a little , put the seat in high mode , set the suspension sag , and tweaked the preload and rebound .
THE PLAN My riding buddy , Todd , and I planned a route to take us from Picton to Blenheim on the gravel via Port Underwood , through Taylor Pass to Awatere Valley Road , down through the Molesworth to Hanmer Springs , then to our accommodation in Waiau . For day two , the plan was to hit the Lewis pass to Nelson , and on day three have a leisurely cruise along Queen Charlotte Drive back to Picton . This route would allow us to test the bikes on a good mix of gravel , fast and twisty tarmac , and a nice cruise to the finish line . I figured we ’ d understand more about the common ground and differences between the bikes as we rode .
DAY ONE From the ferry , we set our Beeline navigation and got on with getting accustomed to the bikes . Our first taste of gravel was the Taylor Pass . I was on the Suzuki , and switched to Rider Mode B , ABS 2 , and turned the TC off . I found it to be a little unnerving to start with when braking , as the ABS couldn ’ t be completely turned off , but it didn ’ t take long to get used to it . The Harley-Davidson was the stand out here though , we switched it to “ Off-Road ” which softened the suspension slightly , and turned ABS off completely , retaining a little TC . This was our first chance to really put the Harley through its paces on the gravel and we were very surprised at how good it was . It ’ s a very well-sorted bike straight out of the box with its OEM Michelin Scorcher Adventure tyres inspiring some confidence . The electronic suspension seems to know just what you want it to do and adjusts accordingly , and the Adaptive Ride Height system , which lowers when you come to a stop , is brilliant for those who struggle to reach the ground or those
KIWI RIDER 103