ROAD LEGAL RACER
So, basically, I was hooning around on the
road, on a full-on, big-bore race bike fitted
with knobbly tyres... what’s not to like?
Very little as it happens. I haven’t had so
much fun on the road since cutting loose
on an XR650R many years ago. The big 480
Beta will wheelie effortlessly more-or-less
everywhere. At one point I found myself
asking “Should I jump that roundabout?”...
well, of course you CAN, but SHOULD
you...? It’s not really socially acceptable
anymore, is it? But then, if no one sees you,
it’s probably okay, right?
Anyway, devil on your shoulder tendencies
aside, I’ll start with the down sides. With
the stock tank fitted you will need fuel
often, around the 100km mark or even
less if you’re on it. Next, full knobbly tyres
require plenty of caution in the wet – and
the dry if you’re not used to them. On long
road stints your arse will certainly hate you,
not just in a mild way either... it will be a
seriously passionate disliking. A gel pad
would definitely help and not compromise
the ergonomics when you eventually hit
the dirt – just drop it in your pack when the
serious riding starts. That’s it, otherwise it’s
just awesome.
Awesome? Yes, really. The engine is great,
smooth on the road with lots of linear
grunt and there’s plenty of power for
making passing a quick affair. The gearing
is plenty tall enough to lose your license
with, while still being low enough for fairly
serious off road trails. A happy top gear
cruising speed is anywhere between 90
and 120km/h. Although, that said, the
120km/h mark is not strictly legal, but
if you are at that speed there’s quite a
KIWI RIDER 47