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2021 Kawasaki Z H2 SE


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Is the 2021 Kawasaki Z H2 SE an unruly beast? Only when you want it to be.
Is the 2021 Kawasaki Z H2 SE an unruly beast? Only when you want it to be. (Jeff Allen/)

“Dude,” said Michael Gilbert, Cycle World’s road test editor. “This thing is a beast! Do your best to avoid complications with... The Law.”

That was my warning upon taking delivery of the 2021 Kawasaki supercharged Z H2 SE. I’d spent many years testing at CW, racing top superbikes and World Endurance machines, and helping to develop many streetbikes for Honda including the RC211V, so naturally I thought  it couldn’t be that good.

Kawasaki’s Z H2 SE gets Showa Skyhook electronic suspension and Brembo Stylema calipers for $2,200 more than the standard model.
Kawasaki’s Z H2 SE gets Showa Skyhook electronic suspension and Brembo Stylema calipers for $2,200 more than the standard model. (Jeff Allen/)

Arriving at the CW offices, I climbed aboard the H2 and grasped the handlebars for what we used to call the Showroom Test. There’s a comfortable reach to the handlebars, and it’s easy for me to touch my feet to the ground with my 31-inch inseam. I was getting a little more excited…even when I rolled all 533 CW-scale-certified pounds of H2 SE out of the garage, its heaviness naturally making me think it was going to be a handful in the twisties. Of course, before I could leave for the good roads, Executive Editor Justin Dawes chimed in to describe his own brief experience aboard the Beast and warn me to be careful about the power—specifically when on the rear wheel.

I was, frankly, getting a little concerned about how much of a brute this Beast really is. What had I gotten myself into?

Thumbing the engine to life, I immediately noticed the deep growl coming from the H2′s left side, where a fairing-mounted intake directs cool air into a 110,000-rpm supercharger. I cautiously worked my way out of the parking lot to the freeway. The power of this bike is, honestly, very subtle and smooth. But once I had some open space in front of me, I got a small taste of that power’s ungodly wrath as the H2 yanked my arms forward with diabolical acceleration on the way to a much higher speed than I should have been doing.

The supercharger on the Z H2 spins at 110,000 rpm at full boost.
The supercharger on the Z H2 spins at 110,000 rpm at full boost. (Jeff Allen/)

Maybe Michael and Justin were on to something. But this bike’s not all brains and no brawn. This is a pretty cool bike that features many sophisticated rider aids along with behind-the-scenes electronics. There’s a semi-active Kawasaki Electronic Control Suspension (KECS) system monitored by an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)-enhanced electronics package, which joins Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC), Launch Mode (KLCM), and the Intelligent antilock Brake System (KIBS) as the inputs for Kawasaki Cornering Management Function (KCMF). This family of systems incorporates multiple engine and chassis sensors to help facilitate smooth cornering and help keep the rider out of trouble.

Sound like pretty trick stuff? It is. From a rider adjustment side and as with many top-level premium models, practically everything on the H2, aside from having manual front and rear spring preload adjustment, is electronically controlled and adjustable via the handlebar-mounted controls; the relevant sequences and windows are shown on a well-laid-out 4.3-inch TFT color meter display. And while it all sounds like a lot, the whole process ended up being pretty simple after I spent some time reading the owner’s manual and practicing.

There is a lot of info communicated through the Z H2 SE’s dash.
There is a lot of info communicated through the Z H2 SE’s dash. (Jeff Allen/)

With all buttons, screens, and functions sussed out, I was off to my old endurance training roads in the mountains. Programming a softer suspension setting for a 40-mile freeway ride was simple. The H2 has three preprogrammed ride modes, Sport, Road, and Rain; like most modern ride modes, these have presets for power, traction control, and suspension to appropriately match conditions. The H2 also features three different programmable “Rider” settings, for which Hard, Normal, and Soft suspension settings are determined by the rider. Power levels and traction control can also be changed in Rider mode, which is convenient as it allows, say, a fast-ride suspension setting (Hard), around town/passenger setting (Normal), and a freeway setting (Soft) that can be changed in seconds without tools or even getting off the bike. You just have to be at a full stop. I’m starting to think technology is a good thing.

Your left thumb will get a workout while setting up the Z H2’s suspension, modes, and cruise control.
Your left thumb will get a workout while setting up the Z H2’s suspension, modes, and cruise control. (Jeff Allen/)

Once I pushed all the correct buttons to adjust the front and rear damping to full soft on the 43mm Showa Skyhook EERA (Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment) fork and shock, I was off on a cushy freeway jaunt. The H2 provides a rock-solid ride in a straight line with softer damping, but it’s pretty bouncy in the rear and wallows around on the sweeping, bumpy interchanges, even at legal speeds. It wasn’t long before I added some damping back in the shock. But while on the straight freeway I finally had an opportunity to see what the H2 has in the engine department.

What it has is truly amazing. The H2 easily lofts the front wheel in third gear with a little provocation, but make absolutely sure there’s nothing in front of you. The H2 catapults a rider into warp speed almost instantly—and then it keeps accelerating very, very quickly. On the CW Dynojet dyno this bike cranked out 167.2 hp at only 10,580 rpm and 87.6 pound-feet of torque at a 8,560-rpm peak. To say it “peaks” may actually be a bit misleading; the H2 has an almost electric torque feel starting from 2,000 rpm and basically adds 20 hp with every 1,000 rpm. Resisting any further speed temptation, if you really want to, is quite simple. Just set the cruise control with the push of two buttons.

At the base of the mountains, I quickly and easily changed to my Rider Hard setting and got to work on suspension settings to see how the Beast handles those 533 pounds. There are four traction control levels: Off, plus 1, 2, and 3. Maximum TC is more suited for rain and slippery surfaces and feels similar to Rain mode. At this level the bike won’t lift the front wheel; once a difference between front and rear wheel speeds is detected, it instantly turns down the power. The TC is very seamless, merely feeling like a weak engine. Settings 1 and 2 are less intrusive; it’s still relatively easy to activate the TC but it’s pretty transparent. I still preferred TC to be off, even with worn-out tires.

On the <i>Cycle World</i> dyno the 2021 Z H2 SE put out 167.2 hp to its 190 rear tire.
On the <i>Cycle World</i> dyno the 2021 Z H2 SE put out 167.2 hp to its 190 rear tire. (Robert Martin Jr./)

In the end, my final suspension settings for a 5-foot-10, 165-pound rider on winding mountain roads were shock preload at plus 1.25 turns more preload, with compression and rebound damping maxxed out; the fork settled in at minus two turns of preload from stock, with compression at minus two and rebound at plus one. I would’ve liked to have increased shock preload to further improve steering and control rear bump absorption but, the lack of available rebound damping was the limiting factor here. I also lowered the tire pressures from the manufacturer’s recommendation of 36/42 psi front/rear to 30/30 psi; these lower tire pressures provided a more subtle ride along with a bigger contact patch and, since I wasn’t going warp speed, I didn’t need the added tire stiffness the higher pressures provide.

With the ability to change the suspension settings to your liking, you can get the Z H2 to behave well in the mountains as well as on freeway hard slab.
With the ability to change the suspension settings to your liking, you can get the Z H2 to behave well in the mountains as well as on freeway hard slab. (Jeff Allen/)

With TC handled, power set to Full, and suspension settings dialed in, the fun factor increased exponentially. The engine has so much usable torque and bottom/midrange power after 3,000 rpm that I found myself using third gear in slower, 35–40 mph uphill corners and forcefully driving out, painting black stripes with the rear tire. The ultraslick Kawasaki Quick Shifter (KQS) and the dog-ring transmission made it easy to  short-shift quickly through the six-speed gearbox. No more time lag of pulling in the clutch and/or backing off the throttle to upshift; just keep the throttle pinned and click through the gears for a sweet sound as the H2 smoothly catapults you forward without ever upsetting the chassis. Downshifting with the KQS with assist and slipper clutch is usually ultrasmooth while sporty riding on the mountain, though when going easy around town the smooth downshifting seems a bit inconsistent at times.

A 998cc DOHC inline-four force-fed by a centrifugal supercharger powers the Z H2.
A 998cc DOHC inline-four force-fed by a centrifugal supercharger powers the Z H2. (Jeff Allen/)

Another interesting and helpful H2 feature is the pair of lean angle meters on the dash. One of them is a real-time bar graph for you to view while you’re riding, though I think I’d prefer to watch where I’m going. There’s also a max lean angle feature that, in addition to feel, I used to help confirm my chassis setup was going in the right direction. When I started, I achieved 53/54-degree left/right lean. As I continued to get the H2 dialed in with tire pressures, preload, and suspension damping, my max lean angle increased with my best suspension to 56/58 degrees. One needs to also consider there are positive camber turns that allow more lean, which would also explain the difference from left to right lean angle. Still the lean angle meter is a fun and helpful little tool. As with many other electronics-laden machines on the market, the H2 also displays real-time and average fuel consumption, remaining miles, a clock counter, real-time boost and temperature, ambient and coolant temperature, clock, and a whole raft of other helpful information.

But the biggest requirement for getting the H2 to run consistent 9-second dragstrip times is launch control. Without this feature activated, the front wheel is impossible to keep on the ground when full throttle is applied in the first few gears. There’s no way a rider could get the H2 down the dragstrip quicker without launch control; the electronics are simply far better and quicker than the human wrist when it comes to controlling front wheel lift.

Overall, the ergonomics are comfortable but the passenger seat is a bit too close to the rider.
Overall, the ergonomics are comfortable but the passenger seat is a bit too close to the rider. (Jeff Allen/)

As much of a rocket ship as the H2 is, it’s very docile and easy to ride around town, even with a passenger. Aside from the off-idle delay, the H2 has high drivability and is extremely smooth with no dips in power from idle to redline. Vibration is surprisingly low despite a high-rpm blower, seat comfort is surprisingly high even after many 200-mile days, and seat-to-footpeg distance is good and generous; I never touched a footpeg (or anything else) to the ground. The rider triangle is pretty comfortable and well proportioned; the only noticeable quibble was that the passenger seat seemed a little close for my 5-foot-10 frame at times.

During those 200-mile ride days, my fuel consumption averaged 40–45 mpg on the freeway at legalish speeds and 28–30 mpg in the mountains while keeping the revs in the 3,000-to-7,000 range. The reason I specifically say “legalish” speeds and rpm is because, no surprise here, the H2 can devour gasoline at an alarming rate if you spend a lot of time deep in boost. I once saw 7—that’s seven—mpg.

Fuel economy will suffer if you give into the urge to spend most of your time feeling the Z H2's considerable surge of power on boost.
Fuel economy will suffer if you give into the urge to spend most of your time feeling the Z H2's considerable surge of power on boost. (Jeff Allen/)

Bringing all this momentum and mass to an easy, well-controlled stop are Brembo Stylema Monoblock brake calipers up front, working through a Brembo master cylinder and connected via steel-braided lines. Aside from being smaller and lighter than previous Brembo calipers, the Stylemas have more airflow around the brake pads and pistons to help keep things cooler. The heart of the upgraded braking scheme is the ABS and KIBS systems. When combined, they provide strong, smooth, and consistent stopping power and feel to both ends, with the rear ABS activating often over the bumps to the point where the rider can feel the pulses through the pedal. The front brake is very strong with good feel to the point of ABS intervention, at which point the rider loses some feel but no stopping power, unless the ABS fully takes over to avoid what it determines to be impending wheel lockup.

A bit more on the speed and sophistication the H2′s systems: The Showa suspension has built-in stroke sensors on both the fork and shock; these provide real-time stroke speed and position information. Sensors send that information to the KECS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) every 0.001 second, where the info is complemented by other information provided by the IMU (rate of acceleration/deceleration), the fuel injection ECU (front/rear wheel speed), and the ABS ECU (front brake caliper pressure). The KECS ECU then adjusts suspension damping as required by the situation. Pretty amazing indeed, and another reason why and how the H2 works well in so many situations.

Thanks to its Skyhook suspension the Kawasaki Z H2 SE works in many situations.
Thanks to its Skyhook suspension the Kawasaki Z H2 SE works in many situations. (Jeff Allen/)

Good as it is, it’s not quite perfect. Better off/on throttle response and a bit more rebound damping in the shock would help elevate the H2′s fun factor. The throttle has a bit of hesitation at the initial opening from fully closed, creating a small delay; it’s not too disrupting, and doesn’t upset the chassis, but it is noticeable. Smaller change points would be to angle the footpeg kick plates in a bit so the rider could pivot their feet on the footpegs, which would also give the bike a narrower feel. The frame between the rider’s legs is a bit wide, but based on the engine design and architecture, there’s only so much the designers can do. It’s a small price to pay for the H2′s incredible performance and stable handling.

It does have a wild side, but the Z H2 SE  also can be tame as you need it to be.
It does have a wild side, but the Z H2 SE also can be tame as you need it to be. (Jeff Allen/)

Overall, the 2021 Z H2 SE is an amazingly fun machine. The supercharged 998cc engine and familiar trellis frame have been produced since 2015 in various models, including the track-only—and insanely fast—Ninja H2 R, the more comfort-based Ninja H2 SX SE+, and other models with engine and chassis tuning specific for each segment; it’s a well-proven engine/frame combo. In short, this is an amazing street beast with a significant wild side, but like all beasts, it has a softer, gentler side too. Just do your best to avoid complications with The Law.

2021 Kawasaki Z H2 SE Specifications

MSRP: $19,700
Engine: DOHC, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke 4-cylinder; 16 valves, supercharged
Displacement: 998cc
Bore x Stroke: 76.0 x 55.0mm
Compression Ratio: 11.2:1
Transmission/Final Drive: 6-speed/chain
Cycle World Measured Horsepower: 167.2 hp @ 10,580 rpm
Cycle World Measured Torque: 87.6 lb.-ft. @ 8,560 rpm
Fuel System: DFI w/ 40mm throttle bodies
Clutch: Wet, multiplate slipper/assist
Engine Management/Ignition: TCBI w/ Digital Advance
Frame: Tubular steel
Front Suspension: 43mm Showa SFF-BP; KECS compression and rebound damping, spring preload adjustable; 4.7 in. travel
Rear Suspension: Showa shock; KECS compression and rebound damping, spring preload adjustable; 5.3 in. travel
Front Brake: Radial-mount Brembo Stylema Monoblock calipers, dual 320mm discs w/ KIBS
Rear Brake: 1-piston caliper, 260mm disc w/ KIBS
Tires, Front/Rear: 120/70-17 / 190/55-17
Rake/Trail: 24.9°/4.1 in.
Wheelbase: 57.3 in.
Ground Clearance: 5.5 in.
Seat Height: 32.7 in.
Fuel Capacity: 5.0 gal.
Cycle World Measured Wet Weight: 533 lb.
Availability: Now
Contact: kawasaki.com

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