aplomb , sure it was never going to loft the front wheel , but all the while it was emitting a lovely , civilised , pulsing exhaust note and oodles of character . The effortlessness , flexibility , and general ease of use for a comparatively small capacity engine is fantastic . What is more , the engine feels cool and engaging all the time , which is a bit of a mind-bending result in our bigger is better and faster world . It is difficult to accurately describe , but the engine gets you right in the feels , lightening your soul . Happy days .
ERGONOMICS Full disclosure , cruisers are not generally my thing because I find the feet forward position bloody uncomfortable after about 45 minutes - because I can ’ t take any weight off my arse or stand up stretch my legs . Also , the cruiser design inherently compromises dynamic capabilities . So , considering that wee rant … the Super Meteor is amazing . Yes , your feet are out in front of you , but not too far . The seat is a low 740mm from the deck and extremely comfortable too . In
general , the riding position is very nice .
CHASSIS And the chassis gets a big tick too . While longish with a 1.5 metre wheelbase and a relaxed 27.6-degree steering head angle , turning the 650 is easy , predictable , and accurate . I did a 40km section of very twisty roads effortlessly and never so much as touched a footpeg down . That ’ s not something I can say about any previous cruiser I have tested . That ’ s not to say it could not be done , but it ’ s not a limiting factor for normal riding . There ’ s a steel tube frame holding it all together , Showa suspension and single discs front and rear with dual channel ABS . The wheels are a 16-inch at the back and 19-inch up front wearing 150 / 80 and 100 / 90 rubber respectively . The tyre sizes are a good choice , they compliment and contribute to the easy handling . At over 241kg wet , the single discs at each end have their work cut out , but do a solid job . However , the large rear 300mm disc and
70 KIWI RIDER