Kiwi Rider August 2024 Vol.1 | Page 37

and the pegs lower and not so rear set as on a true sports machine , but for my long frame the 900 is still cramped . Having said that , if you are well under six foot , or have younger joints than this old boy , you will likely find this 1980s retro-racer reasonably comfortable . The seat is pretty good and the controls are where they should be to avoid any uncomfortable finger reaching . One thing that was very noticeable while doing U-turns for photos , was that the steering lock is poor . Unless the road is really quite wide , a U-turn becomes , by necessity , a three-point turn .

CHASSIS In keeping with the classic looks , a 1980 ’ s Deltabox-style twin-spar alloy frame ties the engine , suspension and wheels together . Clip on handle bar mounts keep that retro look going , although they are mounted above the top triple clamp to raise them ; not super low , below the yoke , in true GP-style . They are not adjustable , which is a shame as I wanted to straighten them out a little and slide them up the fork tube for greater purchase and comfort . Remember Graeme ‘ Croz ’ Crosby ?, well , who could forget this Kiwi legend … he liked his bars straight-ish too . Fully adjustable KYB suspension graces each end and is , almost , faultless . It ’ s firm yet comfortable and controlled in its action , but can feel harsh at times because of our poxy road conditions . The damping wasn ’ t developed with our road imperfections in mind , rather than it being a damping issue . The triple disc braking is solid and progressive . It ’ s a little shy on initial bite up front compared with the best brakes going , but the progression is good with decent overall stopping power available without having to pull too hard on the lever . Very sticky Bridgestone Hypersport S23 rubber is about as good as it gets and I ’ m certainly not going quickly enough on the road to provoke any kind of grip issue in the dry and , basically , I ’ m a pussy in the wet . They work well .

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