The Kawasaki Ninja SX SE+ was one of my favorite bikes of 2021 so I’ll admit to being a tad surprised Kawasaki was planning to overhaul the machine for 2022.
It’s not a full-on makeover as you’re still graced with supercharged inline four-cylinder motor that produces about 170 hp at the tire, but the Showa electronic suspension now comes as standard and the + moniker has been dropped from the U.S. market.
The big news is the H2 SX SE is the first Japanese machine to come with radar technology. In a similar vein to what we saw on the Ducati Multistrada V4 S and BMW R18 Transcontinental, the H2 SX SE gets Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Blind Spot Detection (BSD) as part of the new Advanced Rider Assist System (ARAS).
Also new is a massive 6.5 inch TFT with a new smartphone infotainment app called SPIN that allows you to download third party applications and mirror them on the dash (like Spotify). Other electronic upgrades include a new tire pressure monitoring system, Vehicle Hold Assist (VHA), USB power outlet, grip heaters, remote key fob, settings for the Kawasaki Electronic Control Suspension (KECS) and a new Bosch 10.3ME ABS IMU.
As for the guts of the bike, the motor receives new cam timing, a new exhaust muffler, the second gear cog has had the number of teeth reduced to help with meshing, and the hydraulic clutch fluid volume has been changed to give improved feel at the lever and improve the release.
The styling has also come in for a onceover, with a new top fairing and side cowls, LED headlight with cornering lights, mirrors and the trick Kawasaki supercharged emblems. The rider also gets a wider seat for better long range comfort, and the show now rolls on the Bridgestone S22 rubber, which we tested here.
The 2022 Ninja H2® SX SE is available in an Emerald Blazed Green/Metallic Diablo Black/Metallic Graphite Gray color scheme with an MSRP of $27,500.
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