2019 Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE+

Okay, a name like Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE+ doesn’t roll smoothly off the tongue, but this supercharged sport-tourer based on the uber-powerful H2 makes amends for any linguistic shortcomings with performance that will rock your world. In fact, the H2 SX SE+ delivers phenomenal acceleration. At our desert test site, a 2018 model leapt from 0–60 mph in just 2.98 seconds and reached 100 mph 2.39 seconds later, ultimately covering the quarter-mile in 10.04 seconds at 144 mph. Expect more of the same from the latest example, which is upgraded this year with Kawasaki Electronic Control Suspension (KECS), Brembo Stylema front brake calipers, more durable self-repairing paint (Kawasaki claims “microscopic soft and hard segments within the top coat work like a chemical spring that creates a trampoline effect to absorb impacts”), new integrated riding modes, and smartphone connectivity.

Other standard features carried over from the previous edition include a full-color TFT dash, heated handgrips, launch control, a quickshifter for clutchless upshifts and downshifts, LED cornering lights—one illuminates at 10 degrees, a second at 20 degrees, and all three at 30 degrees or greater—and leather seating surfaces.

Likes: Blistering speed; stunning looks; saddlebags swallow full-face helmets

Dislikes: Upgraded brake and electronics aside, year-over-year MSRP jumped $3K

Verdict: Supremely capable of covering serious distance, no matter the topography

Named Best Open-Class Streetbike of 2018, the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE has “bonkers straight-line performance, but it also performs when the road bends,” Senior Editor Justin Dawes wrote. “While the 594-pound wet weight can be felt hustling through cornering transitions, the chassis is rock solid once the bike is leaned over on the sides of the tires.”

Best Open-Class Streetbike—2018 Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE

"There are plenty of more practical options out there, but the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE wasn't meant to be practical," Sport Rider Editor-in-Chief Kent Kunitsugu wrote after riding the 2018 model. "It's a high-quality, serious performance machine cut from a unique cloth that can't be found anywhere else."

2018 Kawasaki H2 SX SE Horsepower And Torque

Kawasaki's 2018 H2 SX SE Is The Most Powerful Sport-Tourer You Can Buy

Motorcycling has its share of sport-tourers, which Cycle World defines as machines that come standard from their respective factories fitted with hard saddlebags. While engine displacement and number of cylinders vary from one brand to the next, the top multis are the most likely competition for the H2 SX SE+.

2018 BMW K 1600 GT

2018 Yamaha FJR1300A/ES

Best Touring Bike—2018 Honda Gold Wing Tour

Color-matched to the rest of the bike, the lockable saddlebags are easy to remove, clean, and reinstall. On the Cycle World scales, the 28-liter bags add 17 pounds to the overall weight of the bike. Choose from three "self-healing" colors: Metallic Graphite, Gray/Metallic Diablo, or Black/Emerald Blazed Green.