HOW DOES THE LEGO TECHNIC 42170 KAWASAKI NINJA H2R PERFORM?

We’ve had LEGO Technic two-wheeled offerings from some of the big names in the past including the BMW M 1000 RR, Harley-Davidson Fat Boy and Yamaha MT-10 SP 42159 to name a few, but this is the first Kawasaki representation. The Kawasaki Ninja H2R is the world’s fastest production bike, Kenan Sofuoglu (World Supersport Champion) got it up to 400 km/h in just 26 seconds on a closed bridge near Istanbul. The Ninja H2R is known as a hyperbike as these bikes are not road-legal and not considered safe due to the extremely high horsepower that can make them tricky to handle. LEGO Technic has recreated this machine in brick-built form with 643 pieces and a price tag of $84.99, a much more affordable amount than the real thing (and a lot safer). So, let's take a look at the LEGO Technic 42170 Kawasaki Ninja H2R.

LET’S TAKE IT FOR A SPIN

Straight out of the box, it's good to see this is one of the LEGO sets that use paper bags; there are four numbered bags, a small bag, a sticker sheet and the instruction manual. The wheels are loose in the box as is generally standard in these sets. Upon opening the manual you are plunged straight into the instructions. There are no facts or pretty pictures at the start as we have come to see in a lot of these replica vehicle sets.

Despite only being four bags, there are a lot of pieces as you would expect with LEGO Technic, as there’s a whole bunch of fiddly connector pins. The first building stage creates the gearbox module and the engine. Within this section, we get the new cam piece which now gives a different range of motion (half a module) and we receive the new yellow parts that represent the pistons. The updated piston pieces are smaller than the previous ones and clip onto the cam pieces. The gearbox is also able to change from neutral to first and second.

The first sticker to be used is on the top of the fuel tank, but the panels at the sides are printed with the Kawasaki name. The windshield is made of hard plastic this time around, as opposed to the Ducati V4R from 2020 which was soft plastic. LEGO also has decided to supply the windshield in a separate bag this time, which is awesome as this prevents it from getting scratched up by other pieces jostling around in the bag.

This is a pretty standard LEGO Technic build with the inclusion of two new pieces - but in terms of features, we have the front and back suspension, steering and the working gearbox. Also with this build, we have a kickstand that is a definite must-have for displaying this correctly. The overall look of set 42170 is pretty close to the real thing (which can be seen in the back of the manual), but as is so often the case with LEGO Technic sets, there’s an array of blue pins on display.

WHAT IS THE RELEASE DATE FOR 42170 LEGO TECHNIC KAWASAKI NINJA H2R?

The release date for the LEGO Technic Kawasaki Ninja H2R was 1st March 2024.

HOW MUCH IS LEGO TECHNIC 42170?

The Kawasaki Ninja H2R Motorcycle set is priced at $84.99 – see it at LEGO online.

WHAT IS THE BRICK COUNT FOR 42170?

There are 643 pieces included with this set including two new brick pieces to look forward to.

HOW MANY MINIFIGURES ARE INCLUDED?

There are no LEGO Minifigures included with the LEGO Technic Kawasaki Ninja H2R.

WORTHY OF 1ST PLACE?

LEGO has managed a pretty true-to-life representation of the real thing aesthetically and the various features are neat but this is essentially just a 1/8 scale display piece. Placing this alongside the Ducati Panigale V4R (42107) and Batman Batcycle (42155) would be an epic set-up, as they look like a great band of brothers all standing together. If someone in your life, or you, are into hyperbikes then you can do no wrong in purchasing this set and dreaming of the real thing.