RIDING A twist of the grip delivers smooth power without being remarkable , instead it ’ s linear and assuring . With two modes , Road and Offroad , a simple operation that switches off traction control to the rear means you aren ’ t going to get lost in a maze of wizardry , instead you get solid rideability and a great deal of pleasure . Equipped with twin-piston Brembos and meaty discs , the bike stops swiftly , again without pain or surprise , and is confidence-inspiring on gravel . It comes equipped with Pirelli Scorpion Rally tyres at 19-inch upfront and 17-inch at rear , and it is firmly surefooted . Swooping through snakey country lanes , and the pot-holed hell of forestry backroads , the suspension performed excellently . Several humps saw my companion rider fairly leaping out of the saddle , while the Morini ’ s fully adjustable Marzocchis never twitched a whisker . I was impressed . It ’ s not the lightest 650 you ’ ll find in the world , at 213kg dry , but it is very well composed . Geoff has put over three and a half thousand k ’ s on the speedo and he too was surprised at how well the bike rides ( another tester , Noel , is heading away for a week on the bike , with the factory luggage fitted ). There is nothing particularly flashy about any of it , it delivers its 59 LAMS horses without fanfare or bravado - but every one of them is a horse not a pony [ it really does bely its LAMS status - Ed ]. There are several colourways to choose from , Red ( of course ), Anthracite ( grey ), and Carrara White , and although I ’ m not a massive fan of the white , it ’ s purely a taste thing for me . In looks , it ’ s reminiscent of the Ducati Desert X , but I suspect that is reinforced by the Paris Dakar White bikes of years past . The seat height was acceptable at 845mm , but is adjustable lower , and with a longer limb I found it pleasantly comfortable to stand on the pegs , I could have happily explored a great deal more of the back roads . One of the great fears for offroad riding is the downhill stall , or when your leg has to reach way down to halt a fall , usually with appalling consequences . I was able to reach and hold without that feeling of being on a horse , high , precarious and at the whim of a ‘ personality ’. On highways I enjoyed the riding position and
44 KIWI RIDER