trail and road. There’ s less stutter at low speeds, a stronger pull out of corners, and better control when riding in technical terrain. With this tune and a gearing change, the top speed increased quite dramatically. To cope with demanding trails and heavy luggage loads, the clutch springs were replaced with Titan heavy-duty clutch springs, adding extra bite and durability with an increase of approximately 65 % in spring force. The gearing has been upped to a longer-legged 15-tooth front and 45-tooth rear( stock is lower geared at 14T: 47T), improving low-end control without sacrificing any top-end comfort for highway runs. Up front, Renthal handlebars have replaced the stock setup for a more natural riding stance, better leverage, and added vibration damping; a small but noticeable change that improves all-day riding comfort. The whole package now rolls on Metzeler’ s Karoo 4 tyres, which provide impressive grip on loose surfaces while remaining predictable on sealed roads. The dual compound rear lasted me a full Southern tour. Out on the South Island’ s terrain- from the Lindis Pass to the Molesworth Station and most gnarly tracks in-between, the 450MT never missed a beat. It’ s light enough to muscle
KIWI RIDER 35