Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX

[The Doctor 46]

Well I've finally plucked up the courage and booked a test ride on one of the fastest production bikes on the planet. I know the test ride route takes in a short stretch of the A30 and I'm hoping to try it's supercharger there.

The sad thing is that I'm not prepared to pay around £1000 for a major service when it comes around and that wouldn't be long after owning it because I would buy used then ride it a lot so the miles would soon clock up to the service.

So why ride it? Well I have always loved speed and enjoy the B roads on my V-Strom 1000 but lets face it, it's not the fastest bike in the world and that's what I want to feel again before I die. I'll come back and let you know what I think 0n the 15th of this month...... If I live to tell the tail 

[crump]

Nothing wrong with test riding bikes you have no intention of riding imo....give it the beans if you can.

[MisterDavey]

I changed bikes because I love a bit of speed (too much), I do miss my ZZR.
Have to say though, I find that I'm having to pull myself forward with some effort when I give the 1050 a fistful. This has surprised me, and I'm quite fearful of pulling wheelies (I know, what a softie).
This doesn't stop me hankering after the G3 Hayabusa though.

Good luck with it Doctor, looking forward to the report, and some pic's too please.

[Rixington43]

We call them jest rides 😉🤣.
Enjoy, I'm sure it'll be a rush.

[Asmith61]

Like the others have said enjoy your test ride, I am sure it will be an Amazing experience,  looking forward to your findings and pictures 

I went for a test ride on a Suzuki B-King which was a Demonstrator but I was the first to ride it zero miles. I done 82 miles on it went back and said to the dealer I love it and I will buy it. He said I cannot sell it for at least a month as it’s our Demonstrator. My reply was I will pay for it now but don’t let anyone ride it or sit on it. So the deal was done but after 2 weeks he rang and said so many people want to test ride it and sit on it so come and get it but promise that you will not ride it for 2 more weeks 
I still have the bike it’s only done 14k Being a Hayabusa engined bike it goes like hell it just pulls and pulls. The concept B-King that was  introduced at the bike show was also supercharged but sadly they never made the supercharged model.

[The Doctor 46]

Sorry, no pictures but I test road the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX yesterday and I'm still alive. What a machine! Nothing on our Great British roads needs to accelerate so fast. The first quick blip on the throttle impressed me but the next time I had a longer stretch of clear road and found that when I opened the throttle fully and waited for the dash to flash red (yes it does that) before changing gear it was amazing. To be honest though, most big bikes like the ZX10, Yamaha Genesis and Fireblade are all like that even the old GPZ900 was like that.

Yes! I loved the acceleration and the brakes were pretty great too but the handling? I jumped off my V-Strom 1000 and onto the Kawasaki, obviously two different bikes entirely, so was used to sitting quite strait behind wide bars. The Kwaka wasn't a lay low on the tank with helmet under a small screen bike but the bars are shorter and a lot lower.

When I accelerated hard in a strait line the bike started to lift it's front wheel and shake it's head, very light front end as you might expect but on a long, strait quiet stretch of bumpy B road it was a little disconcerting, I only did that once. What I didn't like was the feeling through the bars on the quick twisty bits especially when flicking through fast S's, It felt like I was trying to turn a fast spinning gyroscope left and right with short bars, it wasn't a confidence inspiring experience and I didn't like it one little bit.

As I said at the beginning, I had just jumped off an entirely different bike so this was hugely different and I only road a loop of about 20 miles so didn't really have time to get used to the different riding style but I road the same ride except for a busy A road stretch (that didn't allow me to ride much above 70mph on the Kawasaki anyway) on my bike after the test and found that I was obviously not accelerating anywhere near as quick on my bike but was covering ground quicker by cornering a lot faster.

I can honestly say that if you could discount the over 100mph strait mountain sections of the TT race, I would be quicker on my V-Strom than the H2. I know the V-Strom isn't the best handling bike on the planet but I can confidently ride it at speed through the twisty bits even when it's skipping over potholes, though I would rather the road was smooth.

So what am I saying? My bike is more suited to UK roads than the Kawasaki but the Kawasaki would be more fun on a race track. I have got to admit that my road test was more focused on speed than anything and if I owned the Kawasaki I would ride slower most of the time and maybe enjoy it more, it's just that the acceleration is addictive.

Given the Kawasaki for a week and allowing me to get to know it better and I may totally change my mind but right now I wouldn't swap my bike for a supercharged mind blower. I had a Birthday a few days ago and felt no older the next day but stepping off that bike made me realise my age. 

Edit: I sit up and lean on my bike and know that to get the most out of the Kawasaki I would have had to be a lot more physical, move about and lean off on the corners but to be honest, one of the bike shop crew was behind me and I would have felt self conscious had I done that. 

[2112]

Nice review Doc' 

I'm suprised that Kawasaki haven't used that motor in a Versys? They'd sell shed loads of them as 'performance' adventure style bikes do sell very well in the UK.

[MisterDavey]

At least you can say you've had that ride!! I'm going to assume you don't now have one on order.

I know exactly what you're saying about handling.....
OK, it was 20 years old, but my ZZR1200 that I rode 4k on before I part exchanged it was similar, incredible acceleration, but general handling was pants, and I didn't realise this until I rode my V-Strom 1050 home from the main dealer. I couldn't believe I was corning faster on my new "sit like I'm driving a tractor" bike, than I was, even after thousands of miles, on my ZZR.
I can also confirm it was mostly down to our atrocious roads, whilst in Germany I could throw the ZZR about and had great fun, but still nothing like the v-Strom.
These Stroms have amazing steering.

[The Doctor 46]

2112 I agree 100% with what you said (I'm surprised that Kawasaki haven't used that motor in a Versys? They'd sell shed loads of them as 'performance' adventure style bikes do sell very well in the UK.)

When BMW made the XR they must have known they were onto a winner. I've had 7 BMW's and swore I would never have another but I was in a BMW showroom a couple of months ago and they had a well kitted up, very low millage XR at a fair price. The salesman offered me a test ride if I went back (I was in my car with no bike kit) and I was and am very tempted.

I think a bike like my V-Strom with a sportsbike engine would be great.......... I really should grow old gracefully 

The real truth is, I had my 69th Birthday a week ago and my body has had a hard life, it makes me feel old. When I put my balaclava on then slip my helmet on top nobody can see my age and I feel like I'm 18 again with a thirst for speed high lean angles and sometimes an adrenalin rush. The only thing that keeps me going is my motorbike.

People talk about mental health problems all the time these days, they really should ride motorbikes instead of moaning. Problem solved. I should be a real doctor and not just "The Doctor 46" 

[NeilM]

Nice review Doc.

Another vote for VStrom handling.

Last year I led a ride, from just outside Taunton, to Barnstaple and  in a big loop and back to Dunster.

The final leg was along the A396 from Tiverton. This road is a blinder, but the surface in places is very ...um, Somerset (a CC with no money). At no point did I exceed 60 mph in fact most of the time I was at 50 to 55 mph, but that was everywhere.

I wasn't trying to lose anyone, after all I was leading the group, but on sections where I knew there were no turn offs, I just pressed on. A lad on a Ducati 800 stuck with me all the way and at one point a local bloke on his Pan European tried to catch us, but couldn't. Everyone else was a few minutes behind.

Later I was accused of riding like a loon, but I was just able to 'make good progress'...everywhere.

VStrom's... you got to love em.