What's the point of the supercharger?

[HaraldB]

Well, the compressor is a unique but just one technical sophisticated solution.
Kawasaki chose this way and provided a very fine piece of technology.
There are other ways of providing much power and torque.
Look at BMWs new shift cam technology.
Another approach with almost the same effect.
I am sure that future BMW touring sports touring bikes will all come with shift cam technology.
More than enough power.

Sports Tourer are not really „hip“ at the time being.
Kawasaki offers a bike in this class and added a unique technology to „make it more interesting“.

If you look at the power output you will find of course other bikes which are on the same level, better or come close to it.
Anyway, on country roads nobody will realize a difference e.g. between a H2 SX and a BMW S1000XR.
The difference in acceleration is in between. 10th of a second.
Flash a 200HP bike or not.
On the road the only difference is the driver and not the bike.

I like my H2 SX SE but not because it has so much power. It would be the same for me with 20 or 30HP as well.

[Bengarzy]

All I know Bengarzy is that I have had a turbo-bike, a ZX12R with 1260 turbo pistons and tuned by a guy in Cleveland, Ohio called Motorhead, a turbo guru. My turbo bike was probably faster from 100 to 200 mph but from lower rpms there was significant turbo lag that makes this bike feel like a brute. I have had many 1000cc bikes and none felt as strong as this machine but as I always tell people, this bike is very deceptive in the way it builds power, very linear. Will it throw you off if you slam the throttle wide open at 3 or 4 grand, no, but the only bikes I've had that were total brutes at those rpms were V twins, actually Buells as my 1098 Ducati Streetfighter was more like a inline 4 in some ways with maybe a little more low end but still it was V twin. I think the way Kawasaki spread the torque out on this bike is magical and also believe it will hold up better than if they increased boost too much at lower rpm, too much strain on a motor this size. I have seen where Bear Racing in South Africa I believe, offers some possibilities to re-gear the supercharger on H2's that might work on these bikes too. Possibly increasing lower boost but that would probable require some careful tuning and even possibly racing fuel to avoid detonation issues. I'm certainly no expert on blowers but I know a lot of people blow motors too pieces if they reach for too much boost, specially with compression ratios like what our bike have. IMHO, Kawasaki couldn't have hit target much better with this machine unless they lowered the weight some, Carbon Fiber wheels and such but then cost goes way up.

What I meant by “like a Turbo” was more about the type of compressor it is, for instance a paddle blower gives instant torque and power from nowhere, a screw compressor similar. The S/C on the H2 is a machanicly driven version of a turbo ie it’s a fan in housing and does little compressing until the revs are high.
There is a company called Transmission Systems in Jersey (UK) that has a really trick S/C that has VARIABLE speed on its compressor, if you boot the throttle at idle the S/C instantly speeds up even though the belt speed is only coming up from idle, it’s epi cyclic and motor driven all at the same time and is really the only way that a turbine compressor will work like a traditional super charger.

[Zdude]

Actually it might look a little like a Turbo but of course you know a turbo is driven by exhaust gasses which is why you have the lull or "turbo lag" while it spools up. A supercharger is mechanically driven and therefore depends on the ratio of the gearing to determine how fast the compressor spins so if you want more boost lower down you can re-gear the ratio to provide more power everywhere. While the potential is nearly limitless you will face detonation issues and stress on internal engine parts that are not engineered to deal with it. Like I said earlier, if you want to manipulate the gearing for more power, Bear Racing has the gearing to change that. It will not be cheap and personally, maybe an H2 would be better suited for that due to being engineered to deal with the stress and also has a lower compression ratio as part of the package for higher boost.

[Zdude]

Just went and looked at Bear Racing's on-line store, they do offer SC gearing packages that are really not that expensive and some really nice velocity stacks that would be much more stable under higher boost than the rubber stacks on our bikes. Like I said earlier, I'm no turbo/supercharger expert just owned both turbo and supercharged vehicles before the H2 was even a known entity. In the past I have seen bikes with "home-made" applications of supercharging on the street including a Z1 Kawasaki back in the late 70's but these were always "screw" type units which are generally heavier and bulkier that the "turbo" style superchargers on our bikes. Look up Bear racing on-line for an idea of what might be possible if a lot more power is desired.

[DarkFlow]

Extreme Creations in Australia also supply s/c upgrade gears. My H2 has Bear Racing gears but for the upgrade to stage 3 will be changing to the previously mentioned..

[57x]

After I installed a pipe and a vcyclenut flash I have no lower RPM power issues any more. The bike now roughly makes as much torque at 6000 RPM as the stock bike peak was (around 9000 RPM). It feels like I am on a Ducati now, no need to shift down, just turn the throttle. I have also noticed that I do not see any mileage drops as long as I keep the bike around 4-7000 RPM. My bike regularly gets over 50 MPG.

[Bengarzy]

After I installed a pipe and a vcyclenut flash I have no lower RPM power issues any more. The bike now roughly makes as much torque at 6000 RPM as the stock bike peak was (around 9000 RPM). It feels like I am on a Ducati now, no need to shift down, just turn the throttle. I have also noticed that I do not see any mileage drops as long as I keep the bike around 4-7000 RPM. My bike regularly gets over 50 MPG.

Sounds exactly what I am looking for ........ and missing, the bike has all the top end now, it’s just lacking between idle and 6k where it takes off fine...... and the reason I bought a super charged 1000 was they make power low down.
As soon as I had done 10 miles from new I new it was lacking in that area.... I also wonder if the SE plus has been dumbed down relative to the previous SX as no one on here feels they are lacking.

[Bengarzy]

After I installed a pipe and a vcyclenut flash I have no lower RPM power issues any more. The bike now roughly makes as much torque at 6000 RPM as the stock bike peak was (around 9000 RPM). It feels like I am on a Ducati now, no need to shift down, just turn the throttle. I have also noticed that I do not see any mileage drops as long as I keep the bike around 4-7000 RPM. My bike regularly gets over 50 MPG.

Were you also dissapointed with the standard bike then like me? The reason I ask is that I have seen many on bike videos of testers and owners alike........ they are all riding the bike in 2nd or 3rd all the time unless they are over 6-7 k, there fuel mileage must be shite and they wouldn’t know what I am on about either

[DarkFlow]

This is true. I ride the SX one gear lower more often than not, than on my old 14. It just feels better for the engine.

[cOoTeR]

The point of the supercharger is to make a bike that is heavy because of the added comforts of cruise control, heated grips, larger more comfortable seats, saddlebags etc. fast and smooth as well as emissions compliant. It wasn't built to be the fastest bike it's built to be a well rounded bike. In a straight line it is still one of the fastest bikes and will run with most bikes from a roll. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=544&start=20

Off the line it takes a bit to get the bike going but after getting into 2nd gear it's running down most street legal bikes. Most of the bikes I've raced are in the super sport / liter bike class and accelerate slower even with similar mods. I have a video at a half mile race vs a busa where I really screw up the start and he gets out ahead of me by a good amount. When I finally get full throttle I run him down fast. The ZX14R that I raced at the 1/4 mile was lowered and stretched and it was a close race. I think with a strapped front end I would have beat him and still been stock wheel base. Yes my bike is not stock but most of the bikes I've raced had similar basic mods.

It's not the most nimble bike but it wasn't built to be. You can still take it to the track and have a blast. I've gone to a couple private track days with the same guys I used to go to the track with on my ZX10R. I didn't get passed more on my H2 SX SE than I did on my ZX10R. Until you get into knee dragging peg scrapping handling the h2 sx is just as good as a regular liter bike. For street riding its just as good as most other bikes. It feels like my old RC51 in terms of handling capabilities and had TC so I can get on the throttle with a lot less worry than that bike.

It straight lines on par with a busa, zx14r, zx10r, R1M. It handles better than a zx14r or busa and is close to most liter bikes. It's about as comfortable as a zx14r or busa, is close to a concours 14 but it's less fatiging to ride and is way more comfortable than most liter bikes.

The point of the supercharger to make it a bike that can run with the best of the bikes across all aspects of the sport and sport touring class. It's a jack of all trades, master of nothing other than being best all around.