VOLUME 58 ISSUE 41 OCTOBER 12, 2021 P97
L
et's be clear about one
thing before proceeding:
no one needs this motor-
cycle. Kawasaki builds a per-
fectly good sport touring
machine—in fact, the
one that essentially
defined the category
in the Kawasaki Concours
14 ABS—so to say anyone
"needs" a supercharged sport-
touring machine is stretching
the truth, somewhat.
That being said, the Kawa-
saki Ninja H2 SX SE + is far and
away the most visceral machine
in the sport touring category. It
has a presence unlike anything
else, and my five months of liv-
ing with it allowed me to remove
the layers ever so slightly to
reveal a bike that is undoubtedly
mental, but one with a surpris-
ingly sensible side.
It's noteworthy to mention that
little tag that sits hanging from
the left mirror stalk. At $25,500,
the H2 SX SE + is right up there
in terms of price for a Japanese
sport-touring motorcycle and
very close to what you'll be pay-
ing when you go for something
like a BMW S 1000 XR and
throw on absolutely every little
add-on (and there are many) in
the BMW Motorrad accessory
catalog.
For that money, however,
you get everything except the
massive 28-liter side cases that
are an absolute must for any
discerning owner. That includes
supercharged power and the
associated bragging rights, IMU
electronics, smartphone con-
nectivity, traction and engine-
braking control, three power
modes, four variable modes for
the electronic suspension, LED
lighting with Cornering lights,
etc. When you take those factors
into account, the price, while still
high, isn't as eye-watering as it
seems.
The Kawasaki H2 SX SE +
represents GT-style sport
touring at its finest.
THE
CREAM
OF
THE
CROP
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER
