Z H2 test: Kawasaki’s super-inflated maxiroadster
New boss among Kawasaki roadsters in 2020, the Z H2 intends above all to dominate the competition’s maxiroadsters … Site was able to test its supercharged engine, its cycle part and its electronics in Las Vegas (Nevada, USA) on circuit, on oval (!) then on road. Test.
Z H2 test page 2: The maxiroadster enters the track (s)
Our test begins with a morning on the road circuit of Las Vegas Motor Speedway: a strip of gray and rather smooth asphalt stretches over 3.8 km and draws about twenty very varied curves. The main straight, in front of the pits, is barely 500m. Perfect for testing a roadster, so…
The reconnaissance lap behind the Kawasaki opener is an opportunity or never to test the "Rain" driving mode. In this configuration, the engine is restricted to 50% of its power (Low engine mode) and the vigilance of the assistance is increased. The traction control (automatically set to 1) intervenes early, while the grip is not bad.
The Z H2 is surprisingly easy: the flexibility of the engine, the smoothness of the controls (two adjustable levers), the lightness of the steering, the agile front axle … Everything coincides so that the first turns of the wheels are executed. obvious way.
But by engaging the Road mode (200 hp, KTRC on 2), the big beast wakes up … Site notes in passing that the controls on the handlebars are well designed: a long press on the "mode" buttons changes the driving mode , a short press scrolls through trips and other information.
Under 6000 rev / min, the 4-cylinder delivers strong acceleration on the first three reports. On the next three, it is in the second half of the tachometer (digital color) that the 1000 cc is fully expressed: the "boost" value, limited until then to around 110%, gradually increases….
From 7000 rpm and up to the red zone placed 5000 revolutions higher, the engine which is more and more force-fed by its compressor tows more and more ferociously, without ever running out of steam. The times are daunting: at the bottom of six on the slight bump of the straight downhill, one push is enough to make the front wheel take off !
Extremely angry in the towers, the Kawa maxiroadster will greatly appeal to the most sporty and seasoned bikers. But beware, it could well flank the kit to other less experienced, as the accelerations are stupid. Getting started on a closed circuit is ultimately a great idea.
In "Sport" mode where the traction control is the most permissive (level 1), the motorcycle goes wheeling in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear, just by wringing out the handle! With its surprising agility, this is a happy consequence of the reduced wheelbase of 2.5 cm and the shorter gear ratio compared to the Ninja H2 SX !
The Z H2 pushes very, very hard…
When accelerating, therefore, it is better to grip firmly to the handlebars and glue the pelvis to the tank in order to load as much as possible a front axle which spends its time relieving itself … In the stretches, the actions on the steering must d ‘elsewhere to be measured, because the steering is very light, bordering on nervous.
If his mobility around the large tank is good, the pilot has an interest in moving carefully because the Kawasaki moderately appreciates sudden movements. Especially when exiting a curve, it is preferable to straighten the motorcycle before returning to the saddle, otherwise it risks moving until the next turn….
Obvious to enter on a curve, the Z H2 is then a little more difficult to hold: a cut or go-around that is too dry interferes with the trajectory, as does releasing it or resuming the brakes. This maxiroadster clearly does not have the rigor of a Superbike, nor that of a maxisportive maxiroadster. But who asks him, exactly ?
The Z H2 plays on an offbeat register: that of a sensational machine that you have to get to know to master it. The pilot must understand his instructions for use: he must anticipate his actions and control his movements, rather than delay everything and try to improvise. Paradoxically therefore, you have to drive smoothly to go fast !
Other bikes are much more efficient on the racetrack, but they often cause quite a bit of frustration: their rider may indeed have the unpleasant feeling that he is barely touching the phenomenal potential of their mount. This is not the case on the Z H2, which MNC takes great pleasure in jostling !
Under braking, the full 239 kg made of the big roadster are felt. This is still 27 kg more than the Z900 … "This is mainly due to the supercharging device, but it compensates with its performance", explains Koji Ito, responsible for the Z H2 project and a big fan of ZRX1200.
MNC also calculates that the roadster weighs a kilogram more than the Ninja H2. While it is devoid of fairing? Yes, but its rear buckle is made of steel, reinforced to accommodate a passenger. And the exhaust line ready to meet the Euro5 standard – all that would be missing is the administration buffer – is also heavier..
By trying to set the brakes harder and later than necessary, Site feels the KIBS take control: in Road mode, the device slightly lightens the pressure on the front so that the rear wheel does not lose contact with the ground and don’t sweep the track.
Another phenomenon that is not due to the pilot: each deceleration in the turns is accompanied by the distinctive hiss of the compressor. Intriguing at first, then charming and even exciting, this little noise could get drunk in the long run. At the end of the day, some journalists had had enough. Not MNC !
… she brakes well and moves a lot
In Sport mode, the ABS intervenes later but remains active: supermotard enthusiasts will therefore not be able to have fun – trying to – slip into the bends. Is it serious, Doctor? Not at all, because the Z H2 does not try to shine in Prestige S1.
Likewise, the fact that the right lever gets tired at the very end of a session, ie after twenty minutes of very, very intense use, should not worry potential buyers. Le Journal moto du Net assures them that the front brake responds with precision to the demands and can slow down the "Big Zed" very effectively..
On the four heavy braking on our circuit, the fork is put to the test but survives as best it can. To fine-tune the curve entries, the brake release must not be too brutal otherwise the handlebars go up a little quickly and the balance of the machine is disturbed..
The shock absorber is slightly less convincing because it crashes a little too generously on the go-around then gives movement to the bike while passing over the rare bumps of the layout. Again, the super vigorous character of the engine makes driving interesting and enjoyable. You have to know how to tame the beast !
The low temperatures in the morning (around 7 °) highlighted the pneumatic shoe: the Diablo Rosso 3 already adhere sufficiently to allow MNC to tilt his motorcycle at 51 ° on both sides, without scraping the footrests … and without being too hot !
“The profile of these tires is both higher and wider than that used for Sport Touring,” explains the Pirelli USA manager present at this launch, “and the tread patterns are similar to the Supercorsa sports tires used in competition (World Supersport in particular, Editor’s note) ".
The 190mm rear tire is heavily loaded by the mechanics but manages without difficulty to pass all the power to the ground when the bike is upright or slightly leaned. When the angle grip is more pronounced, the grip may be missing, but the KTRC takes care of our safety…
Unlike ABS, traction control can be turned off. However, MNC did not try to disconnect this piloting aid: the traction control perfectly and finely regulates the arrival of the horses, avoiding any untimely kick of the Z and any disastrous catapulting of the pilot..
Formerly criticized by journalists and bikers for its too marked reactions, the traction control goes almost unnoticed on the Z H2. Its intervention is more sensitive to sound (slower and slightly jerky revving) and to sight (orange indicator on the screen) than to "touch" (saddle or handlebars).
Before leaving the enclosure of the road circuit to join the speed ring, Site takes a look at its average consumption: 13.7 l / 100km for the first session, 14.4 for the second and 14.7 on the third … At this rate, the tank is emptied after 130-140 km, only.
At 265 km / h, compressed on a Nascar oval
Driving on Las Vegas Motor Speedway is an unusual exercise. It is as unprecedented as it is impressive for the Journal moto du Net which has however already ridden several times on the ring of Nardo (Italy), in particular in the company of the ZZR1400.
2.4 km long, the American tri-oval consists of an almost straight line and a perfectly straight opposite line inclined between 9 and 12 °, and two turns raised at 20 ° … which look like two colossal waves of asphalt on which MNC and "his" Z H2 are supposed to surf at more than 200 km / h !
Usually traveled all at once by cars with a 5.9-liter V8 engine developing more than 700 hp and as many Nm for a weight of 1.5 tonnes, the ring welcomes us today in a somewhat special configuration: Kawasaki puts sticks in the rims !
To allow us to validate the braking force, the health of the engine and the efficiency of the electronics – and to give the rear tire time to blow a little – the Akashi firm "unfortunately" forced us to borrow at each turn an improvised chicane, via the pit lane. And our average speed, then ?!
It takes half a dozen passages to Site to take its marks: negotiate the "banking" just above 200 km / h, maintain the 220 in the middle of the turn with 62 ° of angle (42 ° compared to the track, therefore), then restart fully from five then from six … on condition of being able to put the boot under the selector, which is not always obvious so much the bike is compressed towards the ground !
As on the circuit in the morning, the bike requires a minimum of skill because its front axle reacts more strongly than that of a Ninja. By moving too quickly towards the center of the saddle in short straights, the handlebars sometimes waddle slightly. We must therefore move forward to eradicate the phenomenon.
The engine thrust is still impressive, even in the last gears and at these speeds: the Z easily reaches 250 km / h and MNC even furtively sees a 264 km / h displayed on its meter, before projecting its eyes and his motorcycle in the second corner…
The small windshield not offering any protection, the cervicals take a lot of this little game. But we do not hold it against him: which biker will drive at full speed for a quarter of an hour in a row with his roadster on a Nascar ring American … or on small French roads? No.
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