Stylema monobloc four-piston radiallymounted calipers grasp mightily onto twin 320mm floating discs at the front, with a Brembo Stylema twin-pot coercing a 220mm disc at rear. These both have OC-ABS( Off Corner ABS) which takes ABS a step further- using sensors to monitor and adjust the motorcycle’ s lean angle and lateral braking in a corner. Braking is therefore powerful, accurate and inspiring. When combined with the suspension‘ boffinry’ from Öhlins, using the Swedish masters’ SmartEC3 OBTi( Objective Based Tuning Interface) system with electronic compression and rebound damping, predicated by a menu input of the rider’ s exact weight, we are attaining Olympic heights of road-holding excellence. But the story doesn’ t end there. Although this technology is also offered on other machines, such as the Honda’ s Fireblade and Ducati’ s Panigale V4S, they come with a price tag about $ 20k higher, so this is the most affordable application of this tech you’ ll find anywhere.
RIDER INTERFACE The level of inputs in the dashboard menu will take a new owner a few days( or more) to come to grips with, but it’ s very user-friendly and follow-your-nose intuitive. Equipped with a proximity key fob, the full colour TFT dash switches on with the logo and Welcome Rider greeting. I changed it to my own name, simply because it pleased me. So,‘ Welcome Pete’, started things off nicely. A series of menus appear when you press the Home button on the right grip.‘ Bike’ is illuminated, and a menu beneath displays Riding Aids, Suspension, Coolant, Warnings, Service and Settings. Under Riding Aids is a further sub-menu for ABS, MAP, Suspension, Traction Control, Engine Braking, Front Wheel lift Control, with a choice of settings for each. Five rider preset Maps are available- Road, Rain, Sport, Track and Rider, but you can configure within them as well. Under‘ Suspension’, the adjustments seem infinite at first, being set in 10 steps, from + 5 to-5 for Front Firmness, Rear Firmness, Brake Support, Acceleration Support,
KIWI RIDER 37