ready and able , in spite of my extra kilos , and I had a great time in spite of the ‘ missing ’ 700cc . Light , nimble , slick , and flicky as hell , I loved the front end . The designers have opted for a single 320mm disc with a four pot ByBre caliper ; the website says by not opting for the double it reduces gyroscopic force , and that may be marketing speak , but the front is particularly good in weight-on downhill twists , but also in accelerating turns - the Scenic Drive twists and turns had me giggling with pleasure . The bike is mostly tuned for track performance , and it imparts razor-sharp handling . When loading the front on corner entry and stressing the rear on exit , the chassis doesn ’ t flex , and the low down torque in the little engine is revelatory . It ’ s firm and direct , with nothing unexpected occurring . In all modes the automatic config is for ABS 2 to be applied but it can be switched to ABS 1 , when at a standstill , and it will allow a little
chirping and bouncing in hard braking , but it still feels planted , and predictable . In accelerating , the torque levels are strong enough to deliver a strong pull from low revs right through to redline at 10 and a half . Zapping through shifts up and down with the quickshifter was faultless and quick , and a huge amount of fun blipping through the rev range , muscling down into a corner , with squawks and chirps at the rear , and the exhaust note imparts a surprisingly satisfying sound when twisting the wrist firmly .
SUSPENSION Suspension consists of 41mm upside-down forks and a rear monoshock , both with preload adjustment only . Yes , the suspension is a little stiff , but it makes for spirited riding , without fiddling about too much . I ’ m reminded of those outrageously priced hi-fi amplifers delivered with one knob , volume ; in effect saying - we ’ ve
60 KIWI RIDER