The motor, as said, is unchanged, and yes, there’ s an electronics package, but perhaps more significantly there’ s been another suspension upgrade, now with fully adjustable 46mm( not 43mm) KYB forks and a KYB shock tuned to match the fork. I had no beef with the previous setup, but the latest spec certainly makes for a great package that works extremely well across
all surfaces, from tarmac to rough track. And it’ s this integrity, the stability and predictability riding whatever terrain that makes the WR what it is. For sure, if you’ ve ridden the latest 800s and 900s that are pushing out 100hp or so, then, yes, the on-road acceleration of the WR feels less impressive. But then adventure riding shouldn’ t be about point-and-squirt tarmac performance, we’ re here to visit the countryside and / or wilderness, are we not? Off seal, meanwhile, whether you have 70 or 170hp, there’ s only so much traction a 150-section adventure tyre can find – so you’ re really not seeing any dynamic difference, just less frenzied wheelspin. In fact, this is when you find peak T7 – the way on a gravelly track the Yamaha pulls itself into the surface, purposefully making efficient progress( along with the beefy but muted soundtrack), rather than a high-rev, frenzied, skiddy fishtaily, mad-dog race for the horizon. Then there’ s the Yamaha
KIWI RIDER 35