Details are sparse but this much we do know: Kawasaki wants to change the face of sport touring. Indeed, in their official product launch material, they talk about the new H2 SX being able to “Go further, go faster,” and encourage you to “Supercharge your journey.”
Yes, supercharged. Yes, sport touring.
Essentially, Kawasaki has liberated the supercharged 998 cc 4-cylinder from its limited production H2 (and even more limited production, 310-horsepower “R” version) and made, well, a super sports tourer out of it. You might remember the H2R for the famed top speed run by Kenan Sofuoglu, which saw the World Supersport champion hit 250 miles per hour on a public road — the one-and-a-half-mile Osman Gazi bridge, in fact — in just 26 seconds. Now picture the same motor with a little less boost, a slightly milder camshaft and, of course, saddlebags so the missus can carry her Manolo Blahniks while the two of you are setting two-up top speed records.
Lots more high-tech goodies
While the trellis frame also seems to be a carryover form the H2 (albeit beefed up to handle 418 pounds of rider, passenger and luggage), there are plenty of the latest high-tech technologies befitting the sportiest of sport touring motorcycles: An inertial measurement unit (IMU) forms the informational bedrock of the latest in traction control systems, Cornering ABS prevents wheel lockup even when leaned over and, well, we’re hoping there’s a speed limit to this feature, but the SX also features cruise control. For those needing even more gadgetry, the top-of-the-line SE model gets Kawasaki’s first TFT color dash, cornering lights and a quickshifter. Oh yes, the SE also boasts a launch control system so you don’t loop your 201-horsepower “sports tourer” when peeling out from a stoplight. We should also mention that as concessions to the touring portion of the equation the H2 SX gets a larger five gallon tank for extended range and, of course, those aforementioned saddlebags.
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