Amazing video, nice cinematic colour lut. Great review, great shots, product placement on point. These videos are epic. Well done for raising the bar in Moto videos as you have done with Motorcycle Wear. Keep up the great work.👏👏👏🙌🤙🤙👌💯✅
Thanks Darren, that is really great feedback, we really do appreciate your encouraging words about Knox products and our content! All the best, Aaron KNOX
@@dubbydeuce2302 that Duke in my country which is Thailand costs as much as decent apartment with the money of buying that super Duke I could get 3 second hand s1000r 2016+
They say the 2020 SDR is smoother, more refined and more like a sportsbike. That's why I love and will keep my 2014 until it dies. There's nothing like an unrefined, rough naked with massive torque, snappy delivery and sketchy suspension when pushed to make you feel alive. I call it character.
@@nicholaskemp2451 The same is said across many makers. "Smoother" is the marketing way of acknowledging fueling was remapped to pass Euro5. Same happened to bikes remapped for Euro4. It's getting worse and worse...the Greenies are taking the fun away.
KTM for me for the razor sharp handling, brakes and weight saving. If I was still doing a lot of long distance riding maybe the Kawasaki but I think the Super Duke would drag me back.
Just get the GT. Take off the bags and you have a SDR with a bigger tank. Add the bags and its just a little more weight (still lighter than a H2 with no luggage). Now you can tour with the knee down, its awesome.
I have a ZH2 in green and I love the way it looks. But i also love the Duke. Nakeds in general are just generally badass looking. Only complaint with the Zh2 so far is how often im filling up the tank because it guzzles fuel. Great review.
I've done 130+ mph on a Speed Triple for an extended period of time following a friend in a M3 and the neck pain comment made in this video is no joke.
I tried following an Hayabusa on my S1000R and even though I'm really used to a naked. Never had been at around 150+ and I was feeling like I had a cement bag in front of my head.
The 4th 5th and 6th gear roll ons show how much midrange punch the zh2 has compared to the ktm. And lets not forget, the zh2 is SEVERELY restricted from the factory. Theres another 30-40 wheel horsepower to be had when the ecu flash is available.
Yes, the ZH2 has so much flexible roll on performance, however, when I think about the ZH2, I don't think punch, I think "thrust" like a jet!! ;). Thanks, Aaron KNOX
Great video! This is the first time I have seen the ZH2 at full throttle over 150mph up close, the shake is pretty severe, the KTM looked better planted at this speeds. No wonder the street fighter has all those winglets, I think they would make a good after market add on for the Z. Anyone who is thinking of tuning the Z to 250hp without considering some additional downforce and a steering stabilizer better have a big set.
Thanks for your feedback, appreciate it! Yes, the shake on the ZH2 makes it hard to put all the power down and yes the SuperDuke was much more planted at high speed. In principle, yes, extra downforce and steering damper on the Zed would have made a big difference to the 0-150 range, the roll on performance less so. Thanks, Aaron KNOX
How about a ZH 2 at 180 Mph.... Didn't get on it till I got past the only car on the road at 23 sec. No wings or stabilizer needed. Shut down about 100 yards before my usual brake marker. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-T8DZ1Y3MoFk.html
@@jezonneserbia6543 Literally THE most ugly bike for sale... Bad handling... Same power as KTM, but needs supercharging to get it (more tech/weight/problems)...
@@jezonneserbia6543 Whatever, it's shit ugly, but looks are subjective... But needing a super charger to get the same acceleration with more weight, more tech that can go wrong and worse handling due to weight and bad setup is OBJECTIVELY worse... Then again it's my third superduke, so what else am I going to say... 😁 Also sound is much better on the SD! Whine of supercharger may be nice, but it IS a gimmick with the problems mentioned above...
The summary summed it up nicely. It might even depend on rider age come to think of it. Being a 72 y/old lifelong rider/racer etc and a KTM owner, as much as the KTM excites, I’d probably go for the H2 due to the comfort factor. A big thumbs up on your ride location, that last frame looked like an awesome road, unlike anything in Australia!
KTM is always trying to make its bikes better and I am huge fan of super duke anyday hope I will be able to buy it ❤️ and the Aggressive nature is gorgeous ❤️😘
This is one of the best reviews have seen yet of both bikes I must say. and by the way I have the 2020 1290 Duke R in my garage, so I understand what the guys were saying about the KTM.
With the kwak urban buying a supercharger.... there's nothing premium on it to ask almost 16k.. on top of that u would have to buy a can as couldn't live with that monstrosity and rear shock looks like from old c90
The ZH2 seems to be sort of just a novelty. If you're looking for power and comfort, why would you get a super naked? Gentleman's sportbikes like the Ninja 1000sx are specialized for that sort of thing. Better wind protection, options for pannier cases, cruise control, heated grips, and 140 fucking horsepower. Not to mention its 5 grand cheaper and 10 pounds lighter. Having 200 horsepower doesn't mean anything when you can clearly see in the video that the Zh2 has trouble remaining stable at very high speeds. Horsepower porn is fair enough, but in the ZH2's case, its just on paper. Apparently it can go 240 miles an hour, but if its slapping tank at 130 I'd wager you'd be dead at 200 with a strong wind. Glad this bike exists though, you'd never see something this wild in the car industry. The SDR is a much more focused machine with a much clearer identity. Austrians get this one for me.
Pushed my Z H2 to 160 and didn't have any of the wobble here. The tuffs of grass certainly don't help! I would like to see a factory damper on the H2 none the less!
Brilliant review best that i've seen yet. I'm considering both these bikes when I change at the end of this year and this, subject to the test rides, has been extremely helpful. Well done on the content and scenery too...superb.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it and glad its been helpful. Both amazing bikes, just quite different, sure you'll love which ever you choose.. Thanks, Aaron KNOX
Great video and content. The one thing you missed and was the driver of my decision was the warranty! Take a close look at the KTM warranty statement! No chance! Bought the ZH2.
I love both bikes , just bought the z h2 and all I gotta say is wow. I have a m109r and a hayabhsa , and none of those bikes are as fun as the z h2 , and of course the speed on the z h2 its incredible.
All of these guys on here saying that the KTM isn't reliable are completely full of crap. I have a 2015 super Duke R that that has never had a single mechanical problem, only general maintenance. It even has the original chain and sprockets which are still in excellent shape. I have put 5 sets of tires on it and that's it. One hell of a motorcycle, and that's coming from a guy who drove nothing but Kawasakis for 50 years. I started out riding 750H2s in 1972. I also drag raced many different Kawasaki's and in fact have 2 in my shop right now that I used to race at the strip. When I ride the super Duke it is almost never under 100 miles an hour and many times I'm running at 130 to 150 mph. I have owned almost every big Kawasaki ever made. They have all been extremely dependable bikes, but out of all the bikes I've ever owned, I like the super Duke the best. It is like a razor blade in a box of butter knives compared to the rest. For anyone to say this bike is unreliable shows their complete and utter ignorance. Every piece on my super Duke screams quality and precision. The 1st thing I did was get rid of the SAS system and put on a graves cat delete exhaust, Rottweiler air filter and shorter stacks. It sounds otherworldly. Scares people when it starts up. No more tin can sound.Then it was a Power Commander and a dyno tune and now it is well over 200 hp, and blows the doors off of just about anything that has come up beside it. I also have a 2018 Z900 RS. It is a really nice bike but it only has 300 miles on it because every time I go to the garage, I go Z 900 or super Duke? 9 times out of 10, it's the superduke it's just that much fun to ride. With all that being said my next bike is going to be a ZH2. I think it will be a better bike for longer journeys. The 1st thing it will get is a steering stabilizer. There is no excuse for that kind of headshake on a bike that goes that fast and Kawasaki was nuts for not putting one on it from the factory. WTF were they thinking? In conclusion, a great bike is a great bike, enjoy them all.
Agree the SuperDuke is amazing! Yes, Kawasaki should have steering damper fitted, but they seem to have a strange strategy for that... even their ZX6r doesnt come fitted with one! On flip side, pretty much every KTM bike has one fitted and I think they are a very important safety feature. Thanks, Aaron KNOX
I rode both these bikes this year and mostly agree, for the road I fell In love with the ZH2 and saw myself easily touring on it. Where I disagree is with the KTM, I felt build quality and spec were shoddy and the bike felt primitive. I just couldn’t justify £15k on it. Nice video guys 🙌🏻
Finally a fair unbiased group test with the Zh2 in it. Iv owned both these bikes. Can confirm what they say is very very true. Both epic both eventful and both will blow u away with their individual capabilites. Think of the zh2 as a bugatti cheron. Big heavy comfy planted warp speed mega powered GT. The ktm more like a mclaren P1. Light agile fast focused and super quick. Both will get u A to B quicker than u will ever be able to master but just in different ways. Great review that u can feel and see is done with honesty and not so much input from what the manufacturers want them to tell us. We need more like this and less from the "sell out" type group test reviews. Plus I love ur jacket I got one myslef!
Hi Mark, many thanks for your feedback and comments, we really appreciate it and so glad you agree with what we say! Both bikes, like you say, are absolutely incredible! Also, thats great that you have a Knox jacket, really pleased you love it! Aaron KNOX
A great review. I do fancy the ZH2 but on test riding one I found it unforgivingly hard, definitely in need of a steering damper too. I have an H2SXSE and its solid and stable like you are being pulled on a chain. Also like you said about sitting on the ZH2 but in the KTM - thats exactly how I described it as well. I said early on that I felt as if (at 6ft) I sat IN the H2SX and agree that you feel perched on the ZH2. I'm just not connecting and hope for a new H2SX in 2022
Love the sound of the ktm. I’m kpower all the way though but would love to have both of them. I think the super duke looks better. That flyby at 2:53. Heaven!!
I could imagine the Monday morning meeting round the team table at Knox HQ. And on this week's agenda... boil the kettle, gear up and lets make an epic 2020 comparison!! Great work :)
Kawisuki! I jest. As far as speed goes, it really looks like without REALLY good electronics to control wheelies, they are useless in a drag race. But contenders for wheelie distance competitions.
Fantastic video and proper review, so watchable! I love both bikes and think they both look great. Currently have S1000 XR and it already has way more power than I need at 160bhp! But 180 and 200. Holy Sh**. I need to practice pull ups to hold on!
Thanks for your kind feedback... yes both bikes are probably a bit excessive, but are totally incredible! To be honest, the biggest problem is putting the power down on the road without constantly wheelieing! Aaron KNOX
Thanks Aaron For Keeping KSD In the comparison🔥 I can't express how much I love this beast 🥺❤ This SuperDuke Is SuperGorgeous and A Beast In Disguise💥🧡
I've ridden the hell out of a BMW s1000r. For me, SuperNakeds are best around 35-100mph. Slower than 35mph and they are heavy beasts. Faster than 100mph and you are getting so low you might as well have fairings. Also, the key to taking a SuperNaked to 170mph or so is to pinch the fuel tank hard with your knees and make your hands feathers on the bars. They're a lot of fun but I still prefer Standards for their relatively better performance balance.
Dont know what you are on, but it´s not even twice as expensive as the Z900 :D +it got 75hp more. But yeh I agree with you. Wouldnt buy a Kawasaki aswell xD
I recently sold my 2016 Super Duke GT for a new 2018 Super Duke 1290r last year. I love the SD motor with torque and horsepower at the same time all under 9500 rpm. It is too much for the street. I recently bought a Beauty to go with the Beast 2.0, MV agusta Dragster 800rr Pirelli Edition. A little less horsepower and weight with another unique engine, the triple. I bought the MV over the Streetfighter V4S as again too much power for the street. Middle weights have the perfect horsepower but you still need HALO bikes where the tech will filter down to their other bikes.