It simply has an uncanny
ability to remain in control
and well behaved. Rock. Solid
TRACER BACK, FUTURE FRONT
The engine and rear of the machine is quite
similar to that found on the Yamaha MT09/
Tracer. So, for now, I’ll get straight on to how
the front-end handles and behaves. While
out riding around I tried my best to unsettle
the front end. And believe me, I really tried.
I pushed it in to wet turns on tarmac and
gravel, I lined up some bad potholes that only
one front wheel would hit, and I drove it in to
braking bumps in much the same fashion.
I’m not sure why, but I was almost secretly
hoping there might be a little sideways flick
of feedback through the bars, some fault in
the system that I could happily write about.
But nothing I tried ever upset its stability.
It simply has an uncanny ability to remain
in control and well behaved. Rock. Solid.
54 KIWI RIDER
Then, in the back of my mind after I had
convinced myself that the front-end was near
perfect… I was still a little concerned about
wheelies. What would happen if the front came
down with the bars slightly to one side? Would
it bite and kick-back through the bars…? Like
when you touch a single front tyre down a little
sideways at high speed and the front wheel is
rotating much slower than the rear and it snaps
back up to speed – it can genuinely feel quite
ugly! Again, no such worries at all, in fact it
feels more stable landing than a single wheel.
Not only that, but the general confidence it
imparts from the exceptional front-end grip is
second to none. It is sometimes a little different
though. When riding a two-wheeler on gravel
it’s at times helpful to use a wheel or water rut,
anything with an edge really, to hold the bike
on line in a turn, but if you aim for a rut on the