First ride: SWM RS 650 R

The Italian motorcycle industry is no stranger to the rebirthing of historic marques, and the latest company to rise from the ashes is SWM.

Known through the 1970s and '80s for its trials, enduro and motocross bikes, second time around SWM has been resurrected by one Apelio Macchi – a former technical manager for Cagiva, Aprilia and Husqvarna – and Chinese businessman Daxing Gong, who heads up China's automotive giant, Shineray Group.

SWM is now producing a 12-strong line-up of models spanning the enduro, motocross, adventure, supermoto and retro segments, with the bikes manufactured in Biandronno, Italy, in a production facility formally owned by Husqvarna.

The fact that the 45,000 square metre plant is now wholly owned by SWM underlines the reborn firm's intentions – it's having a serious stab at making its mark.

The first model to roll off the production line is the RS 650 R, which is made its way to our shores via importer and distributor, Mojo Motorcycles. The company that brings CFMoto, Kymco and Sherco to our shores recently added SWM to its portfolio, and will soon be offering the RS 300 R and RS 500 R in addition to the RS 650 R reviewed here.

SWM RS 650 R IN BIKE SHOWROOM

Macchi's resumé is clearly evident in this big enduro: it screams Italian dirt bike DNA and it's powered by a liquid-cooled and fuel-injected four-stroke engine Macchi initially penned for Husqvarna back in the Cagiva days. It wasn't used then, nor when Husky passed into BMW and then KTM ownership, but it's finally found its place in the RS 650 R, which is actually based on the 2010 Husqvarna TE630.

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A quick glance reveals plenty of familiar names: Domino hand grips, Brembo brakes, a Marzocchi fork and a Sachs monoshock. The only immediately discernible nod to Asia are the Korean 'Golden Tyre' road-legal knobbies.

Now I was a just a kid when SWM hit the scene the first time around and so I approached this ride with an open mind. It looks the business but it has its quirks, as often seems to be the case with Italian hardware.

Cue gripe one: the sidestand. It's a touch too long – when you're standing beside the bike you have to lean the machine away from you for the stand to clear the ground when flicking it up or down. It's no deal-breaker, but it's awkward.

The front brake line obscures the small, tricky-to-read LCD instrument display. That's another minor point, but more worrying was the fact it proved a bugger of a thing to start when the engine was hot. It always did eventually fire up, but it took three or four goes on the starter to do so. I'm sure it's a glitch that could be rectified with further investigation – at least I'd certainly hope so.

Those issues tainted my view of the bike when commuting to work on the blacktop, but for me everything fell into place when the weekend rolled around and I headed for the bush. The open fire trails of Wombat State Forest to Melbourne's north proved a veritable playground for the RS, which blends a competent chassis with truly potent powerplant.

Despite its name this bike actually has a 600cc engine, but there's plenty of stomp available right through the rev range. At 100km/h the single is spinning along at 4550rpm so it's relaxed enough for longer-distance road work, and the vibrations are adequately kept at bay until you're past 110km/h.

It's an eager, free-revving engine that's as happy on the highway as it is on a section of wooded single-track, while the fuelling is crisp and clean.

The seat is typical of a dirt bike – it gets pretty firm pretty quickly – but it's covered in a grippy material that provides excellent purchase off-road.

The suspension did a bang up job of handling my 90kg bulk and in general the RS proved easy to steer and easy to manage.

The Brembo brakes provide a heap of power and good feel – they strike a nice balance between on- and off-road performance – and the 12-litre tank delivers a healthy range of over 200km. That's from an average economy of 5.1lt/100km recorded over a broad mix of terrain.

The build quality is right up there and for an introductory price of $8990 (plus on-roads), the SWM RS 650 R represents plenty of bike for the bucks. That price holds until January 31, 2016, before it goes up to $9490 plus on-roads, while the bike comes with a 12-month parts and labour warranty.

The model name mightn't roll off the tongue but the ride will deliver smiles by the mile – add in the Latin allure and the backing of Mojo Motorcycles, and we're sure this bike will attract plenty of interest among those who like to stand out in the crowd.

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 53hp
Claimed maximum torque: N/A

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Clutch: Wet multi-plate
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Steel double-cradle
Front suspension: Upside-down Marzocchi, 210mm travel
Rear suspension: Sachs monoshock, 269mm travel
Front brakes: Twin 260mm discs with twin-piston Brembo calipers
Rear brake: 220mm disc with single-piston Brembo caliper

DIMENSIONS
Claimed dry weight: 144kg
Wheelbase: 1506mm
Ground clearance: 249mm
Seat height: 899mm
Fuel capacity: 12 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $8990 plus on-roads (introductory price until January  31, 2016)
Colours: White/red/yellow
Bike supplied by: Mojo Motorcycles, swmmotorcycles.com.au