Husqvarna Nuda 900/900R: Launch report

Milestone motorcycles come in many guises: benchmark models that raise the bar within a given niche; machines that spark a new category; bikes that begin a new chapter for their maker. As Husqvarna’s first road-focussed model in over half a century, the all-new Nuda 900 and 900R fall firmly into that last bracket, and that made sampling them all the more special.

After months of teasers, press releases and displays at foreign bike shows, Husqvarna’s Nuda siblings have finally touched down in Australia. The models’ national press launch was recently held over a 300km loop that took in some of the most scenic parts of the eastern Qld/NSW border, but before we examine the bikes themselves, a short history lesson is in order.

LOOKING BACK

Husqvarna was originally a Swedish armaments manufacturer that had supplied rifles to the Swedish army from the late 17th century. It expanded into bicycles in the late 19th century, before moving into motorcycle production in 1903. It went on to produce a variety of models over the years, and although it produced many road bikes (and even contested the Isle of Man TT) before WWII, it’s best known for its post-war off-road models, with which it enjoyed considerable success in motocross in the 1960s and ’70s, before dominating the World Enduro Championship in the 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1987 Husqvarna Motorcycles’ history turned another page, when it was sold off from the rest of the Husqvarna conglomerate to Cagiva. Its production moved to Varese, Italy, and it remained in owner Claudio Castiglioni’s hands until 2007, when it was purchased by BMW.

Since then BMW has made a significant investment in Husqvarna, putting it on a solid financial footing, rejuvenating its product range and modernising its production facility, which has remained in Varese.

BMW Motorrad has said it sees Husqvarna in a similar way to how its car division views Mini, which it also owns -- i.e. a marque that complements its core business, rather than competes with it.

NEW BEGINNING

If the pre-ride presentation at Paul Feeney Group’s impressive new facility in Burleigh Heads proved one thing, it’s the commitment with which Husqvarna Motorcycles is approaching its return to the road bike market. Only selected outlets from Husqvarna’s Australian dealer network have been chosen to become authorised Nuda stockists -- 30 out of a total of 52, at this stage -- and the bike has been released with a wide range of factory accessories, including rider apparel and casual wear.

As the presentation unfolded, it was clear the Husky guys were thrilled about the latest development in the marque’s long history. But does the new product justify the hype?

Finally looking at the thing in the flesh was cause for plenty of optimism. Both the Nuda 900 and 900R are works of art in their own right, boasting any number of innovative design touches. The aerodynamic ‘wing’ on the front guard is as ‘out there’ as any I’ve ever seen, and everywhere you look -- from the Husky logos moulded into the handgrips to the super-slim Lafranconi silencer to the angular airbox surround -- there’s Husky’s unique sense of style and attention to detail.

It’s not hard to tell the two models apart. The standard Nuda 900 is available only in black and white, while the 900R stands out with Husqvarna’s traditional racing scheme of red, white and black. Mechanically, the R benefits from a fully-adjustable inverted 48mm Sachs fork and a fully-adjustable Öhlins monoshock, the latter with ride-height adjustor, whereas the standard Nuda cops a non-adjustable Sachs fork and a Sachs monoshock (adjustable for preload and rebound).

The rear shock affects the bike’s ride height, too -- the R’s ride height adjustor takes its seat height through a towering range of 875mm to 895mm, while the base Nuda has a seat height of 870mm (although a low seat is available as a factory accessory, which lowers that figure by 16mm).

Both bikes sport similar front brake set-ups -- twin 320mm discs with four-piston, radial-mount Brembo calipers -- but the 900R’s calipers are aluminium monobloc items, for an extra dose of stopping performance. The 900R also has a 16-tooth front sprocket (the standard Nuda gets a 17T item), but the engines, their mapping and their output are identical, as are the models’ claimed dry weight figures of 174kg. The frames are also identical, but the 900R has a single-level seat (for enhanced sports riding mobility), while the 900 has a stepped equivalent. Finally, while both models get an Italian Lafranconi silencer, the 900R’s item has a carbon-fibre end cap, hanger and heat shield.

DOWN TO BUSINESS

Throwing a leg over the Nuda 900 revealed its manufacturer’s off-road heritage in an instant. At 870mm it’s a tall machine and it’s got a firm seat, although the perch is quite narrow at the front so it’s not as difficult to get a foot down as that measurement may suggest. Still, I’m 188cm (6ft 2in) tall, and the seat height will put some off.

The suspension is stiff -- the bike really didn’t sink much at all even under the weight of this 95kg rider -- while the broad, flat handlebars provide another link to its dirt bike past. They immediately place you in a ‘ready for action’ stance -- inducing a level of excitement and anticipation before I’d even thumbed the starter.

When I did, I was pleasantly surprised by the pipe’s bark; it’s a deep note, with an underlying rasp. Noting the heavy cable clutch -- it would really give your left hand a workout in stop-start city traffic -- I clicked down to first in the responsive six-speed gearbox and marvelled at the refinement of the parallel-twin engine.

I soon discovered, as the assembled journos left Paul Feeney Group’s HQ and we made our way over the tight and twisting Mount Tomewin, the Nuda’s engine is a real highlight. Based on the unit powering BMW’s F 800 models, in Nuda guise it’s a very different animal, thanks to an extra 100cc, new forged pistons, conrods and crankshaft, plus new cams, a new cylinder head, a new balancer conrod and a 315-degree crank offset. The end result, says Husqvarna, is 105hp (77kW) at 8500rpm and 100Nm (73.7ft-lb) at 7000rpm -- as opposed to the 87hp (64kW) at 8000rpm and 86Nm (63.4ft-lb) at 6000rpm of BMW’s F 800 R, a package weighing a claimed 3kg more.

PLENTY OF POKE

On the road, the Nuda’s zesty performance more than backs up the menacing exhaust note. It’s a wonderfully punchy unit, and while it happily revs out to its 8000rpm indicated redline, it’s happiest when kept within its meaty midrange, which extends from around 4000rpm all the way to 7000rpm. The base Nuda recorded a lazy 3900rpm at 100km/h in sixth gear which is relaxed enough for long-haul cruising, but you can up that a tad for the 900R, with its smaller front sprocket.

That 16-tooth item does give an additional boost to the 900R’s poke, which was only adding to the fun as we traversed the winding roads near the Qld/NSW border. The roads in these parts vary widely in quality, from decent tar to potholed, rippled and rain-damaged nightmares. Over the latter the base model’s stiff suspension was perhaps a little too stiff, the bike tending to skate over the tops of the bumps rather than soak them up. A little more time to tweak the rear shock’s settings would undoubtedly have helped. After a quick stop at Kyogle, in NSW, I hopped on to the 900R, and found its rear Öhlins shock was a little more compliant.

Another aspect of the up-specced bike became clear as soon as more twisties swung into view -- those front Brembo monobloc brakes are sheer dynamite! To be honest, the brakes on the standard Nuda would suit me just fine, as they’ve got a heap of power and nice progression. The R’s stoppers amp things up to another level. They’ll be amazing at a track day, but on rough roads they really need to be treated with respect. On a couple of occasions hitting a decent pothole while under brakes saw me up and out of the seat, as I inadvertently applied a touch more pressure to the brake lever!

The Nuda’s ride is both thrilling and engaging -- Husqvarna has packed a stack of fun into this bike, and it’s thoroughly addictive. The broad ’bars require a half-decent shove to tip into a turn, but once it’s on its ear it’s a rock-solid platform and one which allowed me to make the most of its excellent ground clearance.

I had no complaints about the Pirelli Diablo Rosso 2s fitted to our test bikes. They were used due to the strong relationship Paul Feeney Group has with Pirelli importer Link International, but standard fitment for the Nudas is Metzeler’s Sportec M5. Top speed? Somewhere approaching 200km/h for the 900R, and a bit more again for the taller-geared 900. More importantly, the Nudas offer excellent urge at road legal speeds and beyond -- fast highway overtakes pose no problem.

ALL THE TRIMMINGS

As for practicalities, Husky has done a good job in ticking most of the boxes. The instruments are attractive and easy to read, and the LCD display offers up a raft of info: speedo, engine temperature, ambient temperature, and fuel usage. There’s a choice of two ride modes, too -- full power, and a reduced output mode (essentially a rain mode) and they can be changed on the fly via a button on the dash. The attractive, minimalist indicators are mounted on flexible stalks, and the sidestand, which is a work of art in its own right, works well. The mirrors are also effective and the small bikini fairing actually offers quite a degree of protection.

On our test ride, the Nudas were swallowing a bit over 10 litres of fuel for just on 200km. That 20km/lt is healthy indeed given the thrashing the bikes had received, but with a tiny 13-litre tank you’re looking at a working range of around 240km. That will of course extend with more judicious throttle use, but it will be a bit of a nuisance when on tour. Still, that seat is quite firm so you’ll probably be thankful for the semi-regular breaks! The upright ride position and good legroom will help offset the hard seat on longer runs, and pillions get a small set of grab handles.

Gripes? Only that the sides of what would usually be the fuel tank (in this case the cover for the airbox) seemed prone to scuffing leaving me to think that I’d be investing in some form of adhesive protection. Also, at present there’s no ABS option, however Husky says it will be available for later model years.

But I’ve saved the best for last -- the Nuda’s price. The standard Nuda 900 is going for $13,995 (plus on-roads), while the Nuda 900R is going for $15,995 (plus on-roads). In my opinion, that’s terrific value for a European model with a big dose of performance. And given that the 900R’s Öhlins rear shock is worth nearly $2800 on its own, that $2000 premium for the up-spec model looks pretty damn attractive.

The base Nuda in particular does throw up some interesting questions concerning Husqvarna’s parentage. BMW’s F 800 R roadster -- easily the Nuda’s closest competitor -- is $495 more but has the less-potent 798cc powerplant. Is it a corporate case of robbing Peter to pay Paul? If I was eyeing off the pair, I know which way I’d be directing my cash… Aprilia’s Shiver Sport 750 is also in the ballpark, at $12,990 (plus on-roads).

THE BOTTOM LINE

Husqvarna’s first road bike in over 50 years doesn’t just represent a tentative ‘toe in the water’ for this historic marque, it’s a major turning point for the company, and it’s everything I’d hoped it would be. Well made, beautifully finished, value packed and an insane amount of fun. Husqvarna’s hit the bullseye in no uncertain terms, and I can’t wait to see what other road offerings it can come up with.

TOP OPTIONS

As is the norm these days, Husqvarna’s new Nuda 900 and 900R are being sold with a comprehensive array of factory accessories. Here’s a selection of what’s on offer…

High windshield: $273.85
Tankbag: $322.80
Low seat: $195.60
Rear soft bag kit: $397.15
Rear soft lateral bags: $185.85
Rear upper soft bag: $258.25
Hard panniers: $1106.05
Heated grips: $215.20
Öhlins rear shock: $2769.25
Carbon airbox cover: $526.70
Carbon front guard: $326.70

Husqvarna is also offering five different packages of accessories to suit different styles of riding: a full touring kit ($2031.25), a light touring kit ($1596.00), a racing ‘appeal’ kit ($1305.80), a racing ‘tech’ kit ($2176.40) and an urban kit ($1015.65). Purchasing any one kit represents a significant saving over buying each of that kit’s contents individually. For more information see your nearest Husqvarna Nuda authorised dealer.

Here's a quick taste of the Australian press launch of Husqvarna's Nuda 900 and 900R...

SPECIFICATIONS: HUSQVARNA NUDA 900 (900R)