2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto - FIRST RIDE REDEUX

We get more seat time on this sexy and naked single.

The invitation said something along the lines of: "please join Husqvarna for the U.S. press launch of the 2016 701 Supermoto." Blitzing twisties motard style across miles and miles of backroads? You don't have to ask me twice. Or maybe you do. Let me explain.

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These two bikes mark a logical direction for the supermoto pioneer.

This past November, I attended the world-press launch for this same machine held in the foothills of Portimao, Portugal, near the racetrack of the same name. Unfortunately, slick road conditions due to heavy rains prevented us riding in a spirited manner. With bikes now stateside, the U.S. press launch would cast off from Husqvarna headquarters in Murrieta, California. That's less than 50 miles northeast from another famous racetrack, and where supermoto got its early 1980's roots at Carlsbad Raceway, home of the Superbikers on ABC's Wide World of Sports. Sadly, Calrsbad was dozed in the name of progress some years ago. I guess we'll have to exercise our inner Kent Howerton elsewhere this day. Instead, we headed east from the Husky offices following the many great mountain roads and staying overnight in Borrego Springs.

Built on the KTM 690SM platform and styled after Husqvarna's sexy 701 concept motorcycle unveiled at EICMA 2014, the 701 Supermoto ($11,299 MSRP) is the newest offering from the Swedish marque and at 690cc, is the largest displacement model in their growing lineup.

Cradled inside the lightweight chrome-moly steel trellis frame, is a light (95.7 lbs), SOHC, four-valve thumper with a claimed 67 horsepower and 49 pound-feet of peak torque. A 46mm Keihin throttle body with Husky's first ever ride-by-wire system handles engine management, and includes three switchable engine-map settings: Standard, Soft, and Advanced. Two "rider aids" tell us Husky have their eye on performance. First, is a Magura hydraulically actuated Adler slipper clutch, key in eliminating rear-wheel chatter under heavy braking while downshifting. Second, is an optional plug-in dongle ($109.99) giving the rider a third ABS setting which functions on the front wheel only (allowing the rear to be locked); key for performing supermoto-style antics. A molded polyamide rear subframe works both as a structural component and as a 3.4 gallon fuel tank.

Suspension includes fully adjustable WP units front and rear. Up front is a split-fork system with the right leg dedicated to rebound damping and the left leg compression damping. A link-actuated WP shock resides out back. Brembo brakes are used front and rear, a four-piston front caliper pinches a 320mm disc, while a single-piston caliper and 240mm disc reside out back. Tubeless 17-inch, wire-spoke wheels come mounted with Continental ContiAttack SM tires.

When it comes to Supermoto machines, the first thing to come to mind is a 450cc-dirtbike-based, barely street-legal racer, rolling on 17-inch wheels and street tires. A lightweight machine with ample power, good brakes and a personality that makes it impossible to resist hooliganism. A bike that is constantly looking for opportunities to jump curbs and do roaring wheelies a block long. But usually these are still just a dirtbikes. The 701 is a supermoto, but it's also more than that. I prefer to think of it as a "naked single." Has a nice ring to it don't you think? A word pairing second only to perhaps "naked twins!" Wait, where was I… Oh yes, back to motorcycles.

Soon after departing the Husky HQ, the roads transformed from disciplined suburbia to the single-lane twisties of the East Temecula wine country. The pace quickens and the the 701 shines on the slightly bumpy and textured asphalt. The WP suspension is supple, offering firm but not too stiff damping. It’s a pleasing combination of comfort meets sport. Adding to the overall comfort level is the flat and roomy seat. The shape, or lack thereof, allows the rider to sit just about anywhere without being forced into a low spot. This allows the rider to stretch out on the straight sections and quickly slide up over the tank for cornering.

With a claimed dry weight of 320 lbs., the 701 carries itself well. Ridden either supermoto style (sitting up pushing the bike down), or hanging off the side sportbike style, the 701 cares not.  Screw on the gas and the Keihin throttle-by-wire system fuels seamlessly. No surging or flat spots that were once the ire of early EFI systems. Forget lean-angle sensors, forget traction control, heated grips, and all of that. The pure joy of this naked single is the exclusion of the bells and whistles that so many new motorcycles are collecting these days. Blasting through the drought-parched SoCal hills is where this naked single feels right at home. Riding those second- and third-gear sections of road with back-to-back, cambered turn after cambered turn, goes something like this: gas, brake, turn, gas, wheelie over humps between turns, brake, repeat; a graceful dance of sorts.

Is there any greater joy than to be single, naked, and sexy? In the case of the 701 Supermoto, it’s a short list.

SPECIFICATIONS
|2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto
ENGINE|SOHC, single
DISPLACEMENT|690cc
TRANSMISSION|Six speed
FUEL SYSTEM|Keihin EFI, 46mm throttle body
FRONT SUSPENSION|48mm WP inverted fork
REAR SUSPENSION|Linked WP monoshock
FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL|8.5 in.
REAR WHEEL TRAVEL|9.8 in.
FRONT BRAKE|Four-piston caliper w/320mm disc
REAR BRAKE|Single-piston caliper w/240mm disc
FRONT TIRE|120/70ZR17
REAR TIRE|160/60ZR17
WHEELBASE|58.3 in.
SEAT HEIGHT|35.0 in.
FUEL CAPACITY|3.4 gal.
CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT|320 lb.

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2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto action.Kevin Wing

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2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto action.Kevin Wing

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2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto action.Kevin Wing

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2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto action.Kevin Wing

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2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto static.Kevin Wing

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2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto static.Kevin Wing

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2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto static.Kevin Wing

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2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto front wheel.Kevin Wing

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2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto engine (right-side).Kevin Wing

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2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto engine (left-side).Kevin Wing

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2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto swingarm.Kevin Wing

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2016 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto exhaust.Kevin Wing
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