in one brief spurt on an empty motorway. If
there is any weird traffic behaviour beside
you, overtaking or getting out of there safely,
can be accomplished pretty easily.
Given the 400 moniker it was surprising to
learn that the engine is only a 350cc, single
cylinder, four-stroker, with four valves and a
single overhead cam… delivering 33.5bhp. It
feels better than the figures may suggest.
VARIABLE TRANSMISSION
I am fairly used to CVT with other scooters
and this is no different in operation; basically
a belt runs between two expanding pulleys
and it has been proven over decades. Where
it does differ though, is the smoothness of
the engine and the delivery of power. Much of
this must come down to the newly-developed
isolating rubber blocks which mount the
engine onto the swing arm. As a result the
power delivery is efficient and smoother than
with any other scooter I’ve ridden. Top marks
BMW.
The Bybre disc brakes are good, perhaps
with not as much ‘feel’ as could be expected,
but they work efficiently when used in
earnest. Telescopic forks in the front have
good useable travel but the twin shocks at
the rear, although good operationally, detract
from the space age design that is everywhere
else. I think they look incongruous and
a bit out of date in that under-seat area,
personally. Why go to all that trouble to build
an urban starship and add on 70s Flash
Gordon era tech? Doh.
ERGONOMICS
There is excellent weather protections for
legs and feet in the ‘well’, with a forward
position to tuck your toes into, which meant
my boots stayed completely dry all day. Nice.
And speaking of weather, that windscreen
KIWI RIDER 109