lid lifts , exposing a fuel cap operated by the ignition key . Pretty standard fare . I achieved removal of the cap , but then my attempts to fill it were at first comedic , then annoying until it became a Sisyphean task . ( i . e . pushing a pile of poo uphill with a toothpick ) There ’ s a plate a couple of centimetres below the opening , with various gaps in it that seem designed to prevent the ingress of fuel . Not kidding . No matter what angle or depth I placed the fuel spout , I could not get the pump to go slow enough to prevent immediate blowback , and shut off . It had to be dribbled in so slowly that the pump stopped operating . I had to walk in and ask the cashier to reset the pump – twice . After some minutes I had fuel-soaked shoes , a puddle in the forecourt , and $ 4.27 worth of fuel into the tank . It was enough to get me home . In no mood to pen a fair review I waited all weekend for the irritation to subside .

SMOOTH AS A CON ARTIST ’ S PATTER All that said , when one figures out how to get

fuel into it , ( and perhaps I had a particularly bubbly batch , because no-one else seems to have had this problem ), it is a superb motorway runner . Seriously good , indeed . Top speed has to be north of 130ks and the longer wheelbase of 1550mm provides excellent stability . Yes , side-windage on a blowy day could be an issue , but that is true of any large- bodied scoot . It can be thrown about in the corners too ; the slightly larger diameter 14-inch front wheel gives better road-holding and confident traction over uneven surfaces . The 278cc , fourvalve , four-stroke engine is as smooth as a con-artists patter , and it pulls firmly and quickly from a standstill . However , I did notice another little quirk . Rolling downhill , in traffic queuing up for the lights , the engine and the brakes set up a jerky pulse . I suspect more run-in miles would cure the issue . Quirky perhaps , but not a big problem . Controls are clear and intuitive . But I wondered why Percy kept stalling , until I figured out that it was the auto stop / start .

108 KIWI RIDER