beginning to feel the big legs begging to throw hundreds of miles behind you. Yep, this is a big touring cruiser, and it’ s a happy cocktail lounge on the road for as many hours as you like. Hoons in lowered cars give me salutes out the open window, with the old hang ten salute. Cred, bro. Ha! I’ m gentle at first, the weight is still there, but nothing like the Pursuit or the Roadmaster( which are up in the 400’ s), and it starts to feel like a friend. I forget the running boards and the riding position. Some corners that are my usual play areas are negotiated swiftly with smooth and grooving power. Jingle ya bells baby, Santa’ s smiling all the way! The ride position is classic, tucked well down into the bike. At highway speed there’ s a bit of buffeting off the short screen, till I realise its electrically adjustable, and at full height the hammering stops. I’ m six feet, not overly tall, and my top half is pretty short, so frankly if you’ re an inch or two over 6-feet you might need to investigate a taller screen. But you’ d have to be seriously tall. On the motorway this is an absolute delight- huge, smooth, fast roads served by huge, smooth, powerful motorcycles is a winning combo in anyone’ s language, and the American dream is still alive with Indian- no matter the current state of that place, politically. Indian’ s powerplants have been something I’ ve enjoyed for many years, and they seem to
52 KIWI RIDER