It ’ s not like you can ’ t survive without one in a temperate country like New Zealand , but it is very pleasant . To my mind heated grips are a must for winter touring , although , some say , I have a reasonably high princess factor . However , frozen , non-working hands are not particularly nice or safe to ride with ( same with your bum ...? Ed ).
PREDICTABLE POWER Once cruising on the motorway , the engine proved smooth and effective . It has a very linear power delivery that progressively snowballs in power as revs rise . Arguably , it is not the most exciting delivery , but it is certainly quite rapid . The spec sheet says top speed is 195km / h , which is surely plenty fast enough on gravel and well past instant walking speed ... err , thanks Constable . The power delivery is very easy and predictable in use . Exactly what most riders need generally , but especially in tricky , slippery conditions . Peak power is a claimed 90hp , produced at
9250rpm and a maximum 75Nm of torque hits at 8000rpm . The motor itself is 799cc , liquid cooled with dual overhead camshafts to drive the eight valves and has six gears . On gravel , the smooth engine power is great and with the TC set to off-road mode a little sliding was possible , but the TC couldn ’ t be turned completely off ... from what I could figure out anyway . This is not ideal when fully off-road , but acceptable in dry conditions .
EVERYDAY ADVENTURE With a 17-inch rear , 19-inch front wheel combination the 800 is not designed to be a hardcore adventure machine – simply because they don ’ t work as well as 18-inch / 21-inch wheels with knobblies off-road . However , the smaller wheel combo makes for better everyday riding , and they still coped well with some whoopy sandy trails and the suspension action was pretty good too . Out of the box the KYB suspension is great .
32 KIWI RIDER