Kawasaki ZH2 V Triumph Tiger 900 Rally
And so here we are at Bike’s Bike of the Year final, 2020. 14 contenders have fallen, leaving Kawasaki’s Z H2 and Triumph’s Tiger 900 Rally Pro to battle it out on the roads of the Peak District…
This morning contains two surprises. The first is that Kawasaki’s Z H2 has reached our Bike of the Year final. If I’d nipped to William Hill and popped a tenner down on it happening, I’d have been able to retire on the winnings. And the second is that a supercharged nigh-on 200bhp naked can be so, so manageable in grotty conditions.
We’re heading for the Peak District on a 12-hour day of riding to determine whether the Kawasaki or Triumph’s Tiger 900 Rally is our Bike of the Year, and taking the tangled route across Cambridgeshire, Rutland and Leicestershire. The overly cheery forecaster on the telly box last night didn’t say anything about oily skies and mizzling rain. After a lengthy dry spell the B676 and A6006 have a greasy sheen and so we expect a blown 998cc inline four that weighs 239kg, with 101 lb.ft of avalanche-like torque, to be an obstinate handful. Yet the Z H2 is smooth, composed and astoundingly easy to ride.
‘This thing’s remarkable in the rain,’ confirms Hugo in a shouted exchange at some Kegworth trac lights. ‘It’s flowing, safe and controlled – at no point have I felt the need to use anything softer than full-on Sport mode.’
Being a Z H2 Performance means this bike has an Akrapovic titanium end can for bike-meet points and a ‘large meter cover’. Judging by Hugo’s thumbs-up and his happiness to cruise at 85mph the latter
bolt-on clearly makes this up-spec variant more usable than the base model – though I’m still glad I’ve swiped the Tiger for the thrum beneath Derby on the A50. With effective grab-and-adjust screen, comfortable ergonomics and supple long-travel suspension the tall triple makes an effortless cruiser. The T-shaped crank and unusual firing intervals of the new 888cc engine create a few footpeg grumbles that I don’t recall from six months with a Tiger 800, but the 900 still feels like it could keep this up for tank after tank.
The sun breaks its heavy cover as we duck off onto proper roads and slice north through ever more impressive scenery. The Tiger’s natural, stress-free dynamic shines, too. Triumph always seem able to get away with sporty chassis geometry without compromising stability and with
‘There’s no questioning the usability and efficiency of the motor, and it’s installed in a chassis that does its job faultlessly regardless of road, speed or conditions’
pointy steering the Tiger flits from lean to lean, yet with sure-footed composure. Its elevated stance gives confidence through blind corners and between many stone walls, and the swollen midrange means quickfire overtakes.
The 900 does feel quite busy, though. It’ll rev past 12,000rpm, however, you never go near the top half of the range as there’s something about the power delivery that makes the triple seem like it’s working hard at 7000rpm and compels you to slip another gear in. Out of Buxton and heading for the grandeur of Mam Tor, I try to select the nonexistent seventh gear for about the twentieth time today. Over on the nuclear Kawasaki, I suspect Hugo hasn’t touched the gear lever or been past 5% throttle in ages.
We spend the afternoon prancing around various nadgery lanes clinging to slopes around the Hope Valley, soaring across the tops of ridges and swapping about between bikes. It’s perfect riding: great ever-changing roads, little trac, golden August sunlight. And we’ve brought some flapjack too, which we devour while perched on a quiet verge, soaking in the view and comparing notes. ‘The Kawasaki’s engine is phenomenal,’ gushes Hugo. ‘That it can be so civilised and usable, and yet so stupendously fast is outstanding. We caught trac on the narrow climb up Winnats Pass and did 15-20mph the entire way up – and I just left it in top gear. And it sounds like an angry old air-cooled four too, just like a naked Kawasaki should. It’d be an ace engine for pillions as the power is so smooth and you never need to change gear… not that you’ll convince anyone to go on the back.’
On smooth, open A-roads the Kwak’s substantial chassis gives a composed and reassuring ride, but we’re in agreement that the wide tank and short seat give an unnecessarily locked-in and upright riding position. Next to the light-on-its-tyres Tiger you notice how the Zed’s steering needs excess input in slower, tighter corners, how its suspension rattles down bumpy hilltop backroads. And despite Grayson’s approval of its appearance, there are too many details that look scrappy on a bike which costs £16,747 on the road with this paint scheme – it’s the same sort of money as the H2 SX yet doesn’t have the same ride quality or luxurious air as its classier stablemate. ‘Though the engine is unbelievable, the rest of the Kawasaki is average,’ continues Hugo. ‘I really want to love this bike, but the rear shock, fasteners and quality of some details let it down. Everyone should experience what it feels like, as it’s sensational… but ownership is something else.’
It’s much harder to criticise the Triumph. I’m not convinced by supposed benefits of its new T-shape crank; the previous 120° triple was a fabulously syrupy road engine and what set the Tiger 800 apart in a sea of twins, so I’m not sure why they’ve hidden their USP by making the new 900 sound and feel more like a Suzuki V-strom. However, this is nit-picking: there’s no questioning the flexibility, usability and eciency of the motor, and it’s installed in a chassis that does its job faultlessly regardless of road, speed or conditions.
‘There’s no standout wow moment with the Triumph – it’s simply a bike that’s astonishingly complete,’ says Hugo, digging out a neck warmer for a 100-mile evening ride home that’ll include a backlit Ringinglow Road, Sheeld city centre, a cruise-controlled stretch of M1 and an A-road test of high beam into Lincolnshire. ‘The balance of the Tiger is just about perfect. Its effortless neutrality and usability mean it’s shone today on every type of road.’
I counter with quick criticisms of the dash (four display options, all as unpleasant as each other), screen (can’t safely adjust its height on the hoo©), and remind Hugo that the 900’s lofty perch nearly caused him some uneven car park embarrassment; he knocks me straight back by highlighting its always-superior ride quality, finer level of finish, and how despite these facts the Tiger 900 Rally starts at £11,700. A whopping five grand cheaper than the Kawasaki.
With this the editor pulls rank, swings a leg over the triple’s seat (just…) and points its crisp new headlights east. But though he’s undoubtedly nabbed the best bike for the two-hour ride home, I get to ride the Kawasaki Z H2 – and who really cares about anything else when you’ve got a supercharger?
‘So civilised and yet so stupendously fast’