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So, when I say that the best engine in motorcycling right now is Kawasaki\u2019s supercharged 998 cc four, it\u2019s important. Not just because it has a supercharger. Not because it boasts a claimed 197 horsepower. Or 101 ft-lb of torque. Because it\u2019s the best motorcycle engine overall money can buy.<\/p>\n
In fact, the truly amazing thing about Kawasaki\u2019s H2 engine is it would still be one of the very best four-cylinder motorcycle engines even if it didn\u2019t have a supercharger. Yes, what I am saying is that even robbed of said forced induction \u2013 and 20 or 30 per cent of its boost in power \u2013 the H2\u2019s 76 by 55 mm inline-four would be one of the best engines in biking.<\/p>\n
It is, for example, wonderfully smooth, certainly the most vibration-free four in Kawasaki\u2019s lineup. The engine also \u201ccarburates\u201d better than most fuel-injected bike engines these days. There\u2019s no softness off idle, no spitting through throttle bodies on overrun or hypersensitivity in rapid on\/off transitions. Every motorcycle manufacturer \u2013 I\u2019m looking at you, Honda and Triumph \u2013 should get its EFI calibration so right. The H2\u2019s engine is even quiet, more frugal than you\u2019d think and, because it\u2019s a Kawasaki, it should be as robust as hell. Like I said, even without forced induction, it would be a great, great motor.<\/p>\n
Of course, the engine does have that supercharger, which takes what would be an excellent example of the breed and renders it perhaps the best engine since Ducati slapped four extra valves on its 90-degree L-twin. Even in this whimpiest guise, Kawasaki\u2019s supercharged four\u2019s 197 claimed horsepower is scary. In other guises, notably the H2R, this engine will pump out as much as 310 horses \u2013 that\u2019s more than most MotoGP bikes, by the way \u2013 the main difference among the various models being tuning specifics such as cams and exhaust plumbing. The supercharger remains 69 mm in diameter throughout the lineup \u2013 although the turbine vanes in the H2R are more aggressive \u2013 and its gearing (spin it faster and it\u2019ll pump harder) is identical for all four variants. In other words, there\u2019s not all that much separating the already stupendous from the downright silly.<\/p>\n
Impressive on the Dyno<\/strong><\/p>\n We backed up that supposition on the Riders Choice Bazzaz dyno \u2013 shoutout to Matt McBride for giving the big Kawi a thorough wringing out \u2013 and found that the supercharged Z pumps out 182 rear-wheel horsepower. Considering that\u2019s only an 8 per cent drop from Kawasaki\u2019s official crankshaft claims, either the H2 is particularly efficient or Team Green is underestimating the big Z. Even more impressive \u2013 and in complete contrast with the screaming 1,000 cc superbikes that can manage around the same rear-wheel horsepower \u2013 the Z H2 peaks, according to the dyno, at a comparatively calm 10,400 rpm. And while many motorcycles claim a \u201cflat\u201d torque curve, the Z H2 only has the slightest of humps to interrupt the linear flow of pound-feet; it almost looks like someone used a straight edge to create the Z\u2019s dyno chart.<\/p>\n But, here\u2019s the thing: there\u2019s almost assuredly a lot more fun to be had. Unlike virtually every horsepower curve that I have seen, once the Z H2 hits those 182 ponies at 10,400, it continues to make almost exactly the same amount of power for about another 800 rpm or so. (We didn\u2019t spin it up any harder because we were \u201cencouraged\u201d by Kawasaki Canada\u2019s marketing boffins to not blow it up.) Normally, of course, once an engine hits its peak, power then slowly \u2013 or abruptly \u2013 begins to taper off. One has to suspect that there\u2019s some form of artificial stifling happening. Maybe the route to further horsepower liberation is as simple as a freer-flowing exhaust (those aforementioned marketing types\u2019 contention) or it might require some form of electronic fuel injection jiggery-poo (my contention). But, whatever the solution, there would seem to be even more to the Z H2 than currently meets the dyno.<\/p>\n Easy Third-Gear Wheelies<\/strong><\/p>\n Indeed, were it not for the fact that the top end is so gawdawfully silly \u2013 those 182 rear-wheel horses I mentioned \u2013 one might label its 998 cc as torquey. Of course, then, around 6,000 rpm, the H2 begins trying to tug your shoulders out of joint like Jordan Szoke\u2019s ZX-10R on full boil. This is all made worse \u2013 or better, depending on your view \u2013 by the Z\u2019s relatively higher handlebar, which makes keeping the front wheel on the ground that much harder.<\/p>\n Popping top-of-third-gear wheelies may no longer be my thing, but for everyone who\u2019s ever wanted a bike that can mono-wheel on command just by rolling on the throttle, your bike has arrived. This is to know almost MotoGP silliness mated with supercharged grunt. Married with an almost electric ease of use, the H2 is an incredible engine \u2013 the best, as I said, in the biz.<\/p>\n The rest of the Z H2 is in keeping with its intended purpose. The frame, although outwardly similar to the H2 and the SX, is different from both; its wheelbase a little shorter; its steering a little tighter. Ditto for the suspension, which, to keep the price down, is all mechanically adjustable. In fact, there\u2019s not even a hydraulic preload adjuster, mainly because, I suspect, that no one at Kawasaki expects Z H2s to ever carry a passenger or get loaded down with luggage. This is a hoon\u2019s bike, expected to spend an inordinate amount of time mono-wheeling around on its rear Pirelli.<\/p>\n Nothing is Perfect<\/strong><\/p>\n If one presumes that the stiff rear suspender is by design and not miscalibration, then my only real complaint is that the front brakes, which lack stainless-steel lines, can be quite squishy. Not that they aren\u2019t powerful; Brembo M4.32 calipers gripping 320 mm discs generate tons of stopping power. But there\u2019s lots of lever travel to it and if, like stubby-fingered me, you like to both run the lever as far back as possible and two-finger brake, there will be some jamming of the pinky. I\u2019d make a bigger deal about it except that this is a supercharged Kawasaki for less than 20 large ($19,599 for its base paint trim; $20,199 if you opt for the tri-colour version). And by the way, the front 120\/70ZR17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso III \u2014 there\u2019s a 190\/55ZR17 version in the rear \u2014 generates plenty of traction for stoppies.<\/p>\n While I am picking nits, the seat \u2013 both rider and passenger portions \u2013 is a plank, the dashboard is a little too small and could you please, Kawasaki, put those awful, government-mandated warning stickers somewhere other than on that beautiful lime green trellis frame.<\/p>\n Other than that, the Z H2 is pretty darned good naked bike powered by the best engine in motorcycling. Indeed, I am going to end this by pointing out that I think it is the Z H2 \u2013 and not that Z900 RS thing \u2013 that is the most fitting tribute to the 1973 Z1. Yes, I know the Z900 has the orange and brown gas tank that nostalgists demand. But, New York Steak \u2013 that was the company\u2019s internal code name for the bike that forever changed Kawasaki \u2013 was all about that glorious, industry-dominating engine. The Z1 was the first true superbike, 903 hard-charging cubic centimetres of \u201cletting the good times roll.\u201d<\/p>\n I think this supercharged Z is its true spiritual heir.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A supercharger added to an already great engine in a naked bike means we have a new contender in the ring. Of course, it\u2019s the engine. It\u2019s a motorcycle; it\u2019s always the engine. Motorcycles have always been more combustion-focused than their four-wheeled counterparts. Unlike cars, motorcycle engines are (very) seldom completely covered. Even full-boat touring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1899,368,1838,1854],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/IMG_4720-300x225.jpg\")
Not that this bike needs it, of course. Indeed, for anyone not making his or her living in professional stunting, it\u2019s probably the exact opposite. For one thing, a supercharger is driven by gear or belt, so has none of the lag of a typical turbocharger. That translates into immediate throttle response. By 2,000 rpm, the Z H2\u2019s big four already feels \u201chealthy.\u201d Somewhere around 3,500 rpm, it transitions to decidedly muscular. And by five grand, it\u2019s seriously steroidal.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/IMG_9820-300x200.jpg\")
That might explain one of my few complaints: namely, that the rear suspension is overly stiff. The front 43 mm Showa SFF-BP fork, for its part, is firm \u2013 superbikishly so, perhaps, but not extreme. The rear, however, feels like the suspension designers expect its Showa Uni-Trak to carry the weight of the entire bike for extended periods of time. Any Z H2 owners willing to corroborate my mono-wheel damping theory via miles-long wheelies over bumpy roads, please write courtesy of the editor; I always love having hypotheses confirmed. I, unfortunately, am far too sensible \u2013 as in \u201ctoo old\u201d \u2013 for such antics.<\/p>\n