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Husqvarna 701 Supermoto in the driving report

Husky for the street

Husqvarna, KTM’s little sister company, should also prove itself on the road. The Husqvarna 701 Supermoto is the start.

A fine drizzle has covered the road with a shiny, damp film. Anyone who knows southern European asphalt knows what that means: dark red alert. Egg dance. Hunched shoulders and big eyes. Once accelerated a tad too early, angled a bit too optimistically and – wupp – the adrenal glands push an extra dose of adrenaline into the bloodstream. But you can also see it positively. If a motorcycle can still wrest some residual driving fun from the worst-case corner, then it is a supermoto bike. So, the world belongs to the brave. The Husqvarna 7th01 Take the Supermoto by the wide handlebars, flip it, let the off-road boot slide gently over the soft soap concrete, straighten up, and off you go. And how!

Husqvarna 701 Supermoto in the driving report

Husky for the street

Husqvarna has been part of the KTM Group since February 2013

The brand, which was founded in Sweden and initially taken over by the Italian Cagiva Group and later by BMW, has been part of the KTM Group since February 2013. So far only motocrossers and enduros have operated under the former Scandinavian label, but technically only differ in nuances from their orange sisters. The Husqvarna 701 Supermoto cannot deny its genetic origin either. A tank enlarged from 12 to 13 liters, in rubber blocks instead of rigidly mounted handlebar mounts and retouching of the suspension tuning and mapping (see also "What’s new?") – the list of technical modifications compared to the KTM remains clear.

Visually, the Austrians set an accent with the bench that extends far beyond the plastic flanks and is held in a chic white-blue-yellow. On which you can first feel a difference to the KTM. The seat is a little wider, the transitions more rounded – it is more comfortable to sit than on the angular seats of the KTM. Of course, the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto is not fluffy either. Doesn’t have to. Because attack is the program of this clearly oriented concept. The wonderfully easy-to-use fittings alone encourages a cheeky appearance. The levers for the anti-hopping clutch and brake can be pulled with a fingertip, and the electric throttle can be rolled between your thumb and forefinger with almost no resistance. And the single responds as spontaneously as a touchpad to every touch. Only hacked on the chain in the lower rev range, i.e. below about 3000 revolutions, in order to whip it through the rev range at high speed.

145 kilograms dry and 67 hp

The fact that it was increased to a full 690 cm³ displacement for the 2012 season with a 4.5 millimeter longer stroke did not cost the propellant a bit of its liveliness. Probably also because the technical effort is considerable. An electric servomotor opens the throttle valve precisely, and two spark plugs of different sizes, each controlled by a separate map, flare the mixture in an orderly manner. One might believe that part of the 25-strong Husqvarna development team has fine-tuned the mapping a little. It feels like the single of the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto accelerates a bit more cultured than in the traditional environment, and even in the advanced setting, the sharpest of the three mapping variants, it is easy to control. The handlebar brackets, which are now stored in rubber, additionally smooth the appearance. The measure makes sense with such voluminous stews. The difference to the already well-behaved KTM base is not glaring.

Not even when it comes to the engine. Because the big pot pushes like no other. 67 HP are on the data sheet, MOTORRAD has measured 70 HP on KTM test machines in the past. The Husqvarna 701 Supermoto only knows competition within the family. A Yamaha XT 660 X, BMW G 650 GS (both 48 PS) or the new SWM SM 650 R (54 PS) stay at a respectable distance. Also because of the sport figure of the husky. The men from the Alpine republic report 145 kilograms dry. That is also believable, the fully fueled SMC R stroked the MOTORCYCLE scales weighing just 154 kilograms.

Husqvarna

Just no orange: The cladding in the Husqvarna colors and the seat that is pulled far forward give the 701 Supermoto its own unique look.

One reason why the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto ensures high spirits even when it is drizzling. Like the proverbial bicycle, it turns corners and gives the pilot positioned off-road the feeling of always being in control of the situation. Make the front wheel light with a dosed throttle over longitudinal joints, push something out of the saddle in forehead of transverse grooves – the Husky actively involves the pilot in the action. And again, on the smooth surface, you can only guess that the technicians have made the deflection of the shock absorber less progressive and the damping of the fork a little more comfortable. So be it. Even with the KTM, the suspension elements from WP Suspension surprised with a good level of comfort for such a sporty concept and they do so even more in the Husky.

Speaking of sportiness. A trip to the go-kart track rounds off the maiden voyage. It is a shame that the humid slope again only demands the fine motor skills of the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto. Connoisseurs know that the big single can heat up the feather-light 450 production racers on dry slopes even in full licensing regalia. And in the wet anyway. Whether in the standard set-up or the Supermoto setting that can be activated at the push of a button (ABS on the rear wheel switched off), the anti-lock device only regulates at the last push of a button. Sliders are still inevitable. The ContiAttack SM, known to be good-natured in the dry, slide even more fearfully on the wet asphalt, especially on the front wheel, than on the country road.

Dash 180 on the highway

Only the highway on the way back offers dry conditions – and further proof of the sporting talent of this concept. Stroke 180 runs the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto, despite a bare upper body and wide handlebars, it remains bolt-stable on course. Just like the KTM.

But that’s exactly why neither the technical differences nor the marginal price difference will decide whether the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto will be accepted. After the seven-year success story of the SMC R, some recreational drifters might be longing for a splash of color in an orange uniform look. Maybe a white-blue-yellow one.

Technical data Husqvarna 701 Supermoto

Husqvarna

Combination: The plastic rear frame bunkers the fuel supply – one liter more than the SMC R..

What’s new?

Husqvarna

Husqvarna 701 Supermoto.

The technical basis of the new Husqvarna 701 Supermoto is the KTM 690 SMC R. The following modifications distinguish the Husky from its sister model:

  • Bench wider and changed in shape
  • Tank capacity increased from 12 to 13 liters
  • Handlebar mount in rubber instead of rigidly mounted
  • The fork’s damping is softer
  • Deflection lever designed less progressive
  • Mapping changed for more harmonious performance
  • Price (9295 euros) 350 euros higher (KTM: 8945 euros)

Interview with Jorg Steenbock (Husqvarna)

Husqvarna

Jorg Steenbock (left), marketing man from Husqvarna Germany, in conversation with MOTORRAD editor Peter Mayer.

MOTORCYCLE: How are business for the Husqvarna division??

Jorg Steenbock: We are very satisfied. We have already clearly exceeded last year’s record result and will have sold over 21,000 motorcycles by the end of the year. About 1,500 of them in Germany. With Husaberg (editor: KTM’s second brand until 2013), we didn’t dare dream of these numbers.

MOTORCYCLE: But there is a double standard. Husaberg limited itself to enduros with initially still independent technology. The Husqvarna tidy, on the other hand, is technically based on the KTM models and includes enduros and motocross bikes. A cannibalization effect cannot fail to exist.

Jorg Steenbock: This is definitely not the case. This year KTM sold 30 percent more off-roaders than in 2014. And that parallel to the positive development of Husqvarna.

MOTORCYCLE: With the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto, Husqvarna is offering a street-oriented model for the first time. Husky was supposed to become KTM’s off-road brand, right??

Jorg Steenbock: We never spoke of that on our part. The Husqvarna 701 Supermoto is just the beginning of the expansion of the Husqvarna model range towards the road.

MOTORCYCLE: Which path will Husqvarna take??

Jorg Steenbock: Husqvarna will consistently expand its range of models over the next few years. The Vitpilen 401 and 125 will be available in spring 2017. These are avant-garde naked bikes with a trend-setting design.

MOTORCYCLE: In its advertising campaign, Husqvarna emphasizes the brand Swedish origins. In reality, there is no connection to Scandinavia. Technology and design are entirely created by KTM. Against this background, the marketing concept is not too daring?

Jorg Steenbock: On the contrary, the Husqvarna company history is a concern and obligation. The two new 701 models, like every other current Husqvarna model, answer this question at first sight. The Swedish roots brand are an integral part of every Husqvarna motorcycle. By this we mean a clear and cool Swedish design language. The motorcycles are reduced to the essentials. On what matters. This in connection with the top technology available in the KTM group results in honest and straightforward motorcycles, which have their own, unmistakable character.

MOTORCYCLE: The Husqvarna 701 Supermoto has existed as the 690 SMC R in the KTM model range since 2008. Isn’t it too late for Husqvarna to start selling significant numbers?

Jorg Steenbock: The KTM 690 SMC R is still a top seller in this segment, and we are of the opinion that there is currently a strong tendency to return to the fascination that a large-capacity Supermoto single exudes. Weight is the enemy of performance. Therefore, the new Husqvarna 701 Supermoto will increase awareness of this segment again.

MOTORCYCLE: And why should a customer buy this motorcycle as a Husqvarna instead of a KTM?

Jorg Steenbock: Husqvarna was one of the pioneers of the supermoto sport and has strongly influenced this segment from the very beginning. For this reason alone there are enough Husqvarna fans around the world waiting for a bike like the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto. The 701 is a brand new supermoto bike of 2015, the line of which corresponds 100 percent to Husqvarna’s DNA. The technical differences to the KTM are its own ergonomics – based on the new and innovative seat bench, differentiated engine mapping and modified chassis tuning. In addition, there is a tank volume that is one liter larger for more range and various other components.

MOTORCYCLE: The engine of the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto currently only fulfills the Euro 3 standard. From 1.1. In 2017 the model will no longer be approved. What happens then?

Jorg Steenbock: We are currently presenting the 2016 model year, which corresponds to the current requirements. The model year 2017 will of course correspond to the future specifications.

MOTORCYCLE: Husqvarna could have used the engine from the new Duke for the 701. It’s even stronger, meets the Euro 4 standard and will go into series production in a few days.

Jorg Steenbock: It would be very unsporting not to face the KTM competitor models of the 701 Supermoto and Enduro in terms of performance.

MOTORCYCLE: When will Husqvarna first build a technically independent motorcycle? So one whose chassis and engine are not used in a KTM model.

Jorg Steenbock: We are only in our second full year of business since taking over Husqvarna Motorcycles. Accordingly, we are only at the beginning of a further differentiation of the common technical platforms. This differentiation is already visible in the next model series, the Vitpilen. However, your question makes no sense to us with regard to the use of the engine technology and chassis components developed and built in the KTM Group. The continued use of currently available and constantly further developed state-of-the-art technology is not only an economic necessity, but a considerable customer benefit. Currently and in the future.

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