Today was the day, I had the perfect excuse to ride RavenJunior’s 901! I told him I needed to hide the new tire I’ll be testing, so maybe I could borrow his bike to take some cool pictures, instead…😏🤭🤫
With less than two hours of daylight and an empty gas tank to fill, I found myself racing against the sunset. Fortunately, living right at the foot of a scenic mountain, I was able to head up the quickest route to the top immediately after gassing up!
The sky looked hazy, reducing my hopes for getting any decent photos. But now I curse myself for not taking a proper camera along. However, thanks to Steve Jobs, we can now take pictures like the ones you can see on this post, just with a cell phone! (Still cursing myself for not taking my camera! 😤)
And… what about the Norden? I want one!!! But, owning a bike like this… 😒 —it’s complicated…
Husqvarna Norden 901 Review – First Impressions
It’s remarkable to see the leaps motorcycles have taken in their evolution! It’s just a shame that not all efforts are channeled in the right direction… at least in my opinion…
Born as a tarmac-carving naked Duke, the Norden devours corners like an apex predator, making the act of cornering a delight, even for a bike with a 21” front wheel and generous suspension travel!
Unless you’re coming from a KTM 790/890 ADV, or a much smaller bike, the lightness of the Norden will take you by surprise, right from the moment you grip the handlebars.
"The lightness of the Norden will take you by surprise!"
Everyone’s hyped about the low-slung fuel tanks. While they do contribute to the overall low center of gravity of the bike, it takes a considerable amount of engineering prowess to make a 220kg-ish bike feel so darn light!
Unless you’re coming from a KTM 790/890 ADV, or a much smaller bike, the lightness of the Norden will take you by surprise, right from the moment you grip the handlebars.
Everyone’s hyped about the low-slung fuel tanks. While they do contribute to the overall low center of gravity of the bike, it takes a considerable amount of engineering prowess to make a 220kg-ish bike feel so darn light!
KTM is undoubtedly leading the pack in this game! And yes, I have to call it a KTM, although I absolutely adore this elegant and functional Husky attire, that truly sets it apart!
The bike feels almost too light for a 900cc, long travel machine! But in my experience, “too light” quickly fades into oblivion, when a bike feels as planted as the Norden does.
The brakes are exactly what you’d expect from a premium “midweight” 🙄 adventure bike in 2023—perfectly gradual for ultimate control, yet powerful when you need to stop on a dime!
"The Norden provides an exceptional level of comfort!"
The Norden also provides an exceptional level of comfort! The seating position might feel a bit unusual at first, but the clever cockpit triangulation ensures your joints are less bent than they appear.
This design surprisingly offers significant comfort—even for someone as tall as 1,85m like myself and on the low seating position. The generous seat dimensions leave plenty of room for position changes, helping a good deal to avoid the dreaded butt fatigue. But I still haven’t ridden it long enough, nor did I hit the highway to have a final opinion on that.
The Norden’s stock wind protection is not its strongest point, but fitting an Expedition wider and taller screen, improves it drastically. Despite the strong winds in the mountains, there was no buffeting— wearing an X-Wed 2 VAAL helmet that seems to cut through the wind perfectly, may have contributed for the good experience.
What I really didn’t like, was the heat emanating from the engine… making my legs sweaty and uncomfortable! For a 22ºC day, it was already too much, in my opinion! I shudder to imagine riding it with 10 degrees more… 🙈
The engine’s noise at idle also wasn’t to my taste—it reminded me of some older Italian engines. But, that wouldn’t be a deal-breaker, considering all the other plusses.
The dash might take a bit of getting used to. But if I can figure out how to reset the trip meter and change riding modes without any instructions, then it has to be relatively intuitive.
Still, while relishing in carving Monchique’s corners, it wasn’t easy to find information unless I slowed my pace. Maybe it’s just about training your eyes to find the right spot on the dash, as the information seems to be well laid out.
All things considered, the Norden left a remarkable first impression! It’s a fantastic bike and versatile enough to please many types of riders!
Checkout the amazing Norden promo in Iceland, bellow 👇
Got questions or want to share your Norden experience? Drop a comment below or hit us up in the ADVHead Facebook Group!
For more informations, checkout Husqvarna’s official page!!
