Now the big question – suspension ? I see a reasonable amount of feedback online saying it ’ s pretty soft , but it ’ s actually pretty decent given the work most riders will put the T700 too . If you are not going to go far from a gravel road at your most extreme , then standard is great . On all roads it is comfortable riding and well controlled and for most riders their suspension requirements will be happily met within the standard range of clicker and shock preload adjustment . However , offroad it is on the soft side if you have a dirt bike riding background . I ’ m 100kg and found with the clickers turned well in to harden it up and with plenty of extra shock spring preload it was ‘ okay ’. Everything is a trade-off , sure it still bottoms out , but most of the time it ’ s okay and , remember , this is a 200kg motorcycle when fuelled up and that deserves some respect . A high-speed crash in the whoops will most likely be a tad expensive and could hurt . Elite dirt riders can obviously challenge the T700 suspension more than most and can justify better suspension . But all riders should be realistic and honest about where and how they ride before they feel the need to spend large on suspension – for most , fresh knobbly rubber will be of much greater benefit . However , if flash suspension is your fetish thing , then go big , but most guys should be happy enough standard . By way of explanation - I doubt that 5 % of your riding will be jumping etc , so is it necessary going to the expense of setting the whole bike up for a big jump when you may only encounter one or two a day , when you could just roll off the throttle a little and be a little kinder on both bike and body – particularly if spending long days in the saddle .
62 KIWI RIDER