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Arturo Rivas
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Beginner’s supermoto in the Varese style – SWM SM 125 R in the test compact.
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Thanks to the combination brake, two brake lines lead to the front brake.
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Simple cockpit and handlebars made of tubular steel. Easy to read LCD display.
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Visible Husqvarna DNA. High quality aluminum swing arm and red painted frame.
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Great deeds demand high speeds. The measured 12 hp is only reached at 10500 rpm.
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The tight spring elements only respond better at higher speeds. Until then, you hop over every bump and every pothole.
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Even the hard bench does not improve the situation. This has a quick release fastener.
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The removable rubbers on the solid footrests are also part of the sunny side of the SWM.
SWM SM 125 R (2018) in the test
Entry-level supermoto
The Husqvarna legacy, which SWM has embodied since 2014, can now also be experienced with an A1 license. The relationship to the old SMS 4 is unmistakable. The SWM SM 125 R also advertises with its tire squeaking dynamics.
With long suspension travel and befitting 17-inch wheels, the SWM quotes S.M 125 R the classic Supermoto formula. Maneuvering is a finger exercise thanks to its live weight of 131 kilograms. After all, a seat height of 890 mm needs to be climbed to take a seat on the narrow seat board. The easy-to-read LC display provides information about the speed and approximate engine speed because the bar tachometer lacks a scale. Additional functions such as numerical speed display, trip counter or stop watch are hidden behind a button. There is even a top speed display on board. The electric starter lets the Italo 125s wake up. Ready for great deeds. For them, however, the engine requires speeds, because its measured twelve hp are only available at 10,500 tours. Until then, the single cylinder turns very evenly, shines with good torque. Always accompanied by the thundering exhaust, which growls cheekily, but never comes across as too chubby. A lot of noise about nothing? Not quite.
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SWM SM 125 R (2018) in the test
Entry-level supermoto
3.1 liters per 100 kilometers
Your performance is easily enough to swim along in traffic. Still, it’s a shame that SWM is not exploiting the full potential of the 15 hp class. The SWM SM 125 R shows its strengths in curves. Despite the smooth clutch, the hard-shifting six-speed gearbox cannot always be sorted easily. At 3.1 liters per 100 kilometers, the consumption is within the usual range. Unwinding the range of over 230 kilometers in one go, however, calls for taker qualities. The seat is too hard, the chassis too tight. The Fastace suspension from Taiwan is SWM’s largest mortgage. This becomes clearer the worse the road gets. Unfiltered, the SM 125 hops over bumps and potholes, and the firm suspension elements only respond at a higher speed. All that can be adjusted is the preload of the shock absorber, which leaves little comfort with the overdamped rebound stage.
Arturo Rivas
Thanks to the combination brake, two brake lines lead to the front brake.
The combination brake takes getting used to and is not necessarily beginner-friendly. With it, the SWM SM 125 R fulfills the Euro 4 standard even without ABS. When you step on the brake pedal, one of the three pistons in the front brake calliper is also actuated. This makes for a powerful, but also quite abrupt delay that is difficult to control. Approaching the blocking limit is not that easy. And that means that the braking drifts typical of Supermoto are left out. Light and shadow also in terms of finish. On the one hand, there are valuable details such as aluminum swingarm, foldable gear lever, solid footrests with removable rubbers or quick-release fasteners for the bench. On the other hand, besides the careless chassis tuning, little things like the non-lockable plastic fuel filler cap or well-intentioned but sharp-edged recessed grips at the rear spoil the picture. The separate steering lock on the steering head: a greeting from the seventies. The bottom line is that the SWM is fun, also thanks to the lively engine. However, at 4,100 euros it is not a bargain.
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