VOLUME 58 ISSUE 20 MAY 18, 2021 P99
This has somewhat been put right by
the big K with the release of the 2021
edition of the Z H2 SE. You've essen-
tially got the same bike underneath
you as last year, except for the fitment
of the Kawasaki Electronic Control
Suspension (KECS) system that teams
with Showa and their Skyhook EERA
(Electronically Equipped Ride Adjust-
ment) Technology to transform the most
mental naked bike on the road today
into a partner you can actually live with.
You get four modes with the KECS
to modulate the 43mm Showa SFF-
CA fork and BFRC Lite shock (Sport,
Road, Rain, and a programable Rider
mode), which takes information fed by
front and rear stroke sensors every mil-
lisecond, as well as taking information
from the IMU (bike acceleration/decel-
eration), the FI ECU (front/rear wheel
speed) and the ABS ECU (front brake
caliper pressure) every 10 milliseconds
to adjust damping to suit the current
condition. In Rain mode, the system
maintains the chassis balance by taking
into account vertical acceleration and
pitch rate (each confirmed every 10
milliseconds) to determine the damping
force required.
The result at the bars of all this elec-
tronic trickery is a far more enjoyable
ride than it was before. Forget the fact
you have a claimed 101 lb-ft of torque at
your disposal that comes on like a fire-
work (more on that in a minute), the Z
you as last year, except for the fitment
(Below) The mass
at the front of the
machine around the
headlight area makes
for a slightly top-
heavy feel.
