is nothing short of miraculous . So , it comes down to personal preference I believe . If quick touring road work is your ‘ go to ’ style , then by all means go DCT . Loaded with panniers I don ’ t think you could find a more willing and comfortable bike on which to devour vast distances . Its lower ride height and flat-footed stance , with bigger tank , adjustable windscreen and super comfortable gel seat make this a total no-brainer . However , if tackling the Rainbow Road / Molesworth Station loop at the change of season and you knew you were going to encounter some pretty gnarly stuff , then I ’ d edge towards the manual gearbox and clutch version . Given the 250kg weight of the DCT you wouldn ’ t want to do it alone , but you wouldn ’ t anyway , right ?
DCT OR MANUAL ? So , here ’ s the final thought . In my garage I have
a Honda CRF300 Rally , it ’ s designed to go where the roads stop , mostly . And I can pick it up . So what would I have in the garage alongside that ? For touring , I ’ d choose the DCT , hands down . I love its look , the DRLs , the gold wheels , the spokes , the bigger tank , the lower and more comfortable seat , the adjustable windscreen , and that seamless , effortless , barking good downshift at the left hand is worth the price of admission . Do I want to off-road the Africa Twin ? Seriously , when it comes to the thought of dropping this beautiful beast , I shudder . I have a bike built for that , so I ’ d keep the AT for touring . What about the manual then ? Well here ’ s the truth for me . If I had a stable of bikes the DCT would be the go to . The more likely scenario is one bike , only , though , and then the manual would be top of the list . The best allrounder ever made to date and it has a great clutch . But what a choice .
42 KIWI RIDER