Well. I got up this morning.
After breakfast I decided I'd go and just look, you know, just look at the H2 SX SE and see if I like it in the flesh. It may be a bit marmite I thought.
So I got there and realised there's now the H2 SX SE+, which brings the magic suspension that David was mentioning. Anyway, my looking went well for about 3 seconds, whereupon the garage fella came to move the bike for a demo ride. Then he says there's one next to it. And then I accidentally asked "ah is that a demo too?"
"yeah sure, pop into the showroom and I'll be back once I've sorted this fella." So off I pop, trying to remember what my original intent had been.
I was almost saved when he asked for licence and NI stuff, but thanks to being #digital #somebodyhelpme I had it hidden in my emails somewhere.
Ten minutes later I'm off on the A339 towards Basingrad. What David and his K1300 cohort on their trip said is true. It immediately felt like what I'd hope a successor to the K1300S would feel like. I'm likely too hungry to do it justice with my words. I was out an hour and a half before ambling back to park it next to mine.
My main thoughts at various stages of the ride were:
1. It's too easy! Too much power. Not in a scary way, see point 2. But just so easy and uneventful to do everything. Also see point 3 which maybe informs this one. I only heard the flutter of the supercharger dump valvey thing once or twice in 1st gear, as every other gear you're way too fast. I'm sure with ownership i'd learn more but still. 200ps or wtf!
2. It's so friendly, accessible.
3. It's too quiet. This had a Yoshi can on but the big collector/cat thing at the bottom of the header pipe stuff negated it when wearing earplugs.
4. Yeah, ergo is a lot like the K, maybe felt slightly nicer. I dunno.
5. Magic Suspension was amazing, but then the bike I tried after this highlighted that.
6. It felt just easier to turn in, maybe "more modern" or just say 15-20% easier to do things with.
7. I can see why it's 21k.. maybe.
So I get back and say "it's just too easy, too much easy power... what else do Kawasaki make? Maybe slightly lighter and more insane but a bit less power..." and ended up sitting on what I think is a Z1000SX.
This is a bit easier to sum up, the suspension was more wallowing, the dash was basic, it hadn't got a quickshifter. It was a sit-up thing, and I suppose the Kwak version of the GSXS1000S or whatever my mate has. Although the Suzuki felt a lot firmer. Anyway, it had about 140hp and was fast and fine. Retail is somewhere near 11k. On return my feedback was "agh! it isn't special enough!"
Both bikes they'll throw in the luggage lark.
Then their nice guy talked to be about PCP for a while. Then I ran away and realised that throwing 10k cash down and renting a bike for 3k over 3 years and then having nothing 'guaranteed' at the end of it is probably only a good idea if I'm actually in love with the thing.
Getting back on my bike was actually nice. I remember after trying the K when I had my F800 the ride home felt horrendous. Getting back on the K this time I thought in the first couple minutes:
1. The BMW is less eager to rev
2. Hurrah I can hear it again!
3. The BMW is slightly more effort to turn
4. Actually blipping the throttle to downshift is also fun. And my bike sounds much nicer, but I am killing polar bears.
Harrumph. I want to go slightly more mental and try the MT10 next. See how that goes. Probably get going on at least two of the KTM models (GT and R) too.
Part of me thinks "I could get two bikes for the price of the H2, a boring commuter and a mental one!" Another part thinks "My bike will never cost 10k to keep alive." Another part thinks "haha that sheep has no business in those trousers."