Bike of the Year – We have a winner!

Dave Abrahams' unedited notes after riding the Kawasaki H2: A technological tour de force, wow factor up the wazoo, impressive build quality and immense physical presence. Titanic engine response and ultra-sexy wastegate twitter on the overrun, somewhat let down by snatchy throttle response. Chassis reassuringly stable under sledgehammer inputs, handling and steering somewhat remote. Loses points for the ugliest exhaust system since the original Buell Lightning. Picture: Dave Abrahams

Dave Abrahams' unedited notes after riding the Kawasaki H2: A technological tour de force, wow factor up the wazoo, impressive build quality and immense physical presence. Titanic engine response and ultra-sexy wastegate twitter on the overrun, somewhat let down by snatchy throttle response. Chassis reassuringly stable under sledgehammer inputs, handling and steering somewhat remote. Loses points for the ugliest exhaust system since the original Buell Lightning. Picture: Dave Abrahams

Published Aug 20, 2015

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Johannesburg - The 2015 Pirelli Bike of the Year is Kawasaki’s electrically supercharged 998cc H2 musclebike.

After what seemed like a very close score-sheet, the Kawasaki in fact totalled 76 points to the 66 of the Triumph Tiger 800 XCx and the Yamaha R1’s 54 – even though six of the judges made the Triumph their number one choice, and only five chose the Kawasaki as the No.1 machine.

The H2 also scored two seconds and a third, however, while the Tiger racked up one fourth, one fifth and a sixth place.

The Yamaha R1’s 54 points were made up of just one first, backed up by five seconds, three thirds and two sixth places.

Each bike scored 10 points for a first place, six for second, four for third, three for fourth, two for fifth and one for sixth.

Ducati Multistrada - 5

Aprilia Caponord Rally - 2

BMW RNineT - 2

The zero scores posted by the Suzuki and the Harley don’t mean that everybody rated them last. They simply mean that not one of the judges rated them among the top six.

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