The traction control has four modes including
off. Mode One permits burnouts and wheelies
and six years at her Majesty’s pleasure. Mode
Two will leave you with home detention.
Mode Three is for when you’re riding in the
rain, but no-one does that anymore, so we won’t
worry about that.
You can also fool around with the engine braking
(like on the H2). Set it on Light and you have so
little engine braking you’ll think you’re riding like
Johnny Rea. You won’t be. But you’ll think you are.
The TFT dash is dazzling. It has everything, like
Netflix. And you can change the display to suit
your desires – Touring or Sport. Do not do what
I did and stare at the lean-angle indicator while
cornering. It’s a trap for young players, that.
There are also cornering lights, Cruise Control, an
The TFT dash is dazzling. It
has everything, like Netflix.
And you can change the
display to suit your desires
– Touring or Sport
up-and-down quickshifter (and a very good one),
and a new slipper-assist clutch which makes the
lever pull a little less effort-filled. All very welcome
and useful tweaks for a… um, touring bike, as it
were.
The chassis has also undergone some treatment
to bring the SX more into the exclusive Batshit
Crazy Touring niche. The back-end has been
beefed up to handle a pillion and luggage, and
overall rigidity has been increased. Lowering the
centre of gravity, while still maintaining great
ground clearance was a priority. The engine
has been canted forward an extra two degrees,
the swingarm lengthened 15mm, and the
steering head has been pushed forward 15mm,
thus increasing the wheelbase by 30mm, and
obviating the need for a steering damper.