it responds like one. It is just a little less aggressive turning in and has a few kilos more to change direction. The flip side is that it is impressively stable and refuses to get nervous or flighty, sitting like the Rock of Gibraltar in a storm, instead. You can notice the extra effort required by the higher bars and lower, more central footpegs, it’ s not as core body focused as a head in the shed, arse-up variant, as per its touring side but it does make me smile until my cheeks hurt in my helmet when it’ s requested to demonstrate its sporty side. There is the SE model which has suspension upgrades, but it’ s not active like the Versus, the standard version sits well, soaking up the bumps nicely for a‘ base’ model. Sampling its more genteel side is a positive experience. I would prefer a single-handed screen adjustment option, and I would like to try the aftermarket screen options for long hauls but that is always a very personal thing and depends on body shape, height etc. Needing my jandals on to reach six feet in the old money( 1.79m in bare feet) I found the screen protected me from wind blast but was a tad noisy in the up position. Weirdly, I found it actually quieter in the lower racy position, and I liked the wind on a smoking hot day. To be fair, the bike parked next to it in my garage was the same before I forced my tight self to get another screen. I understand that the next person may have to revert it to make it suit them, so it’ s more of an observation than anything untoward.
UNDER CONTROL The electro-wizardry is tidily concealed in easy to figure out( as in I didn’ t have to refer to the manual) switchgear, except for the slightly awkward looking but waterproof and useful USB port that sticks up from the left bar. Modes, trips, connectivity, electronic intervention settings are all there in logical order and, like the cruise control, simple to use from the get-go. Being old, I don’ t enjoy early intervention when riding, hence the Sport mode being my
64 KIWI RIDER