Flat out and flat, out

The H2 SX SE enjoys a day on track… and two weeks off the road

THE H2 SX’S natural environment isn’t a track, and specifically not Cadwell Park, usually described as one of the UK’S most narrow, twisty circuits; a grey ribbon knotted around a fold in the Wolds. It hasn’t much straight to speak of and, though the H2 isn’t averse to corners (it reaches 51° of lean, pegs down), I leave the Kawasaki’s traction control on for fear of seeing the circuit from space. The H2 feels long and large for Cadwell, like trying to fit the wrong lid on a Tupperware container. And I can’t find the colossal warp speed required to jump out of a corner and beat everything to the next one.

Maybe it’s because I’m here courtesy of Bennetts Insurance, covering their trackday for RIDE (see last month’s issue) and, at one of their trackdays last

year, my Ride-magazine Fireblade was embarrassingly rear-ended. No-one wants to see that again, and it’s a steady-away trackday; the atmosphere is warm and cuddly rather than fast and nasty. One of the perils of H2 ownership is remembering the litany of excuses when you fail to impress yourself.

Back in the garage, the H2’s battery failed to impress me. I parked it up after a run down to Essex, then went on holiday for a week. When I came back I went to start the bike in a hurry the next morning for a 3.30am ride to Gatwick – and the battery barely had enough juice to spin the motor. In a rush, I threw a charger on it and took the van instead.

Three days later I tried again — still no joy. I read online that the H2 battery is marginal if a tracker is fitted, with owners recommending a trickle charger if left for more than a few days. My bike has a tracker so a new battery is on its way (at the time of writing, www. sportsbikeshop.co.uk is selling the Yuasa YTZ10S for £65).