Classic
ACTUAL PERSONALITY The R Nine T is a lot of fun and not without personality , in fact it has it in spades . It doesn ’ t feel like the stereotypical modern bike that has sophistication levels … to the point of blandness . Rev the engine quickly at a standstill and there is a decided twist to the right then back to the left , due to the torque reaction of the horizontally opposed boxer configuration . Chop down too quickly through the gears and the rear wheel will lock up with more side-toside rocking … there ’ s no race-derived slipper clutch here . The feel from the drive shaft and diff is extremely direct , it offers instant action
rather than the slight lag afforded by a chain drive taking up the slack . There is greater feedback through the suspension than a chain drive machine too , because of this directness and greater unsprung weight . By that I mean you feel the throttle inputs , both on and off , through the bike more abruptly , and the rear paralever ’ s action and effect on the bike is more noticeable . Yes , there ’ s plenty of engaging character here , and it ’ s not unpleasant . Far from it . After a diet of “ modern ” style bikes , it ’ s a little quirky at first , but it rapidly becomes fun playing with and exploring these sensations .
52 KIWI RIDER