it so easy to ride. The power from the 1099cc transverse four is easy to use; it doesn’ t feel like it wants to be going faster when you want to stick at a reasonable cruising speed, but as soon as you chop it down a couple gears, it still wicks up like a fire-breathing 1000 should. I really couldn’ t get over how smooth the ride is, it’ s like riding a Swiss watch. It’ s forgiving and rider-friendly but still has that superbike spice when you get into the top end of the revs. When I look at big touring bikes I generally think‘ lazy handling’ and hard to turn. That’ s not the case here. The 1100SX goes so well around turns and the Bridgestone Battlax S23 feel like they’ re actively wanting you to have a great ride. Compared to the more up-spec SE Model with Ohlins, this has the standard Showa. I have zero complaints about the ride quality though. For the majority of my riding on a mixture of twisty, rural Waikato roads and highway trucking, I found it worked superbly. Ergonomically, the SX is a peach. Handlebars are clip-on style but high and back. You can still have a good, sporty input if you want but it will naturally put you upright and balanced. The seat height is smack bang in the middle of tall and low, leaving plenty of room for my legs without me feeling too stretched out or cramped up. The seat is also super comfortable without feeling too squishy for a sports bike. $ 22,999 for a brand new, 1100cc four cylinder sports-touring weapon of this comfort is just
mental. It’ s the kind of bike that you could buy on a whim, not feel short-changed and have a wicked trip to Bluff and back( for you North Island readers anyway!). I’ d have to say what this bike offers to me as a passionate motorcycle rider is a blend of sportiness and long distance capability. You really could just drop everything and ride across the country in complete comfort at the flick of a key. HENRY FISHER
KIWI RIDER 57