Ninja H2 SX test: sporty road bike, in green and against everything !
Kawasaki has no shortage of air: three years after the launch of its Ninja H2 / R, Akashi’s firm is releasing a new supercharged motorcycle! Equipped with the second generation of 1000 cc 4-cylinder compressor, the Ninja H2 SX has just been tested by Site… Test.
Ninja H2 SX test page 3 – Hypersportive highway
The handlebars of the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX are wide and flat, its saddle is low enough, thin and padded at the front, the tank is sufficiently flared not to spread the thighs excessively but its large upper part gives the rider the exciting impression of riding. a big motorcycle…
The driving position of this Sport Tourer is a fine mix between sport and comfort: lean less forward than on the ZZR1400 – even less than on the Ninja H2 therefore -, the pilot is not as straight as on the streamlined roadster Z1000SX . GT sports fans will love it !
The two adjustable levers will effectively accommodate large and small hands, MNC has experienced this. The tapered mirrors are quickly adjusted and provide good visibility. Also good: they can be folded down without losing their precious adjustment.
From his cockpit, the driver can see braided hoses descend towards their calipers: good! But he also sees many other cables and pipes which overload the handlebars and the fork, connections and terminals hardly camouflaged: not good !
When starting the engine of the Ninja H2 SX, we find the intimidating and typical growl of Akashi’s 4-cylinder engine. In slow motion, a resonance amplifies the bass, but the tone slides towards the mids as soon as the throttle is opened. The softness of the 4-legged is almost surprising…
The right handle allows precise control of the opening of the butterflies. The pilot always knows where he is and gets what he wants each time: the electronic throttle management is pleasantly transparent! The left control is a little more noticeable: the clutch is a bit hard in the long run, despite the assisted clutch.
This small defect is however overshadowed by the quickshifter which allows you to shift gears without activating the clutch lever! On the way up, the system hiccups too much below 3000 rpm, but it is convincing beyond, whether in town, on the road or on the track.
A "Super Charged" engine, super docile
Lowering gears is very well managed, whatever the speed. Low in the turns, the reports are returned without forcing: the pilot only takes care of his braking. In mid or high revs, when the throttle grip is completely off, the bike adds the right throttle to facilitate downshifting. Magical.
The main asset of the Ninja H2 SX is thus perfectly highlighted: the pilot takes full advantage of its engine, its solid pickups from low revs, its lightning accelerations in the middle of the speedometer and its hallucinating reach up to the Red zone !
Compared to the "short" Ninja H2 that Site had tested in 2016 (reread our!), The SX seemed both less bestial and explosive, more civilized and linear, but still as phenomenal and exhilarating..
This Ninja H2 SX extends her arms, but doesn’t pull them out like the savage Ninja H2. With no other landmarks other than cars or vans as "parked" in the middle of expressways, MNC observes that the tachometer and speed get carried away awfully fast – sadly in the case of radar…
The new generation of "Made in Akashi" compressed engine tows harshly from 4000 rpm in the first three gears. On the following three speeds, it is at 6000 rpm that the contribution of the small turbine is felt: the Ninja H2 SX catapults its pilot without running out of steam until the needle points towards 12,000 rpm…
On slippery roads – like the one curiously chosen by Kawasaki to take our picture! -, the electronic traction control is therefore used so that the rear wheel does not pass in front of its front friend, which would not only be messy, but also potentially very badly…
The front wheel, meanwhile, never stray too far from the ground thanks to the anti-wheelie function of the traction control. When the KTRC is set to 1 (minimum), the front tire touches the ground on the first two gears … The front axle then loses its steering function: watch out for deviations !
By setting the traction-control to 3 (maximum), the pilot retains full control of his trajectories without his engine being grossly cut off in his tracks, or even seeming unnecessarily restricted! The ultra fine intervention of the electronics is visible (indicator on the dashboard), sometimes audible, but rarely sensitive … and never bothersome.
Perfectly docile and aided by advanced electronics, the engine ultimately does not need its three Full, Middle or Low modes which respectively deliver 100, 75 or 50% of maximum power. Out of curiosity, Site briefly chained them: we have the feeling of passing successively from a Ninja H2 SX to a Z1000SX and a Z750 … Not very conclusive.
More lively, the sound of big 4-cylinders furious, even enraged in the towers, is doubled by a discreet noise of turbine. But the most heady is undoubtedly the joyful hoot of the compressor when the gas is cut, above 6000 rpm. A feast for the ears !
For "motorways" with unlimited speeds
When the engine purrs at 4,000 rpm – you can barely hear it – and sixth gear is engaged, the Ninja slices through the air at 100 km / h. In theory, therefore, the top speed of this hypersportive road is exactly 300 km / h. Careful and respectful of the highway code – in Portugal as in France! -, MNC did not try to block the speedometer on the motorway.
By crossing the two magnificent bridges of the Portuguese capital, the Journal moto du Net, on the other hand, was able to appreciate the exemplary stability of "its" machine equipped with suitcases. Note that the left was completely empty and the right lightly loaded. With a total capacity of 56 liters, they allow two people to go on a weekend trip.
The strong side gusts never unbalanced or disunited the Ninja: "high speed tests were conducted on German highways", underlines Kawasaki. And not for nothing! With such a tool, we dream of a "motorway" without speed limit…
Thanks to the cruise control, it will be very easy to maintain a cruising speed (140 km / h "counter" on the French motorway, for example, we are close to depression …) without ever exceeding it (we avoid repression, even the prison) ! You can then change it (110 km / h on a dangerous portion, or 240 on "Autobahn"!) With a simple boost thanks to the two complementary keys.
The comfort on board this sports derivative is quite remarkable on expressways: we do not feel any unpleasant vibrations! The internal secondary shaft on the one hand, the gums and weights on the footrests on the other, spare the feet well. The only crackling is felt by sticking the heels to their plate, or by placing the fingertips on the levers..
The screen (high version standard on the SE for the record) can completely isolate the head from the eddies, provided the bust is brought closer to the tank. The latter can even be used as a support over very long distances. The risks of drowsiness are reduced by the small blows that the wind places on the upper arms.
Heavy rollers would no doubt have liked the screen to have small fins, like the one on the SX, to better release the air above the shoulders. But the studies carried out in a wind tunnel by Kawasaki engineers have led to this simple and rounded shape, which perfectly withstands the very high speeds potentially reached by the motorcycle..
The heated grips were useful when we first made contact: in the morning, the dashboard thermometer dropped to 8 ° C. With its mid-season gloves, Site endured this adjustable heating in three positions by pressing, one, two or three times the small button. The handling of the latter should be checked with winter gloves.
The saddle, wide in its rear part, offers a large contact surface with the rider’s buttocks. Its depth allows you to vary the position when fatigue is felt: but this happens a little too quickly due to the lack of thickness at the back. The Tourer pack could have included a comfort saddle.
Perfectly stable on the highway, the Ninja H2 SX is pleasantly manoeuvrable on the secondary network. At very low speed, the front end of the motorcycle engages, but this phenomenon is quickly integrated by the rider who never finds the steering too heavy or resistant..
Road to paradise? Track to the stars ?
Driving this (hyper) sporty (car) road in the winding turns out to be much easier than it seems. This supercharged 1000 cc also seems more agile than the ZZR1400, which nevertheless weighs "only" 13 kg more. With the Ninja, it is more obvious to correct a trajectory: the upper body, in particular, is less stressed..
Also in the middle of a curve, interventions on the front brake do not freeze the motorcycle. We can grab the lever with all the more conviction that the electronics ensure that the pressure is not exaggerated given the angle of the motorcycle! When the grip is lacking, the brakes are released slightly, thus removing the risk of losing the front.
On clean roads and keeping the bike straight, the rider can apply strong braking. The discs aren’t bitten by one-piece Brembo’s like the Ninja H2 or ZX-10R, but that doesn’t matter: Kawasaki branded calipers do a hell of a job. !
The front brake is as powerful and adjustable as the engine, which is saying a lot! The rear brake is unfortunately much less convincing: its hard pedal and its passable efficiency make it almost superfluous. It is not very convenient for those who like to play in the curves.
Side suspensions, the Ninja H2 SX chooses an extremely judicious easy solution: to keep the fork of the Ninja H2 "quite short" and the Kayaba shock absorber of the 2015 and 2016 models (an Ohlins TTX36 has been fitted to the sports car as standard since last year). ).
Thus, the motorcycle ensures exemplary road holding, while remarkably sparing the wrists and the back of its rider. On the very rough roads that Kawa did not hesitate to include in our test program, the sport / rigor compromise of the H2 SX totally seduced the Journal moto du Net !
It was only on the crisp tarmac of the Estoril circuit that the limits of the Ninja H2 SX began to emerge. In these conditions – no cyclist to overtake or tractor to bypass, no radar to flush out or retarder to climb! -, the pilot perceives above all the weight of the machine, 50 kg greater than that of the triple world champion Superbike…
In the slaloms set up on two stretches of the Portuguese circuit (maneuverability workshop for children!), Successively swinging the machine from one side to the other requires a lot of application, a lot of synchronization and a little involvement. A Z1000SX, with its higher handlebars and more upright position, would have made it easier for the pilot on this kind of exercise.
At the exit of the curve, the Bridgestone S21, which had until then fulfilled its role perfectly, ends up letting go: on the big raises in second, the electronics must intervene extensively in order to avoid the gliding starts that the pilot – MNC! – would probably have difficulty controlling alone, and in order to eliminate any risk of highside.
Sufficient on the road – our on-board computer recorded an involuntary 44 ° angle taken to the right during a dirty loss of grip – the ground clearance becomes limited on the circuit: by tilting the motorcycle beyond 50 ° , MNC felt the footrests lick the asphalt. This Ninja is no tracker !
Acceleration test and V-almost-max
On the acceleration workshop, the KLCM takes on its full meaning: the pilot who opens the throttle wide sees his tachometer needle oscillate automatically around 6,000 rpm. All he has to do is manage the clutch lever to set off as quickly as possible….
During his first attempt, MNC, a timid strand, starts relatively slowly but can then apply himself to maximizing his speeds. On the first three gears, the power is slightly reduced by the electronic chips so that the front wheel does not fly over the runway – take off! – only a few centimeters at most.
A nice gust of wind tries to heckle the bike as it passes the large grandstand building in front of the pits. In vain: the H2 SX remains on its axis, imperturbable. MNC, his eyes riveted on the meter, licks the lever late and has to pull it more firmly because the first corner of the Portuguese layout arrives faster than expected !
The wide and flat handlebars are then particularly useful for controlling the beast on this very heavy braking in the middle of a descent: the rear axle of the Ninja H2 SX may sweep the track, the hold the pilot has on the handlebars and on the tank keeps you in control. Phew !
On the second try, Site releases the clutch earlier and more quickly: the KTRC in mode 1 allows the bike to make a nice rear wheel! Instinctively, MNC who no longer sees that the sky momentarily releases the throttle to get back on its feet. What would have happened by remaining united? We dare not think about it…
Site also had the opportunity to make a few passages launched in the straight line of just a kilometer but controlled by a curve which negotiates around 130 km / h (as on the highway) knee on the ground (!) . Maximum speed reached in a handful of seconds: 291 km / h counter !
By offering this new Ninja H2 SX SE, French bikers are sure to "boost their journey". As for finishing it, however, it is not won … Of course, the electronics effectively watch over the pilot – his passenger and his luggage – and the cycle part allows you to take full advantage of the fabulous engine.
But the autonomy remains to be validated during a full MNC test: the instantaneous consumption peaks displayed by the ultra-complete dashboard seriously question the figures announced by the manufacturer (less than 6 l / 100 km).
Above all, performance and temperament – less wild than the H2 of course, but all the same! – on this hypersportive road there is a risk that radar flashes will crackle, whether on the road where we will soon no longer be able to exceed 80 km / h, or on the highway where we unfortunately cannot cruiser at 180 km / h h … Say Mr Kawasaki, to boost the number of points on his license, how do we do ?!
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