off the faint whiff of budget compromise. A ride up towards the Puhoi Pub made a pretty good case for the 450CL-C’ s handling. Cruisers can often feel like they’ ll keep going straight on regardless of your intentions, but this bike is surprisingly willing to be hustled along. It never felt twitchy or nervous, just stable, smooth, and nicely put together. Around town it was easy-going and easy off the mark, and once the road opened up, it carried itself with a pleasing amount of dignity, even when the rider perhaps did not. Pretty impressive for a 181kg frame. The suspension, however, deserves its own paragraph, partly because my spine demanded one. The 96mm single-shock rear suspension and seating combination, to be specific, is stiff. Really quite stiff. In the sitting position, you are perched so that any decent bump in the road is delivered directly up through the spine. I found myself standing up when I saw potholes coming, awkwardly hanging off the bars. Not exactly the image one expects from a relaxed cruiser experience. I even managed to hurt my back a couple of times; it felt deeply unfair given I am only 25, and not a twinge of back pain going on. The upside is that the stiffness does help the bike feel composed and predictable, but comfort over longer rides is not its strongest suit.
62 KIWI RIDER