with may bear most of that cost in good faith.
Statistics show that about 10,000 shipping crates are lost every year, but that’s out of a total of 120 million, so it’s not too bad.
Accidents do happen though.
Other risks when you’re importing include:
- Failing to get the vehicle cleared by customs
- Delays
- Added important duties
- Added expensive of having to publicly store cars while conflicts are resolved
- Supplier on the other end failing to send the product as promised
What Do People Say About Imports From India?
The US imports billions of dollars worth of goods from India every year, from precious stones and precious metals to pharmaceuticals, machinery, and electronics.
The US is not typically in the habit of importing motorcycles or other vehicles from India, mostly because there is no market in the US currently for mass imported Indian motorcycles, plus the US rules forbid this kind of imports for vehicles under 25 years old.
The proposition of importing from India becomes even harder when the goods in question were first imported to India from somewhere else.
Take the Kawasaki Ninja H2R, for instance. It is not manufactured in India, which explains why the price of the bike is so high.
It is imported from Japan. When you add a further step and import that vehicle to the US, those added costs are passed on to you.
Is There Any Motorcycle Store That Can Help Me With Import Or Will Do It For Me?
Yes, there are many cargo and logistics companies in both your target country and origin country for the motorcycle or other goods that will help with the process.
They can provide a range of services from simply offering advice on how to get the process done yourself to actually handling many of the steps for you with some limited input from you like signatures or forms.
Is It Better To Buy It From A Store In The States (Vs Import)?
It is infinitely cheaper to purchase the Kawasaki Ninja H2R from a dealership in the US than to import it from somewhere else.
The restrictions on goods for permanent import mean that even if you were to import the H2R, you wouldn’t be able to use it there for more than 12 months.
It would have to be temporary.
Therefore, to save on price, risk, additional costs, additional bureaucracy, and other hassles, it is far better to make your purchase within the US.
Why Is The Kawasaki Ninja H2R So Expensive?
The Kawasaki Ninja H2R is expensive because it is a top-performance bike in the Ninja range.
It has a powerful engine capable of 310hp and 121lb-ft of torque and a top speed of 240mph.
For the privilege of this power you pay a significant premium.
Another reason is in its specialist construction.
The H2R is a track-only bike.
It is engineered and manufactured for the race track.
That being so, it is more expensively engineered and built.
What Is It Made Of?
There is more carbon fiber in the H2R, which helps to explain somewhat the great difference in price.
The material is expensive and highly durable, but the durability is a must for any motorcycle that is about to be flown around a racetrack.
Furthermore, there are a number of special systems in the H2R. Namely, there needs to be a very powerful aerodynamic downforce, and the bike is specially crafted and sculpted for that kind of dynamic.
Its special coloring, physical size, larger engine, more specialized gear, and more all contribute to making this by far, the most expensive bike of its kind.
Financial Ways To Get It In The US?
The simplest way is to get a finance agreement pre-approved by a bank or credit union and then use a 4-year loan to make the purchase.
Financially speaking, it’s not really different from purchasing any high-end brand.
You could also get financing via the Kawasaki dealership through one of its financial partners such as Synchrony Financial, Citibank, Sheffield Financial, and others.
These are convenient ways to get everything done in one place.
If you happened to have the cash, you could also pay cash for it. It’s still only half the price what the poor H2R enthusiasts in India have to pay for it.
Other Top-Class/Fast Motorcycle To Compare With?
The closest Kawasaki bike that you can compare the H2R with is the H2, which is the street-legal version of the H2R. Other top models from other companies include the Suzuki Hayabusa.
The Hayabusa has a larger 1,340cc engine (compared to H2R 998cc), but doesn’t output anything like as much hp (187). It does get better mileage though.
The Honda CBR 1000RR is also competitive at 189hp, but still pales in comparison to the H2R.
Perhaps the only bike that really competes at all with H2R is the Dodge Tomahawk. Its V10 engine with 8.3L displacement dwarfs the engine of the H2R, and it could reach a speed of 420mph.
The problem, however, is that it was just a concept and only 9 units were made, selling for more than $500,000 each.
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