open , poorly surfaced roads the wide tyres tend to follow the camber and self-steer the bike a little , it is no big deal , but noticeable . The combination of over 300kg fuelled and ready to go , wide tyres ( the front is wide too at 150 / 80 17 ), a very long wheel base and a slow steering head angle means this is not a ‘ throw it around ’ kinda motorcycle . It instills a sense of needing to respect the ride ... but ... despite this , the Rocket defies its looks and can be punted pretty hard . It is certainly a LOT more capable than the previous model I rode some years ago . Cornering clearance is miles better and the suspension , while firm , works well and is not continually bottoming out , although not ultraplush on our rougher roads either . There is a fine sense of satisfaction when punting the Rocket along twisty roads . It ’ s rewarding because the challenge is greater . The suspension is of decent specification . The forks are 47mm inverted items that have compression and rebound damping and 120mm of axle travel . They perform very well and offer good ride comfort . The forks hold up in the stroke nicely under brakes and are quite
plush – certainly no complaints . The Showa shock is fully adjustable with 107mm of wheel travel and is adjustable for spring preload , compression and rebound damping . Shock action is decent and quite well controlled , but the mass and grunt of the Rocket along with the rough roads where I live meant comfort was not great . However , having said that , few bikes offer excellent comfort on these poor roads . On open , smooth main roads the suspension action is planted and well controlled and provides great bike composure . The Ergonomics are somewhat cruiser-like . The seat is a low 773mm from the deck and the foot pegs are more or less directly below it . This made for cramped legs on long rides as they were well bent . The reach to the bars is long , but they ’ re a nice straight-ish bend offering good control which I like .
ROUNDING UP THE ROCKET Electronic sophistication is , of course , integral to the Rocket ’ s design . Full cornering ABS and rider Mode appropriate traction control has your safety covered . Cornering ABS means
46 KIWI RIDER