Gianluigi Mango GM MOTO Vlogger
What a thrilling bike the super naked Kawasaki ZH2 is! I absolutely loved riding this bike. From the exhillarating Supercharged engine to the featherly light handling. The ZH2 is by far my favourite naked bike I've ever ridden and there's many reasons why. So let's get to them..The sound coming from engine when you twist the throttle is too good for its own good. Even with the stock exhaust the ZH2 comes alive at every pull.
But the ZH2 isn't difficult to ride. It weighs over 230 kg, but if anything that helps keeping it planted and gives it a reassuring feeling. Helping that feeling is also the smoothness of the engine.
It has such a soft and smooth feel at low speeds that you wouldn't believe!
I've got to be honest with you, I was scared at first jumping on this 200 horsepower crazy machine. But I immediately changed my opinion of it as soon as I pulled away.
I wasn't intimidated by it anymore, I felt like I could actually give it some giusto and so I did.
To help with the engine super power, the ZH2 comes with 3 power modes plus an additional Rider mode (allowing you to customise the settings as you like).
Switching between modes is made very simple by using the dedicated buttons on the handlebars. The full colour and crisp TFT display shows a lot of information and can also be set to night mode (got to love that).
One of the things I was really impressed with was how the electronics worked during the ride. Everything was so smooth, the traction control was never intrusive and the quickshifter was just like butter to operate.
The six-axis IMU-controlled electronics is one of the best I've ever experienced!
Another surprise was how the ZH2 handled. Not only it corners just like a supersport would with the lightest touch on the bars. It also handles the worst of bumps like a tourer. There's so much control and feedback coming from the suspensions that you'll forget how much the bike weighs.
The brakes are exceptional also. The monobloc Brembo M4.32 four piston radial calipers offer lots of feeling and power. I especially loved the stopping power at the rear.
All bikes should have that reassuring feeling when pulling on the brakes!
Besides the amazing handling and that masterpiece of an engine, I've got a couple of things to say about the ergonomics. First of all, it's very comfortable. The controls are not set very high and far back. In fact my legs were in a quite comfortable position and never felt stressed over time. The bars are set a bit forward to keep the rider in a somewhat aggressive positon without sacrificing comfort. But the shape of the tank was one that I had to get used to. The sharp edges are not the most comfortable to hug with your legs, especially when you're tucking in. But I'm sure you can get used to that, I probably would.
To wrap this up, I don't think the Kawasaki ZH2 is a killer track bike. I think it's much more of a road-focused super naked than any other bike on the market right now. I couldn't get enough of that engine, that sound and amazing handling. The ZH2 is definitely a bike I could see myself owning someday. Fingers crossed!
Come check out the Kawasaki ZH2 now on sale at Bolton Motorcycles and experience this thrilling Superchanged machine for yourself.
Gianluigi Mango
GM MOTO
John I want one ☝️
