KIWI RIDER MAY 2021 VOL1 | Page 41

glamour , bravado , chrome , with leather , smoke , grease and fuel fumes . It is part of a masculine history .
MOSTLY NEW INSIDE Now , while the new RS looks pretty good , they have made some changes to the engine . They have increased the power by a mere six horses – to 103 . And the top speed is closer to 220 . For some that could be the icing on the cake , but those , frankly minimal , figures don ’ t tell the whole story . This new RS just feels faster , everywhere , from drop in , steering , acceleration , and braking - everything just seems to happen a bit quicker . It ’ s very easy to love . I was advised to try the bike in Rain mode before flicking to Road , and then Sport , as the difference is marked , and that was true , but I stayed in sport after doing so ... because . The boffins have been at work , they ’ ve lightened the crank , and alternator , they ’ ve thinned the walls of the engine covers and changed to magnesium in some bits , and the result is that it spools up faster . With a change to the rev limiter , it has a brighter and quicker top end . The R rev limiter would cut in at around 7500 , but on the RS , I couldn ’ t find it . Given that the bike was pretty new I figured a
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