Kawasaki's H2 Superbike

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JeffD said:
*snip*
kawasaki-ninja-h2-carbon-race.jpg


I was excited about this bike, but from these pictures it is way too origami and Tranformer-ish (thanks Phl) for me.
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This bike could NOT be any more Japanese! It's not a transformer or a gundam, it's an Evangelion!
vmsjsn.jpg


Kawasaki does this sorta thing a lot with new bike styles. They make you think. Problem is most of the time they make me think "not a fan."

To say at least one thing positive: I do like the old-school Kawi logo. It looks exactly like the emblem on my Mom's china hutch....which is also from Japan. :)
 
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JeffD said:
Trellis frame from Ducati, Star wheels from MV Agusta, single-sided swingarm from both - how derivative a design is this? Layered on with blades and wings like a Japanese Gundam cartoon? This is a JDM (Japan Domestic Market) wet dream and a Italian-Japanese Mash-Up nightmare to my eyes.
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I thought the same thing (MV star wheels, Duc trellis, etc), but I have to say, this kind of thing is simply good for the industry. I find the design interesting but perhaps short of compelling. I don't object to the upper wings, and who doesn't love a SSSA? As for the rest, sure it feels like a crazy Japanese-Italian mashup, but then again so is Bimota, and they can pull it off (though it's clearly not for everyone).

Italians have had an undisputed lead in motorcycle design (mostly thanks to Tamburini), and it's good to see some attempts at innovation here. Japanese sportbikes have gone largely unchanged in 20 years. I'm excited to see what unfolds over the next decade if this disruptive gamble pays off for Kawasaki (at which point others will follow).
 
TwiztedRabbit said:
besides the powerplant.. how man people are going to be lauding the "technological advances" that the big green machine has made on the slapped together Italian parts.. I mean Japanese forefront tech
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It's a little early to declare anything on this bike "slapped together," and even if some components were, I am fairly certain the Japanese would consider turning to Italian ingenuity only as a very last resort.
 
Looks nicer than the Zx10r snowmobile......er, I mean superbike. Less sled like.

Panigale intake vent scoops, SSSA, MV wheels, TRELLIS FRAME! wtf? I guess they finally realized that just because the Zx10r is a good bike, doesn't mean it's actually going to sell. It has to look cool as well.

Finally they get it, kinda.

Looks like a face only the BMW S1000r guys could love.
 
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Buliwyf said:
Looks nicer than the Zx10r snowmobile......er, I mean superbike. Less sled like.

Panigale intake vent scoops, SSSA, MV wheels, TRELLIS FRAME! wtf? I guess they finally realized that just because the Zx10r is a good bike, doesn't mean it's actually going to sell. It has to look cool as well.

Finally they get it, kinda.
Click to expand...

Supposedly the trellis frame was implemented into this design primarily due to its ability to handle the increased pressures at higher speeds while maintaining an optimal ratio of rigidity and flexibility. Without it, Kawasaki would have had to lengthen the wheelbase, which would have decreased lower speed maneuverability, a la the ZX14R. Cool looks just happen to be a nice bonus ; ).
 
Jello said:
I thought the same thing (MV star wheels, Duc trellis, etc), but I have to say, this kind of thing is simply good for the industry. I find the design interesting but perhaps short of compelling. I don't object to the upper wings, and who doesn't love a SSSA? As for the rest, sure it feels like a crazy Japanese-Italian mashup, but then again so is Bimota, and they can pull it off (though it's clearly not for everyone).

Italians have had an undisputed lead in motorcycle design (mostly thanks to Tamburini), and it's good to see some attempts at innovation here. Japanese sportbikes have gone largely unchanged in 20 years. I'm excited to see what unfolds over the next decade if this disruptive gamble pays off for Kawasaki (at which point others will follow).
Click to expand...

I could not have said this any better! 100% agreed!
 
Buliwyf said:
Looks like a face only the BMW S1000r guys could love.
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Bwahaha! I don't think it's that bad, but I get your point.

Jello said:
As for the rest, sure it feels like a crazy Japanese-Italian mashup, but then again so is Bimota, and they can pull it off (though it's clearly not for everyone).

...I'm excited to see what unfolds over the next decade if this disruptive gamble pays off for Kawasaki (at which point others will follow).
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How dare you desecrate Bimota's history with such a slight! Only Bimota could pull off the Italy-Japan mashup because you never saw the Japanese parts on the inside. Although the Tesi 3D did look a bit Japanese infuenced...

4tesi0423.jpg


I agree that it will be interesting as this is definitely a challenge to the other Japanese manufacturers. Suzuki of all people need some serious innovation in both technology and design. Yamaha IMHO has always produced the best aesthetic designs in the land of the rising sun, so it will be interesting how their all-new R1 shapes up. I've not seen any new sneak peaks on that bike in forever.

Duck41 said:
Supposedly the trellis frame was implemented into this design primarily due to its ability to handle the increased pressures at higher speeds while maintaining an optimal ratio of rigidity and flexibility. Without it, Kawasaki would have had to lengthen the wheelbase, which would have decreased lower speed maneuverability, a la the ZX14R. Cool looks just happen to be a nice bonus ; ).
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All great points, but something about the Japanese doing a trellis frame after all Ducati's and Bimota's work is just wrong IMHO.
 
JeffD said:
How dare you desecrate Bimota's history with such a slight! Only Bimota could pull off the Italy-Japan mashup because you never saw the Japanese parts on the inside. Although the Tesi 3D did look a bit Japanese infuenced...

4tesi0423.jpg
Click to expand...
It was a friendly .... I was VERY close to picking up a Tesi 3D from Rockwell Cycles years ago, but at the end of the day I couldn't justify the spend on something with such an anemic, air-cooled powerplant. That said, I really dig the hub steering, and have always been curious as to how it affects dive under braking (if at all).

</threadjack>
 
Jello said:
It was a friendly .... I was VERY close to picking up a Tesi 3D from Rockwell Cycles years ago, but at the end of the day I couldn't justify the spend on something with such an anemic, air-cooled powerplant. That said, I really dig the hub steering, and have always been curious as to how it affects dive under braking (if at all).
Click to expand...

I know what you meant, but I couldn't let it go either. I do love me some Bimota. Not the new BB3 (looks-wise), but previous Bimota's were just the .... back in the day.

Of course you've heard that the hub steering geometry was supposed to keep the bike level during hard braking, similar to the BMW Tele-lever front end. Supposedly it was weird at first but once you got used to it very useful. I'm too trained on the front end dive sharpening steering that I trail brake everywhere I can and probably wouldn't know how to ride that bike, but I still want one. Not sure how much I could ride it though, that front end is so complicated and I'd be terrified that one or two bolts would come lose on either end and the bike would just fold up mid-corner like those commuter mini-bicycles that hipsters take with them on the bus :eek:

Alan Cathcart's review of the last version of the Tesi - the 3D naked

Cycle News - Cycle News 2013 Issue 30 July 30
2013issue30_bimota.jpg
 
I think the H2 is cool! Totally Japanese cool, but cool. Certainly not a Ducati, but trellis frame and single-sided swing arm?? Audacious design, even has wings, pretty far out there. I wouldn't buy one, but if it has a bunch of horsepower there will be a market for a bike that pushes the envelope of Japanese design.
 
Jello said:
Goddamnit... I so want to like this bike enough to buy it. With +1 support it becomes even more practical, but with <100 hp and a dry clutch I just can't do it.
Click to expand...

Do it. When the bike is no longer in production and you have one, it will be one of the most unique bikes you own, regardless of what else is in your garage. Even more unique and interesting than your SL, I wager. Only other thing in the running would be a Vyrus 986 M2 or 987 C3 4V, but the Tesi will always be the original design.

vyrus-986-m2-factory-moto2-hub-center-racebike-4.jpg

vyrus-987-c3-4v-carbon.jpg


Sorry for the derailment fellas, I just want to see Jello get one of these fancy Bimotas too. Living my dream, he is.
 
Jesus .... I just saw the fully realized pics of the H2 and H2R......

"I will have her, oh yes she will be mine!"

~Wayne's World.......lol.
 

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