For the year 2018, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer launched the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE, a motorcycle powered by the same 998cc supercharged powerplant found in its superbike sibling but redesigned for more streetability use and less heat.
The bike featured Launch Control Mode (LCM), which provided a good start with minimized wheelspin and front-end lift, activated by a button on the handlebar and active in the first two gears right from the start.
Also, the bike Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC) combined the traction control technology from the one-mode KTRC that enhanced stability in slippery situations and S-KTRC that maintain optimum traction in sport riding situations by predicting rear wheelspin during acceleration.
In addition, the H2 SX SE featured Electronic Cruise Control that allowed a desired speed to be maintained for more relaxed cruising riding and also reduced the stress on the right hand when traveling long distances.
The 2018 Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE had at its core a 998cc four-stroke four-cylinder liquid-cooled supercharged engine that delivered an output power of 197 hp with a peak at 11,000 rpm and 137 Nm (101 lb-ft) of torque available at 9,500 rpm.
As for suspension, the bike packed a 43 mm adjustable inverted fork on the front and a Uni-Trak gas-charged adjustable shock absorber on the rear, while the braking performance was achieved by two 320 mm discs with four-piston calipers on the front wheel and a 250 mm disc with a two-piston caliper on the rear wheel.