2020 KAWAS AKI Z H2
R I D E R E V I E W
P80
KAWASAKI DROPS SOME CLOTHES AND
SHOWS OFF THEIR SUPERCHARGER.
BY ABHI ESWARAPPA
SUPERCHARGED.
SUPERNAKED.
"W
e don't make lawnmowers,
and we're not very good at
pianos. What we excel at is
engineering." Martin Lambert is Kawasaki
Europe's PR Manager, and he's not minc-
ing words as throws some shade at Honda
and Yamaha. Now, those companies make
some mighty fine motorcycles, but Kawa-
saki's got something that no one else has
chosen to match: a supercharger.
Kawasaki brought Cycle News and
four other US publications to Las Vegas
Motor Speedway to show off the newest
member of their supercharged H2 family—
not because they expect many people to
track these bikes, they just want to save
all of us from getting thrown in jail.
LVMS is right next to Nellis Air Force
Base, so we're getting buzzed by an
assortment of fighter planes and cargo
jets. Normally I'd be staring up at the
sky, mouth agape, but right now my at-
tention is focused straight ahead as the
digital speedometer on my Kawasaki Z
H2 surges past 150 mph.
The supercharged 998cc inline four
engine is producing 197 horsepower
at 10,500 rpm and the shift light starts
flashing in my peripheral vision so I flick
the quickshifter up into sixth. The speed
keeps climbing as I briefly see 165 be-
fore I run out of straightaway. Jesus, this
thing is fast. And with no wind protec-
tion, it's very visceral, too.
