Kawasaki is the only brand to have developed a turbocharged bike in recent years, after the surge of turbo bikes in the mid-Seventies - in 2015 they amazed everyone unveiling the Ninja H2. A high-performance sportsbike, equipped with state-of-the-art technology. 

In 2018, Kawasaki brought back the same concept for a sport touring, the SX version. This year their Supercharged range has been extended thanks to the addition of the Z-H2 naked. A hypernaked, to be more specific, since its 200 horsepower and above all the maximum torque of 14 kgm at only 8,500 rpm can compete openly with the data ​​of the more sophisticated 1,000 supesports designed for Superbike.

The Z-H2 loses the fairing of the SX, focusing instead on a "Sugomi" style that is, as per usual, very personal and aggressive, while the four-cylinder in-line engine has different profiles for the camshafts, a different exhaust, a shortened final drive and a chassis that shows a double-sided swingarm instead of the single-sided one of the Ninja versions.

The Z-H2 offers four Riding Modes (Sport, Road, Rain and Rider, which is customizable), cruise control, a two-way quickshifter and Launch control. The inertial platform supervises the 3-level KTRC traction control and the KCMF (Kawasaki Cornering Management Function) which manages braking power and torque delivery when cornering. Braking relies on the well-known KIBS derived from the hyper sports ZX-10R, that is the intelligent cornering ABS system.

The Z-H2 is equipped with a TFT display and offers allows to pair smartphones by using the Bluetooth: it is also possible to access a series of engine parameters and the route traveled. The frame is a steel tube trellis and uses the engine as a structural element. The Showa suspension is fully adjustable: Big Piston upside-down fork and progressive mono with remote preload.

At the front, the Z-H2 is equipped with a Brembo braking system (320 mm discs and M4-32 radial calipers) and Nissin at the rear. The wheels measure 17 inches with canonical tire sizes: 120/70 and 190/55. With the 19-liter tank full, the weight is 239 kg. The price starts at 17,790 euros for the total black color and rises to 18,440 for the black/green color.