COMMUTING: RAY HERON DUKES OF HAZARD: RAY HERON
T I
hat roadie was a few weeks ago now, and
I have been riding the Duke as my daily on
the 21km commute to and from work in
Wellington traffic. The bike is brilliantly stable
at low speeds, crawling along at 5-10km/h.
However, as mentioned earlier, the engine loves
to rev and is not at home at the bottom end of
the rev range, so I found I was riding the clutch
a fair bit more than I have to on other bikes.
The clutch is smooth and light, so in traffic
that’s not an issue, but I found my self riding
in Rain mode much of the time, as in Street
and Sport the throttle response is a bit sharp.
The Ventura luggage I used has been
impressive and very useful for work. Equipped
with panniers and a tail pack there is loads
of room for my gym gear, laptop and any
other cargo I need to take to work with me.
And what of the indicated 290km fuel range?
On the open road I managed around 260km
to the tank, with the current petrol prices,
which cost me around $29 to fill. And around
town 220km, which, although not the most
economical, is more than made up for when
you do get a clear stretch of motorway. It’s not
ridiculously thirsty, but if you’re after something
really economical get a 125cc scooter.
began my experience with the Duke with
mental images of old English aristocracy.
I’ve riding the 790 Duke for the better part
of two weeks, commuted on it, completed a
‘roadie’ on it, carrying the better part of 50kg
worth of luggage and it was still happy to pop
a wheelie and carve up a mountain pass. It
occurs to me that even though Prince Phillip
lives a mostly prim and proper life, he is known
to have a rebellious side to him, but maybe
the Duke name is more Dukes of Hazard than
Duke of Edinburgh. A thought given even
more credence by the slightly unhinged colour
scheme. But after spending so much time with
this bike, it will be hard to go back to my old
daily. The Duke is a brilliant bike. It’s all about
fun, excitement, and maybe being naughty
from time to time. A bit like a five-year-old child,
it doesn’t like to walk, instead preferring
to sprint. The Duke 790 is a well-rounded
package for commuting, spirited rides,
occasional touring or even taking to the
track once in a while. For all of those
reasons, I would be stoked to own one.
KIWI RIDER 111