Friend with a Kawasaki zH2 thoughts.

[ottafish]

Have a good friend who picked up a new ZH2 about a month ago. Put a slip on system that he imported from the UK, plus some other bits and pieces.

His thoughts...

Super quick for a factory, cumfortable, and great for distance. Rear shock sucks.
After a month, it's on the market for sale.
The main reason it's up for sale, he says it has "no soul" ... it's missing "the thing that gets his juices flowing"
He tought this would be the one. The search continues..

I keep saying to him, when you find the one, you'll know

 

[Bumblebee]

That certainly sucks...an expensive soul search for him.

I really don't think many new(er) bikes have a "soul", not like the old bikes...

I saw a late '60s early '70s something small Suzuki 2 stroke with a chrome gas tank go by yesterday and thought to myself, that is a cool little bike and the rider looked like he was really enjoying himself. He wasn't worried about lean angles or traction control or top speed, he was just out getting in the wind enjoying the ride. Maybe that's what gives a bike a "soul."

Another friend of mine has a few Mustang cars, his '70 Mach is near and dear to his heart and he believes it has a "soul" whereas his '20 GT is an awesome car but has no "soul" it does everything better than his '70 but doesn't connect with him.

Your friend will find that bike to connect with him..it will be a hard thing to find I reckon.

I don't know if I really connect with my Busa but it feels like home when I ride it as it is a sort of old school bike compared to the modern platforms...other than the fuel injection, it bears the same lineage as the old GSXRs which I like. The Busa has basically gone to the classic level as it is no longer competitive in the market as a street dominance platform as it was designed to be. Luckily, I'm not one that craves the "latest and greatest."

 

[Tetsuo1000]

New Duc street fighter looks like it has soul. Ya gotta pay to play! Or just get something used?

 

[08BusaKY]

When I traded my 18 Busa for an FJR I felt the same. I got bored riding it like I did Harley's. Went back to busa and now a ZX14 too and both brought the passion back.

 

[airborneuph]

You want Soul ??

 

[Bumblebee]

I wonder what gives an inanimate object a sense of "soul?"

Is it the memories it brings back?
Is it the feelings we get while riding it?
Is it the look?
Is it the smell as in 2 strokes or the new bike smell..?

What does give a bike a sense of "soul?"

I tend to keep my bikes a long time and it has always been hard to sell them but when my mind is made up-off they go without second thought..once they are gone, they are gone to me. I kind of miss some of them but in reality, because I kept them so long, they were enjoyed quite a bit. I'd spend non-riding days cleaning and fussing over them same as I do this bike I have now.

 

[rubbersidedown]

You wan't true heart and soul out of something...anything...a car,boat,house...
Only one real way IMO...build it yourself.
If I had the cash and wanted a bike or car say,I would buy a frame,throw it on blocks and stare at it for hours,creating a forward path. Envision it from rusty crusty POS frame...to rubbing it with a fine wax for a show & shine.
Some guys will spend 20+ years on a project. Buying a stock anything and doing "bolt-on's" is cool and all...but fabbing "one-of" parts is cool...to the extreme. Its becoming more and more rare these days. My generation built Camaro's,Stangs,Vette's...the kids these days throw on a shi77y muffler and some glow lights on a Honda Civic and think they have the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Soul is built...not bought. It's not something off the showroom floor...its something created ON the shop floor.
Soul,energy,embodiment...known in other cultures as Chi or feng shui can not be purchased...it is born from ones own blood,sweat and tears.

...and that men is today's installment of philosophical bullshi7.

Rubb.

 

[202mphbusa]

can anyone who ride a Kawasaki be a friend?

 

[rubbersidedown]

can anyone who ride a Kawasaki be a friend?

awesome...

That funny shi7.
Rubb.

 

[202mphbusa]

@KZScott Is a exception

 

[Mythos]

Hey---I got a Kawasucky!!! I LOVE it! Always tell the truth and the busa is a better bike than the ZX-14. Glad I decided to yield to that gnawing feeling I had in my gut after buying a brand new 2008 ZX-14. Took two years to give in but I got a brand new busa and it's just better in every way except brakes. The 14 is still my favorite for some reason. It has more soul even though I know it's not as good as the busa. I guess it could be because it was my first sportbike and the first bike I really was excited to own. Also, I have done so much work on it. There is a lot of me in that bike.

As far as the H2, I like it. I'd prefer the older model without bags. The few additional electronics are interesting but that 2015 H2 is no worse. Either one, I think you need a flash. That might give the ZH2 more soul, that and take the bags off of it. It really sucks that they were selling the first H2s for $25,000 and now you get an upgraded one with bags for $17,000. Love the black chrome paint and anodized green frame but I'd be screaming about that money grab Kaw did. I have a buddy with a 2015 H2 and I don't even want to say anything about the price. He tried selling to get the ZH2. No takers.

 

[202mphbusa]

@GIXERHP .

 

[fallenarch]

I think there is personality and then there is soul. Soul is the story, the history a thing has. Whether it won great races or crossed difficult passages or has just been around forever. Personality is that elusive feeling you get from the bike - vibrations, sounds, smells and handling.

There are a lot of modern bikes with both Soul and personality. Who can say a Rocket III lacks either? Also Harley's sell character (soul+ personality). But a lot of bikes have the special "thing" too. Ducatis, the crossplane lilt of the M1, the power twins of KTM, the crazy fun of the Triumph 3, or the V-Strom. The BMW boxer is another bike oozing character.

I think a lot of people feel like a bike has to be simple or of another era to have character but this is not so in my eyes. To me a bike is a tool for riding and I love refined tools.

 

[Red05]

I think a lot of people feel like a bike has to be simple or of another era to have character but this is not so in my eyes. To me a bike is a tool for riding and I love refined tools.

True. The Tuono has it's own unique personality.

 

[Bumblebee]

Maybe the "soul" of a bike is a person's own unique interpretation of a certain bike??

What I may see as a "soulless" bike others might see as full of character and "soul" and vice-versa.

 

[Bumblebee]

That might give the ZH2 more soul, that and take the bags off of it. It really sucks that they were selling the first H2s for $25,000 and now you get an upgraded one with bags for $17,000. Love the black chrome paint and anodized green frame but I'd be screaming about that money grab Kaw did. I have a buddy with a 2015 H2 and I don't even want to say anything about the price. He tried selling to get the ZH2. No takers.

Are you thinking of the H2 SX SE? I thought the ZH2 is their street-fighter.

 

[Mythos]

@Bumblebee, yup. If we're talking the street fighter H2, I can see why that might catch the eye of someone who likes that kind of bike.

 

[ottafish]

It's an interesting topic. I fully rebuilt a M109 from the ground up. Back to a frame and then return to better than factory new. I knew every inch of it... But apart from the vtwin thump-thump, it wasn't it. And maybe that's because I'm not a cruiser person?

It's the naked version of the h2. No bags, no nuffin. He imported a small screen to try and detect some air over him..
He did have a Diavel which he loved and did it for him, but sold it on a whim for a one off HD and regrets it..
Hes been thru a S1000rr, perfect in every engineering way, but too clinical. Then a mt10sp, sold it for the zh2.

My Busa has "it" for me. It has the soul I need.
To me, it's the difference between "going for a ride" vs "going for a ride on 'my' bike"

 

[Bumblebee]

@Bumblebee, yup. If we're talking the street fighter H2, I can see why that might catch the eye of someone who likes that kind of bike.

Gotcha, taking the bags off threw me off as the ZH2 doesn't come with bags.

I don't mind the look of it...kind of like the S1000R.

 

[Tached1300]

I wonder what gives an inanimate object a sense of "soul?"

Is it the memories it brings back?
Is it the feelings we get while riding it?
Is it the look?
Is it the smell as in 2 strokes or the new bike smell..?

What does give a bike a sense of "soul?"

I tend to keep my bikes a long time and it has always been hard to sell them but when my mind is made up-off they go without second thought..once they are gone, they are gone to me. I kind of miss some of them but in reality, because I kept them so long, they were enjoyed quite a bit. I'd spend non-riding days cleaning and fussing over them same as I do this bike I have now.

My answer is the quirks, the imperfections and idiosyncrasies that gives my vehicles soul it makes up the overall personality which does create memories too you recall the quirks it had along with the smiles it made.