On Throttle New Zealand

The car pulled in to the park next to mine. I was sitting inside the local cafe in the window seat with an eagle eye locked on the Indian like a worried parent. The old chap got out of the car - which had thankfully left plenty of room between itself and the Indian - and then the five minutes of thorough inspection began. Sitting in the nearby cafe with my partner we watched as the old chap inspected every detail of the Indian Chieftain. He eyed the badging which, at most recent count, stands at 29 Indian logos adorning the Chieftain. The chrome work caught his eye as he circled the bike and he got right down to inspect the beautifully crafted engine. The old chap is the rule, not the exception. To say that the Chieftain pulls attention is an understatement. It grabs it by the scruff of the neck in some of the strangest places. I can't say I've ever been complimented on what I'm riding in the middle the motorway during rush hour traffic, until now. St...

Photos by Ted Baghurst A kick starter... when was the last time you HAD to use a kick starter? For me the answer is never. Sure I've ridden kick-started bikes, but the last time I did I was still under 10 and my cousin started it for me before I promptly crashed it into an electric fence. With the 2014 Yamaha SR400 you have no option; there is only a kick starter to get this 399cc thumper going. Don't worry though; it's a piece of cake and incredibly rewarding to kick the SR400 into life . Yamaha NZ have brought back the classic SR400 with modern touches like electronic fuel injection, but you won’t be thumbing an electric starter to get it running, no sir. Yamaha are putting the classic feel back into the segment by giving it a kick starter only. Better start warming up that right leg then. The soulful little thumper has been around since 1978 in one form or another. Displacing 399cc from its 17.1kW air-cooled single cylinder which; apart from...