Heated seat and grips? I
could really get used to
these luxuries...
Just maybe, I needed some more time aboard
to get used to it.
Some months later I found myself with
the 1200 XCa sitting in my garage for a
weekend… so a quick call to a couple of riding
buddies had a plan hatched for a breakfast
raid to Raglan on the Sunday morning. Surely
five or so hours on everything from city to
motorway and super-twisties would give me
a way to really get to know the bike.
With the bike in the garage I took some
time to take a proper look at it and see
what I had to play with on the ride. There
really is everything you could possibly want
here; adaptive cornering lights, colour TFT
display, heated grips and seats, electrically
adjustable suspension, electric screen, cruise
control, shift-assist for both up and down
shifts, shaft drive, Arrow titanium silencer,
great big grippy footpegs, fog lights, hill-start,
cornering ABS and more.
The next morning we were due to meet at
a motorway services on the Oh My God side
of early. Pulling out of the driveway the TFT
dash seemed to be gleefully informing me
it was 8-degrees C. No problem… a quick
couple of switch flicks on the bars had the
grips and seat warming up – I could really get
used to these luxuries.
As I snaked my way through early morning
suburbia, with my butt and hands warming
up, I noticed the same low-speed front end
nervousness I’d noticed on the launch. The
roads were damp too, accentuating the
feeling. Metzeler Tourance Next tyres come
fitted as standard and they grip superbly
in both the wet and dry. This gave me the
confidence to explore the steering. The more
I rode the less I noticed the fast steering. By
the time we were half way to Raglan I didn’t
notice it at all. Thinking about it while riding,
every bike I’d ridden in the previous months
had been sporting a 21-inch tyre. I guess I’d
just become used to the extra effort needed
to make them corner.
I’m a big fan of cruise control on a big, fast
bike. They’re so easy to speed on without
even realising you’re exceeding the speed
limit. Having passed three cop cars on the
motorway I was very happy to have it there
and engaged.
With 141hp on tap there’s more than enough
go for any situation. Wind that throttle open
and this thing picks up beautifully – and the
KIWI RIDER 105