Kawasaki is harking back almost 50 years to the first Kawasaki Super Four model Z1 of 1972 as it introduces the new supercharged Z H2 model.

The new bike packs a supercharged 998cc inline four-cylinder engine that has been boosted with a supercharger for 200PS which translates as 197bhp.

Kawasaki isn’t pitching this bike as anything retro in anyway as the technology is cutting edge both in terms of the engine and also the electronic rider aids on board too.

The bike takes a lot of the experience the firm has developed with the Ninja H2 and Ninja H2R models which were introduced in 2015 and continue to be kept in production.

Supercharging allows for more power from a smaller engine capacity without the need to increase capacity. Kawasaki says it has worked hard to make the engine smooth and manageable.

One key element of supercharging is that in a world of ever-more stringent noise and emissions regulations, supercharging, just like turbocharging, allows for more power without the penalty of more emissions caused by highly tuned engines with large amounts of valve overlap.

ENGINE DETAILS

One of the keys to achieving the Z H2’s power is its 69 mm supercharger impeller. This is formed from a forged aluminium block and its complex shape features six blades at the tip, expanding to 12 blades at the base. 

To withstand high pressures and high temperatures not found in a naturally aspirated engine, cast pistons were selected. Cast pistons offer better strength than forged pistons for the very high temperatures generated by the supercharged engine. 

Using a composite manufacturing method, the exhaust valves are made of two types of metals: an inconel material with excellent heat resistance and heat-resistant steel. Inconel was once the preserve of aircraft and F1 racing cars but is now in wider use as engine tolerances advance.

Rather than chasing peak power, Kawasaki is claiming the engine in the Z H2 has been tuned for a ‘controllable yet invigorating flow of power’ which is aimed at being manageable even by less experienced riders.

Just like the H2R and H2 models, the Z H2 has a steel trellis frame which has been specifically designed for this bike and works with Showa BPF front forks.

Away from the engine and chassis technology is a raft of electronic rider aids, full LED lights front and rear along with a full-colour Thin Film Transistor (TFT) dashboard which shows a large amount of information.

Additional technology includes an up-and-down quickshifter for clutchless gearchanges, cruise control, cornering ABS, traction control, launch control, different rider modes, anti-wheelie control and Bluetooth connectivity for a specific Kawasaki smartphone app.

All of this technology is controlled by a Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) which measures what the bike is doing in terms of speed, wheel speed, lean angle and various other parameters to make sure the systems are all working together.

The bike will be available in three colours, green, red and all black. The colour change on the bike comes from a different colour frame rather than bodywork.