Husqvarna’s Tantalising Terrain Tamer Unwrapped

When Husqvarna unveiled the Norden 901 Adventure Concept at the 2019 EICMA show in Milan, its absolute beauty left a lot of us enthusiasts slack jawed and longing for the production version. Now, the wait is finally over as the production-spec Husqvarna Norden 901 has been unveiled globally. The icing on the cake is that it looks pretty similar to the concept bike.

It will be available in global dealerships starting this month, and the availability and pricing will vary depending on the country. That said, the Norden 901 is still some time away from its India launch.

According to Husqvarna, the Norden 901 has been inspired by the Swedish company’s all-terrain rally machines and is built to be a capable yet nimble motorcycle to cover long distances with ease. True to its purpose, the bike features a Dakar bike-like large yet sleek fairing encompassing the fuel tank, engine, and its lower sides. The fairing also doubles up as a protective housing for the circular LED headlight with integrated fog lamps on both sides. The lower sides of the fairing get brushed metal panels for extra protection. 

The motorcycle is powered by the KTM 890 Duke-derived 889cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled, Euro5/ BS6-compliant counterbalanced engine, churning out 104.6PS at 8000rpm and 100Nm at 6500rpm. It is linked to a 6-speed gearbox with a cable-operated slipper clutch. Comparatively, the Austrian Hooligan makes 115.5PS and 92Nm, fair enough considering its sporty genes. 

The Norden’s power is reined in by a three-mode, disengageable cornering traction control, three riding modes (Street, Rain, and Offroad), two-level switchable cornering ABS, and a bi-directional quickshifter. Husqvarna also offers an optional ‘Explorer’ setting in riding modes and traction control for increased versatility. 

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The engine acts as a stressed member to the chrome-molybdenum frame with trellis subframe. It is linked to a fully adjustable 43mm WP Apex inverted front fork and a rebound and preload adjustable WP Apex monoshock at the rear. The suspension offers a generous 220mm travel up front and 215mm at the rear. This coupled with the massive 252mm ground clearance should be ideal to tackle almost any kind of terrain you throw at it. Furthermore, it also gets large 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoke wheels wrapped in capable Pirelli Scorpion STR knobby tubeless tyres at both ends. Braking is courtesy of the dual 320mm front discs with radially mounted callipers and a 260mm disc at the rear. 

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The motorcycle features a split-seat configuration with the rider’s seat being adjustable up to 20mm. At its lowest position, the seat is 854mm, which is pretty tall, at least by Indian standards. At 204kg (without fuel), the motorcycle is fairly hefty too. Complementing the seat is a tall, easy-to-reach single-piece handlebar with integrated knuckle guards for extra protection. There’s also a short windscreen that should help in minimising wind blasts at high speeds. Husqvarna says the Norden’s 19-litre fuel tank offers a range of over 400km, making it a capable tourer. Plus, you also get a tail rack to secure the tail bag. 

Husqvarna has equipped the motorcycle with all-LED lighting and a multifunction TFT instrument cluster. Cruise control is standard, whereas the smartphone connectivity module with turn-by-turn navigation, tyre pressure monitoring, heated grips, and seats are all optional. 

All in all, Husqvarna has built a gorgeous and capable ADV to take on the Triumph Tiger 900 range, Ducati Multistrada 950, and the KTM 890 Adventure. Let us know what you think in the comments below.