On Throttle New Zealand

Over the weekend I was at Auckland's Hyosung Motorcycles Takapuna for the launch of the first comprehensively new Hyosung in a few years, the super-commuter X4. "It's been a tough four or five years for development out of the factory, but we think the platform of the x4 and their whole thinking process of building a bike is changing and it's really turning a corner" said importer Ken Dobson just before the covers came off the X4. With an all new 250cc single cylinder engine with 28hp and 26Nm of Torque the new 250 Hyo just edges out the incumbent GT250(R) power wise. It doesn't stop there either, the X4 sits on its own newly engineered frame bringing weight down to a dry 135 Kg, thus making it lighter than the GT250 models. The braking is, for a word, excessive - with a full size single calliper and petalled disk with braided brake lines standard up front. Out the back is the same. Hyosung have put lots of thought into the ergonomics of the X4 with...

Mental connections are weird. Upon picking up the Italian Red Fiat 500 Pop from the boss for a four day loan while my motorcycle was in the shop, I couldn't help making the hot little Italian in its strikingly red paint to a tomato. Small. Generally round. And one of my favorite veges/fruits. The 500 fit my mental connection perfectly. The 1200cc engine and 5speed manual gearbox I would have to say, made this the best small capacity car I've even had the pleasure of driving. Sliding through the gears and zipping through Auckland traffic were a breeze, and I honestly can say that in the four days that the little Fiat was in my possession I only stalled it a couple of times (honest!) usually because I forgot to take it out of 3rd gear at the lights. Get the gearshift right however and the Fiat 500 Pop takes off at a highly respectable pace for such a small capacity car. The interior was perfectly styled to match the rich character that the 500 Pop possesses with the very...