someone decided on decent disc brakes front
and rear, at last! To the rear the waspish tail
reminds me of the originating heritage of
1947. Well, its a classic for very good reason.
10 out of 10 for looks and presentation. So,
onto the rest..
The instrument cluster is clear and clean and
shows battery life, range and charging, as
well as the usual speed and data, but over to
the right hand, we come to a bit of clever.
The black R thumb-positioned button
delivers… wait for it, reverse. Yes.
For moving in tight parks and uphill, or
round sketchy bits, hold the button down
and gently roll the throttle on, and back you
will gently go. At first seemingly a gimmick, I
liked using this for backing around crowded
parking areas.
Harley, take a note.
The electric is comfortable to ride too, and
pretty quick. Did I mention that? A 50cc
equivalent for sure, it’s light as heck, and
quite responsive with three speeds. Beside
the reverse button is a red rocker switch
marked I, II and III. Roman numerals? I
know… but... Veracruz, remember?
They are basically limiters – I used II most
of the time on take off, as III could be a trifle
snatchy, and it feels like it could drain the
battery faster too, but I and II are smoother
and softer. Top speed in II is around 38 km/h
and in III it’s about 45km/h. Adequate, but
not threatening, and it is in a speed limited
market. Hell, get used to it and just leave it in
three.
It is absolutely the most silent electric
vehicle I have driven – many have whines
and hums, but not the Veracruz. Is this
necessarily a good thing? Sure seems like it
to my sensibility; it feels more finely finished
perhaps. But that’s subjective.
Round town I was getting good distance
and didn’t suffer from range anxiety. In NZ
zapping into town and back for a handful of
dollars per year, should really make it your
first consideration. I’d say if you ride for less
than an hour to work, no issue, especially if
you can charge up during the day.
Downsides? Yes it’s a bit of a struggle on a
steep hill, full load is rated at 160kg and I’m
at least 60 shy of that, so if you have steep
inclines, be prepared for significant slowing.
But it’s a 50cc equivalent, so it was always
going to find me a bit of a bear.
KIWI RIDER 103