as mentioned earlier my particular MT-X was brand new, so no chance for the shock to free up( and I rode it on completely standard settings). Running parallel just behind the handle bar is a 20-click adjustable steering damper. This was fun to experiment with as it can be adjusted while riding. On zero, it had little effect, at 10 clicks it had a noticeable firming on steering action. I liked it set about five clicks where it just settled things nicely without any noticeable stiffness. It is a genuine plus having it readily adjustable in an easily accessible location. The dash said we’ d done over 300km and nearly six hours riding on day one. It had been a long day including camera / video breaks and a proper lunch / coffee stop. The last hour or so had been in the dark and rain trying to keep a keen eye out for wayward wild life, those long tailed jumpy things can be quite unpredictable. Happily, we all made it back without incident and it was the perfect time to check the headlights which were great.
NO RANGE ANXIETY Day two was another cold start, but the sun was shining and a chance to put the 22.5 litre 500km + range in the brochure to the test. Morning sun accompanied us as we headed out for the ride. About an hour later we arrived at what looked like a large, disused quarry area / play ground that was ideal for photos
34 KIWI RIDER