The Thrilling Experience of Riding the Kawasaki H2

The Kawasaki H2 is definitely not a motorcycle for a new rider. Hell, it's not a motorcycle for a lot of experienced riders. This H2 has over 300 hp with its modifications and will get you where you want to go plenty fast. I can say this machine exceeded all my expectations. If you ever ridden a Kawasaki ZX 14R and thought that was scary, this will definitely have you white knuckled. But with anything there is a cost for that performance.

Kawasaki H2 SX SE

When I found out my friend Gary Benson had one, I just had to check it out. Now I've ridden turbo charged motorcycles, but never a supercharged one. My experience with super chargers in cars was that they had a lag to them before the power kicked in. Not this H2. From idle the power was constant and powerful. The supercharged engine offered a very linear and refined torque curve that was strong across the rev range, not just at the top end.

Kawasaki H2 SX SE

• The H2 SX SE is Kawasaki’s sport-touring take on their supercharged H2 line. It blends high performance with comfort and long-distance usability.

• The “SE” version adds premium components and rider aids (suspension, braking, electronics) over the base SX model.

• It’s designed to perform well across a variety of conditions — highway cruising, twisty roads, even commuting — all while offering creature comforts.

Kawasaki H2 SX SE

Here are the spec highlights (for the SE model) you’ll want to know:

Category	Specification
Engine	998 cc supercharged inline-four; DOHC; 16 valves; liquid-cooled
Bore × Stroke	76.0 × 55.0 mm
Compression Ratio	11.2:1
Horsepower / Torque	About 197 hp (approx. with supercharger); ~101 lb -ft torque
Transmission / Final Drive
Suspension Front / Rear	Front: 43 mm inverted fork with KECS (electronic control) damping + preload adjust; Rear: Uni-Trak gas charged shock with electronic damping & preload adjust. Travel ~4.7″ front, ~5.5″ rear.
Brakes	Front: dual 320 mm semi-floating discs, Brembo Stylema™ radial-mount, 4-piston; Rear: single 250 mm disc, 2-piston caliper. ABS with “KIBS” (Kawasaki Intelligent Braking System).
Tires	Front: 120/70-ZR17; Rear: 190/55-ZR17
Seat Height	~32.9 in (≈ 835 mm)
Ground Clearance	~5.1 in; Wheelbase ~58.3 in
Curb Weight	About 590.9 lb (≈ 268 kg)
Fuel Capacity	~5.0 gallons (≈ 19.0 liters)
Rake / Trail	~24.7° rake / 4.1 in trail

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