New on the Adventure Sports is a
seven level traction control system,
which can be completely disabled
GENTLE ANNIE
Our last day was a goodie, our plan was Napier,
Taihape then north to AKL keeping well off
SH1 wherever possible. Sadly, the gravel of
the Gentle Annie road has been completely
tar-sealed in recent years but I think in terms
of road riding it’s a national treasure. It has a
funtastic blend of everything a rider could ever
want in a road – stunning views, bends and
turns of all descriptions, big hills and valleys and
a largely excellent surface, but, perhaps best of
all, very little traffic.
For this type of riding these Hondas are superb.
They handle very well with a light effortless
feel, decent brakes and a generally confidence-
inspiring manner. The engines make light work
of everything and have just the right amount
of useable power for the majority of riders…
meaning you can go fast without the risks
associated with trying to push a much higher
powered bike.
Of course, like all modern large capacity bikes
there are multiple electronic rider aids to
enhance rider safety. New on the Adventure
Sports is a seven level traction control system,
which can be completely disabled. The ABS can
be disabled at the rear leaving the front on,
but the front ABS can’t be turned off. I rode the
majority of the time with the TC off, the ABS
in rear off mode, and the most powerful rider
mode. I just like the freedom of expression this
allows and, frankly, I dislike ABS off-road. I’m not
saying ABS isn’t warranted off-road if that’s what
you want, it’s just that as a dirt rider I’m used
to locking my wheels offroad and that’s how I
want my brakes to behave. I often lock the front
on a dirtbike to feel traction levels. This might
sound risky but it’s a fun thing to practice in a flat
paddock on a dirt bike - see how far you can ride
along in low gear with the front wheel locked.
It’s a great balance trainer. Also, I don’t like the
feeling of the bike running on when using the
front brake on gravel.
And so, a last blast through the Waikato had
us hit AKL right in rush hour. We literally passed
hundreds of cars lane-splitting and the easy
nature of the Honda’s power delivery made this
a stress-free pleasure too.
KIWI RIDER 45