There ’ s a lot more feel for the ground beneath and the bike handles slow-speed bumps well and now excels when hitting bumps at speed . I had to make a small change to the fork spring preload to get it just right for me - it can be easily adjusted by hand out on trails . Handy . Even when putting the bike into square-edged bumps it now recovers nicely , staying well balanced - not transferring much force into the rider . It ’ s definitely a big improvement over last year , and something that most riders will notice and be happy about . The chassis of the 200 has a low centre of gravity , giving it the feel that you ’ re on top of the bike , something that encourages the rider to ride in the standing position . I was able to really come into corners fast and lay the bike over while remaining in the standing position .
I could also make my way up steep sections of track , easily moving the bike around in the direction I wanted it to go . The engine characteristics of the 200 will suit a wide range of riders . I could ride the new 200 a gear higher in flowing sections of track and it would still track along very nicely and be very forgiving , pulling well . When I wanted some more aggression and speed , the 200 gets up and goes well . The 200 really shows the perks of having a lighter and smaller bore bike when riding through tight or steep sections . I ’ m a fan of the Nissin brakes that are carried over from last year ’ s model . They come with braided brake hoses to handle extreme conditions , and I love the modulation and feel they provide when I ’ m descending steep slopes . Riding down a gravel
KIWI RIDER 49