Author Topic: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE  (Read 28416 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline richtea

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4324
  • Karma: +47/-3
    • View Profile
  • My K bike model:: K1300S
  • Location:: Banburyshire
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #60 on: May 13, 2019, 06:50:54 pm »
Fourth option:
- leave it alone. It reduces noxious emissions.

Offline Phmode

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11927
  • Karma: +90/-19
  • I am the evil webmaster, do not cross me!
    • View Profile
  • My K bike model:: BMW K1300S 2012
  • Modifications and add-ons:: Sargent Seat, Powerbronze Screen, Akrapovic Silencer, Ilmberger Hugger, K12S Black Top Yoke, Helibars, Cruise, Centre Stand, Sidestand Extender, Full 3M Film, Barkbusters Hand Guards in winter.
  • Location:: Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #61 on: May 13, 2019, 09:15:08 pm »
Yeah, but they're behind you... ::)
« Last Edit: May 13, 2019, 09:40:01 pm by richtea »

Offline TomL

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3107
  • Karma: +49/-5
    • View Profile
  • My K bike model:: K1300S
  • Location:: Hertfordshire
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #62 on: May 13, 2019, 11:34:33 pm »
The second is to simply drill out the contents of the collector box, or at lest a large hole through them. Apparently quite straight forward and not noticeable from the outside. Only "worry" is that you have to be careful of the lamba sensor.


The lambda sensor can be removed before taking out the cat and refitted afterwards.
As I have grown older, I've learned that pleasing everybody is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake.

Offline Phmode

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11927
  • Karma: +90/-19
  • I am the evil webmaster, do not cross me!
    • View Profile
  • My K bike model:: BMW K1300S 2012
  • Modifications and add-ons:: Sargent Seat, Powerbronze Screen, Akrapovic Silencer, Ilmberger Hugger, K12S Black Top Yoke, Helibars, Cruise, Centre Stand, Sidestand Extender, Full 3M Film, Barkbusters Hand Guards in winter.
  • Location:: Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #63 on: May 14, 2019, 11:27:03 am »
I have a large auger bit I could wield for you...

Offline Costas

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4322
  • Karma: +63/-1
  • Riders drive K, a Hawk flies, both are fast
    • View Profile
  • My K bike model:: K1300S
  • Modifications and add-ons:: BMW Motorrad rider and pillion HP4 pegs,10-30 lit tank bag, SENA for BMW intercom system. Evo air filters. TechSpec tank pads. MIZU lowering dogbone system. B2 accelerator. Wunderlich adjustable levers, hub , brake caliber protectors, duolever bold protector. Turatech ABS Sensor protectors. IDE bars. Rizoma rear led signal lights, bar ends with lever protectors. Sargent complete system seat (pod, pillion backrest). Shrodie side badge led signal lights two modes. LED lights 2X35W 3000k high beam, 10W parking two modes. Tracker. Metisse front wheel protector sliders. R&G water pump protector, cardan protector. Ilmberger carbon set. Ztechnic tank protector,DT wimglets.
  • Location:: Athens, Greece, KS-Loutsa 37°58'16.6"N 23°59'06.8"E 37.971269, 23.985224
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #64 on: May 14, 2019, 05:42:22 pm »
Enjoy your new cruiser.  :D
Embrace the wind.

Offline black-k1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2007
  • Karma: +23/-2
  • An Original Old Git.
    • View Profile
    • The Old Gits
  • My K bike model:: ex K1200S, K1300S Sport & K1300S Motorsport owner. Now a Kawasaki H2 SX SE owner
  • Modifications and add-ons:: Upgrade to Kawasaki H2 SX SE! Almost 220bhp at the wheel! BST Carbon wheels and Sargent seat
  • Location:: Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, UK
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #65 on: May 15, 2019, 08:16:29 am »
Thanks for the feedback. I will confess that I have only skim read the approach to "modifying" the existing cat so not sure exactly what the steps are although there are no suggestions that it's in any way difficult.  I think the lamda sensor caution is as much about the mount point as the sensor itself. It would appear that it sticks quite a long way into the body of the collector box.

I'm still not sure I'll go ahead with the mod yet. I may wait until the warranty runs out - just in case, but if/when I do go ahead, I may well give you a ring Brian. Thanks for the offer.

Correct rear brake use is scientifically proven to shorten stopping distances in EVERY road situation.

European Motorcycle Tours since 1998
The Old Gits - www.old-gits.org

Offline black-k1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2007
  • Karma: +23/-2
  • An Original Old Git.
    • View Profile
    • The Old Gits
  • My K bike model:: ex K1200S, K1300S Sport & K1300S Motorsport owner. Now a Kawasaki H2 SX SE owner
  • Modifications and add-ons:: Upgrade to Kawasaki H2 SX SE! Almost 220bhp at the wheel! BST Carbon wheels and Sargent seat
  • Location:: Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, UK
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #66 on: June 10, 2019, 01:41:26 pm »
So, the Old Gits trip to The Dolomites last week has given me an opportunity to really test out the H2 SX and, as I spent most of my time in the company of at least 2 K1300Ss, to directly compare.

Performance: A 170mph (clock – 161mph sat. nav.) run along the autobahn, fully loaded with panniers, tank bag and tail pack showed the H2 SX is stable, predictable and fast. There was more in reserve and a combination of traffic and a desire to not leave the BMWs too far behind were the only things that stopped me utilising that last bit.

A K1300S side-by-side roll on test from 80 to 150mph, firstly in 6th, then from 4th through the gears got the response over the intercom from the K1300S rider of “Jesus! You just f**ked off!” :D

On the mountain passes it was also noticeable that while, as the lead bike, I was just “making progress” on the Kawasaki, the K1300Ss were having to work quite hard to keep me in sight. This was confirmed when we swapped bikes and the first comment from both K1300S riders across the intercom was “bloody hell, it’s quick!”. :D

Handling: Again, the lightness and speed of turn in were noticeably in the Kawasaki’s favour. I never had a problem with the handling of my K1300Ss  ;) but both of the other riders agreed that the Kawasaki is noticeably “more sporty”, without any loss of stability. Before riding it, both said they were concerned with the return to tele-forks after the excellent K1300S front end but both said they never even noticed the forks being different on the Kawasaki after their ride. A scrapped foot peg and a “high score” on the Kawasaki “lean-o-meter” of 54 degrees shows I was having lots of fun.

Luggage: The 40l panniers on the Kawasaki were excellent and, I think, are better than the BMW sports cases. The fact that most of that 40l is tucked under the seat means the Kawasaki is no wider than the K1300S with the sports cases compressed and significantly narrower than when the sports cases are fully expanded.

Comfort: A definite win for the BMW here. Despite use of my AirHawk cushion (which developed a puncture 350 miles from home!!! :(  ) the Kawasaki was not in the same league as the BMW. I managed the long 590 mile/10 hour ride on Saturday and was OK to continue riding on Sunday but it was more of an endurance than a pleasure. That said, it is only the seat that is the problem. The overall riding position, the wind protection, the general ergonomics etc. are all as good on the Kawasaki as they are on the BMW. I’m now just waiting for one of the well-known names to produce a decent alternative seat.

Extras/gizmos: While it would have been nice to have ESA on the Kawasaki (available on the SX SE+) it wasn’t hugely missed. The standard suspension did the job on all the surfaces we encountered. However, the electronic cruise control and the down-shift quick shifter were coveted enviously by both K1300S riders. The down-sift in particular made riding down the mountain passes much easier/safer/quicker on the Kawasaki. No loss of engine traction while coming down through the gears on hairpin approaches has to be experienced to appreciate just how good it is.

Fuel: Another win for the BMW, but only just! For about 70 percent of fill ups, the BMWs used just under a litre less than the Kawasaki. There were 2 occasions when the Kawasaki used about a litre less fuel than the BMWs but it wasn’t clear what specific circumstances favoured one or other of the bikes. All that said, just under a litre on what were, generally 16 to 18l fill ups is only about 5% so not a huge difference. I may even find that after a few more miles to loosen-up (it still has less than 7000 on the clock) the Kawasaki may just make some of that back. On the motorway, it was me that almost always wanted fuel first but none of the BMWs had enough in their tank to make it to the next fuel stop without a little bit of “divine intervention”.

Interestingly, both of the other K1300S riders (one on a 2012 and the other on a 2015) who rode the H2 SX thought the Kawasaki felt exactly like how they’d imagine a K1300S with 10+ years of development. Neither are looking for a new bike this year and, like me, if they were looking for a replacement, would likely be going for another K1300S, were such a beast available. That said, both felt that, when it did come time to change, they were pretty sure where they’d be looking! :D
Correct rear brake use is scientifically proven to shorten stopping distances in EVERY road situation.

European Motorcycle Tours since 1998
The Old Gits - www.old-gits.org

Offline Matt

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2741
  • Karma: +20/-2
    • View Profile
  • My K bike model:: KTM 1290 Super Duke GT
  • Modifications and add-ons:: Oberon slave cylinder, 3D printed nav mount
  • Location:: Berkshire
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #67 on: June 10, 2019, 02:31:35 pm »
Great! You're really not helping with my denial David!
"Why was the spider disappointed after browsing the web? Because he couldn't find any fly downloads!"
Claude.ai effort at an original joke - 2022

Offline Phmode

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11927
  • Karma: +90/-19
  • I am the evil webmaster, do not cross me!
    • View Profile
  • My K bike model:: BMW K1300S 2012
  • Modifications and add-ons:: Sargent Seat, Powerbronze Screen, Akrapovic Silencer, Ilmberger Hugger, K12S Black Top Yoke, Helibars, Cruise, Centre Stand, Sidestand Extender, Full 3M Film, Barkbusters Hand Guards in winter.
  • Location:: Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #68 on: June 10, 2019, 03:26:45 pm »
David. Great write-up as always.

A couple of interesting points I had thought would be issues, the front end and the fuel consumption, turn out not to be relevant in the real world.

I figured the auto-blipper would be a hit but hadn't thought about the engine braking into downhill hairpins; great news.

I would love cruise on the BM, as much for those mind-numbing speed restrictions as for the motorway journeys. Is it a nudge-up/-down system like a car?

It's good that the ergonomics suited you compared with the K but disappointing that your bum didn't agree.

A puncture on an Air-Hawk? Hmmm! Must be one of the later ones as I thought the old ones like mine were bomb-proof. Either way I'm surprised you hadn't stowed the puncture repair kit inside the cover. Mine never leaves home without the little patches...

Matt. Get over yourself and just get one  8)

Offline richtea

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4324
  • Karma: +47/-3
    • View Profile
  • My K bike model:: K1300S
  • Location:: Banburyshire
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #69 on: June 10, 2019, 04:15:17 pm »
Have you had to adjust the chain much, David?

(I've got very used to no chain.)

Offline black-k1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2007
  • Karma: +23/-2
  • An Original Old Git.
    • View Profile
    • The Old Gits
  • My K bike model:: ex K1200S, K1300S Sport & K1300S Motorsport owner. Now a Kawasaki H2 SX SE owner
  • Modifications and add-ons:: Upgrade to Kawasaki H2 SX SE! Almost 220bhp at the wheel! BST Carbon wheels and Sargent seat
  • Location:: Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, UK
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #70 on: June 10, 2019, 04:33:11 pm »
David. Great write-up as always.

A couple of interesting points I had thought would be issues, the front end and the fuel consumption, turn out not to be relevant in the real world.

I figured the auto-blipper would be a hit but hadn't thought about the engine braking into downhill hairpins; great news.

I would love cruise on the BM, as much for those mind-numbing speed restrictions as for the motorway journeys. Is it a nudge-up/-down system like a car?

It's good that the ergonomics suited you compared with the K but disappointing that your bum didn't agree.

A puncture on an Air-Hawk? Hmmm! Must be one of the later ones as I thought the old ones like mine were bomb-proof. Either way I'm surprised you hadn't stowed the puncture repair kit inside the cover. Mine never leaves home without the little patches...

Matt. Get over yourself and just get one  8)

Cruise control includes ability to add/take off 1mph at a time while engaged or press and hold up/down button for bigger changes.

My "whoopee cushion" is the one used by Noah. Bought in about 2000 - 2001. It's never been a problem so I din't carry a repair kit. I might now!  ;)

Have you had to adjust the chain much, David?

(I've got very used to no chain.)

Not yet. It was adjusted by the dealers when the carbon wheels were fitted, and that's it so far. It's in for a service and a change of sprockets (from 18/44 to 19/42) on Thursday so it'll get adjusted then as well! 8)

Correct rear brake use is scientifically proven to shorten stopping distances in EVERY road situation.

European Motorcycle Tours since 1998
The Old Gits - www.old-gits.org

Offline Phmode

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11927
  • Karma: +90/-19
  • I am the evil webmaster, do not cross me!
    • View Profile
  • My K bike model:: BMW K1300S 2012
  • Modifications and add-ons:: Sargent Seat, Powerbronze Screen, Akrapovic Silencer, Ilmberger Hugger, K12S Black Top Yoke, Helibars, Cruise, Centre Stand, Sidestand Extender, Full 3M Film, Barkbusters Hand Guards in winter.
  • Location:: Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #71 on: June 10, 2019, 04:56:59 pm »
How fast do you want to go down the A131 or whichever road it is you commute on??

And, what was the decision on the carbon wheels, apart from to buy them, obviously?

Offline black-k1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2007
  • Karma: +23/-2
  • An Original Old Git.
    • View Profile
    • The Old Gits
  • My K bike model:: ex K1200S, K1300S Sport & K1300S Motorsport owner. Now a Kawasaki H2 SX SE owner
  • Modifications and add-ons:: Upgrade to Kawasaki H2 SX SE! Almost 220bhp at the wheel! BST Carbon wheels and Sargent seat
  • Location:: Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, UK
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #72 on: June 10, 2019, 07:36:51 pm »
How fast do you want to go down the A131 or whichever road it is you commute on??

And, what was the decision on the carbon wheels, apart from to buy them, obviously?

I do the A134 Long Melford by-pass at a tad over … er … 60! ;)

Carbon wheels are a winner. It made the bike feel really light and response (although it was light and responsive before!!! It's just better now!)
Correct rear brake use is scientifically proven to shorten stopping distances in EVERY road situation.

European Motorcycle Tours since 1998
The Old Gits - www.old-gits.org

gibbo

  • Guest
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #73 on: June 11, 2019, 10:19:38 am »
Excellent road report David. A good comparison between the old duffer stuff and what's on offer today.
Impressed about the lack of chain adjustment as well, again excellent. Just need a decent seat to complete the package.  ;)

Offline S BMW

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 94
  • Karma: +2/-0
    • View Profile
  • My K bike model:: K1300s anniversary model
  • Location:: Cork
Re: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE
« Reply #74 on: June 11, 2019, 04:51:12 pm »
 You are an excellent biographer David enjoyed your reports . On the rear brake what is it’s composition had Zx9r the faster green model circa 1999 previously while the seat was a bit of a plank would have thought these would have moved to something more comfortable. Dare I say would you think of scavenging a K 1300 seat to rebuild it? The rear brake on the Z would offer very little feed back and could catch you out the recommended rear pad was an organic pad not sintered would it be worth using something similar. Well wear with your new machine.
« Last Edit: June 11, 2019, 05:27:18 pm by richtea »