Husqvarna SM610, Suzuki DR Z400SM, Aprilia Pegaso Strada 650

The SM610 is the result of some fairly serious work by Husqvarna to make a more practical version of its barking rabid racers. This has been brought about by fitting a bigger fuel tank containing 12 litres to feed the massaged and smoother SOHC 576cc engine that makes about 52hp. Suspension is fully adjustable and the monster brakes are well are up to the paltry job of slowing the featherweight.

THE LOOK
Gothic gorgeous, the battleship grey Husky demands respect. Disappointingly though, the stickers on the tank mark easily and the thin matt grey paint demands TLC. Anyone owning the bike will have to be on the case with looking after it to retain the as-new looks.

The novel digital rev counter featuring blocks that rise and run across the top of the display doesn't have any numbers so you have no idea what it all actually means!

SPANKIN' IT
There's no denying that it's plenty quick and feels surprisingly sophisticated too. In the lower gears it's quick enough to punch the front wheel skyward or break the rear tyre loose with very little effort even if the gears are on the short side and you run out of revs faster than you'd like. That's Enduro gearing for you I guess. Not that it matters much as the remaining cogs allow the engine to get into its stride and hit a highly respectable top speed. But the high numbers don't come for free - cruising on the freeway at anything more than 90km/h sees the engine starting to feel overly busy and vibration starts rasping through the seat with increasing and unwanted intensity. In addition the Husky develops a thirst to match, dropping from 18km/l to just over 13km/l.

The handling is top-notch, bitumen-ripping spectacular and the brakes are head-kick stunning. Beautifully compliant and adjustable suspension lets you charge up to any bend, slam on the bloody amazing brakes and lean hard on the Dunlop D208s.

The Husky snaps from one lean to another in a heartbeat and positively blisters tarmac between bends. Make no mistake, in any mountain or city road environment trying to keep up with a seasoned "Motard" (French for rider) will be nigh on impossible no matter what you ride.

If there's a point where SuperMoto and SadoMaso cross over on this motorcycle, it's the hardcore seat. It's unspeakably awful for anything more than 20 minutes and combined with the engine vibes manages to render any possibility of carnal activity numb and pointless for up to twenty minutes after a ride. Given the bike's origins maybe I shouldn't be surprised. Then again maybe I just need to learn some respect.

AND FINALLY...
The Husky SM610 is definitely an uncompromising piece of equipment that should probably share the garage with a day-to-day bike. It's the kind of bike you wake up in the middle of the night for, just so you can go to it and touch it and look at it.

Wow - this is different! Where the Husky feels raw and much closer to what I expect a SuperMoto to be, the Suzuki is every bit as much fun but so much more every-day civilised.

The quick and long-spinning 398 cc engine is an absolute peach. Sure the lack of real bottom-end force sucks, and it could do with a bit more than the standard 39hp. But it's hiccup free anywhere in the rev range and has enough power further up to make surprisingly swift progress from 100km/h on to a top speed of around 150ish - allegedly.

DISSIN' THE LAW
Despite a meagre power output, the dinky DR-Z exhibits a madcap disrespect for the laws of physics. Lightning-fast access to stupid lean angles is an every day occurrence and if the pegs touch down you've probably fallen off.

Weighing only 134kg helps, but being built to a price hasn't handicapped the 400 either and I'm not kidding when I say I've never enjoyed any lightweight motorcycle so much.

 There can be no doubt that both front and the rear suspension are very softly sprung and damped, despite being fully adjustable. Surprisingly this all works really well, especially over choppy surfaces. But regardless of what you do with the adjusters it never alters the fact that the back squats noticeably under acceleration, and under the basic but entertaining brakes, the front free falls and delivers the full weight of the machine and rider onto the contact patch of the superbly sticky Dunlop D208s. Which looks unnecessarily dramatic but, before long, you're looking to stand the thing on its nose at every available opportunity. Pure comedy, not making sense on purpose, but mad-boy happy to do it by accident.

SIX IT UP
As a daily ride the DR-Z will win heaps of commuter friends, especially those who don't do scooter sensible. The seat is good for over an hour and all the equipment is typically functional. Oh - and it's economical too, returning 20km/l despite suffering a 'mixture' of riding styles. Being a Suzuki, it's bullet-proof reliable and has a trademark light-under-the-toes five-speed gearbox. Which brings me to... Six speeds! It needs six gears, I grew weary of the amount of times my left foot was met by a lever that had done all the shifting it could do. Five speeds may be enough off-road, but this thing needs six.

AND FINALLY...
This DR-Z400 is a bargain! Go on - find anything more entertaining, with or without clothes, at this price. As an alternative to a GS500 commuter there'd be no question what I'd prefer and, yes, I want one. Having Enduro roots means that the hardware is well considered and ridiculously easy to maintain. All the hard work has been done in the tuning houses and there's plenty more power available for a little extra dough - Come on, admit it - you want one too.

More StreetMoto than SuperMoto, the Strada is unashamedly pitched at BMW's F650CS - everything from the styling and the super-low and comfy riding position, to the natty little storage compartment under the tank access flap and the unwanted extra weight.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU
I love the colour and looks, especially the headlight. Quality looks good too. Now powered by a 659cc fuel-injected Yamaha engine that's been massaged to make what feels like a realistic 50hp, there's enough go to get the Pegaso moving with surprising alacrity courtesy of healthy bottom-end torque as well as midrange. Mind you 20kg less would make it even better!

Having said that, our bike seemed to have a fuelling glitch on hot days. Open the throttle and it'd start to pick up and then there'd be a split second where it'd drop into a hole before picking up again. Strange - because I've never experienced the same thing with the Yamaha XTX660. Anyway, the gear ratios are perfectly suited to making the most of the engine's power on the road and before you know it you forget that it's not really a SuperMoto and start to enjoy it for what it is - a fast and stylish single-cylinder road bike.

TURNING A TRICK OR TWO
Once you make that shift, the Pegaso makes sense. It's ideal in town, easy to turn and perfect for low-speed traffic juggling. Not that it's a one-trick pony - you could tour quite easily with a tank range of about 250km before reserve from the 16 litre tank and the seat would probably make a decent fist of carrying a passenger. On that note it's nice to see a well-crafted grab-rail as standard.

On back-road bends, a wolfish personality appears that wants to hunt sheep on sportsbikes and if not kill them, at least worry them. Much of the killer instinct is down to the engine but it's the overall partnership between the steel chassis, adjustable suspension and the excellent Pirelli Diablos that makes it so good.

But there's always something isn't there? And, other than being obviously heavier in the steering than the other two, it's the ground clearance. The Diablo tyres offer way more grip than the footrests allow. In order to accommodate the ultra-low seat height the footrests have been dropped nearer the ground. Ten minutes after starting the photo session the lean angle bolts on the footrests had been worn away completely at what felt like quite un-challenging angles. It's a shame because the Strada deserves better.

AND FINALLY...
As a StreetMoto rather than SuperMoto, the Strada is no bad thing, especially as not everyone wants the love child of an Enduro bastard and a 250 GP missile. It could do with losing weight and gaining ground clearance and seat height - and if the flat-spot thing turns out to be more than an aberration, that'll need addressing too.

Better looking and far more engaging to ride than the BMW, the Pegaso Strada deserves success.

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE
Type: Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, SOHC, four-valve, single-cylinder
Bore x stroke: 98 x 76.4mm
Displacement: 576cc
Compression: 11:1
Fuel system: 41mm Keihin carburettor

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed, constant-mesh
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Welded steel tube
Front-suspension: Marzocchi, inverted, 45mm, fully-adjustable.
Rear-suspension: Sachs monoshock, adjustable for rebound and preload

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Dry weight: 140kg
Seat height: 910mm
Fuel capacity: 12.5 litres

PERFORMANCE
Max power: 52hp at 7000rpm
Max torque: N/A

OTHER STUFF
Price: $12,790plus ORC
Colour: Dark grey
Test bike supplied by: Paul Feeney Group
Warranty: 24 months unlimited kilometres

ENGINE
Type: Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-valve, single-cylinder
Bore x stroke: 90 x 62.6mm
Displacement: 398cc
Carburetion: 36mm Mikuni carburettor

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed, constant-mesh
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Welded tubular-steel cradle
Front-suspension: Showa, inverted, 41mm adjustable fork
Rear-suspension: Showa monoshock, adjustable for rebound and preload

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Dry weight: 134kg
Seat height: 890mm
Fuel capacity: 10 litres

PERFORMANCE
Max power: 39hp at 7600rpm
Max torque: 4kg-m at 6600rpm

OTHER STUFF
Price: $9590 plus ORC
Colours: Black
Test bike supplied by: Suzuki Australia
Warranty: 12 months unlimited kilometres

ENGINE
Type: Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, SOHC, four-valve, single-cylinder
Displacement: 659cc
Compression ratio: 10:1
Fuel system: Fuel-injection with 44mm throttle body

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed, constant-mesh
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Steel spine
Front-suspension: Conventional 45mm fork
Rear-suspension: Sachs monoshock, adjustable for rebound and preload

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Dry weight: 168kg
Seat height: 780mm
Fuel capacity: 16 litres

PERFORMANCE
Max power: 50hp at 6250 rpm
Max torque: 6.25 kg-m at 5200rpm

OTHER STUFF
Price: $13,490 plus ORC
Colours: Sunset red, black
Test bike supplied by: Aprilia Australia
Warranty: 24 months unlimited kilometres