when I spoke with Mike Cibulskis( of Auckland Harley fame) and he’ d gone out and bought one after test riding it- he loved it so much( read his story below). For Auckland’ s gravel roads north and southwest of the city it would be hard to pick something more capable for the size and the money. Yeah, it’ s basically the 450MT with some refinements, a bit more seat height, about 5kg lighter, a touch quieter perhaps, great instrumentation, forward / back adjustable windscreen, but it comes with decent lights, higher front guard, smoother throttle response, and all ready to get into it. And did I say what a looker this is? Good to see a 21-inch front wheel with spokes too- always a treat. Standing on the Alltrhike, I found the upright position really comfortable with great reach to the levers, with the sort of feedback from the bars that made you long for offroad playing. Apparently the footpegs are movable as well, something that might cheer up older riders with hip issues. DRL’ s on the front also house the indicators and that’ s kinda stylish, although fixing a bust bulb won’ t be straightforward. Suspension is fully adjustable, as you’ d hope for an adventure bike, and 18.5 litres of fuel in the tank should give it reasonable range. The weight is distributed well and at 170kg dry, it feels mighty flickable. Stopping power is good without being outstanding, with a single 320mm disc at the front and 255mm at the rear, with switchable Bosch ABS. So, you’ re going to have some choice in this market, there are a lot of 400-450 models and marques around. Bang for buck and desirability of design? Given that it will be as reliable as the CFMOTO, and long-term ownership on that is still out, but so far so good, it probably comes down to looks and seat height. My preference would be the Italian styling. Colours, graphics and finish sold me. It just looks a lot more appealing. That, and under $ 10k with 3 year factory warranty? Get out and join Mike C on his day off. PETER ELLIOTT
92 KIWI RIDER