Nuda 900 R arriving December

Following on from the recent release of initial details of Husqvarna's first modern street bike, the Husqvarna Nuda 900 R, the marque has now revealed the new model will produce over 100hp and 100Nm of torque in a package weighing under 175kg (dry), and will hit Australian dealerships this December.

When the wraps came off the Husqvarna Nuda 900 R last week it provoked plenty of comment - some of it good, some not so good. The dirt-bike-inspired 'street' design has certainly been a talking point, and one that's polarised opinion. While a recent Husqvarna press release has shed some additional light on the new model's components and capabilities, it is still somewhat vague when it comes to specifics, leaving many questions unanswered.

We do know Husqvarna has adapted the engine from parent company BMW's 800cc twin-cylinder engine, a basic format also found at the heart of BMW's F 800 ST sportstourer, F 800 R naked bike and F 800 GS adventure tourer.

Husqvarna has promised the 900cc parallel-twin will pack plenty of herbs, and although hard facts are still scarce, the company's latest press statement has confirmed it will "output more than 100hp [74kW] and 100Nm of torque, when it comes to market later this year."

The model represents new ground and a taste of things to come for the historic marque, which in recent years has focussed its attention purely on dirt bikes.

At the Nuda 900 R's official unveiling in Munich, during the BMW Motorrad Innovation Day, Husqvarna chief Klaus Allisat talked up the Nuda's sporting credentials. He also hinted at more Husqvarna road bikes to come, which should whet the appetite of road riders looking for something a little different.

"This new model will have more than 100 horsepower, but will be easy to handle thanks to its extreme lightness and the linear, fluid nature of the engine," said Allisat. "The components will be top-notch too, just like on our Husqvarna racing bikes. Our future road bikes will continue to have Husqvarna's DNA and, above all, our concept of riding, based on pleasure, power and flexibility.

"The core is the parallel 800cc two-cylinder engine also seen on the BMW F 800 R, but modified to give the bike a more typically aggressive, racing character. To reach this aim the engine was upgraded, increasing the capacity to 900cc, and many internal components were modified to improve the performance of the power and torque curve," he added.

Another previously hazy detail concerned the bike's dry weight, which Husqvarna has now confirmed will be less than 175kg. Taking those power and torque stats into account, the Nuda 900 R will have a spirited power-to-weight ratio that should guarantee an exciting ride, backed up by top-shelf suspension gear from Ohlins and Sachs.

The front end features a fully-adjustable Sachs fork and radially-mounted four-piston Brembo brakes, the latter allowing the bike to stop "on a sixpence", says Husqvarna.

The rear wheel is mated to a fully adjustable Ohlins shock, which should help get that 100+ Newton metres of torque down to the road rather effectively. Throw in a high quality chassis and the upshot is a bike that should handle remarkably well, but the reality is components of this spec don't come cheap, so it's likely we'll be seeing the Nuda 900 R priced in the company of offerings from other European marques, rather than those from Japan.

Husqvarna has also confirmed that the Nuda's exhaust system will be fitted with carbon parts and a special valve designed to "help it sound every inch a Husqvarna".

Having invested the time and money to develop a new 900cc parallel-twin engine, it's not surprising to see that Husqvarna has plans to expand its road bike range. BMW will have a big part to play in the expansion of the Husqvarna brand into the road bike market, and that could entail several benefits, particularly when it comes to technology.

"This is the first step of the collaboration between BMW and Husqvarna to develop new road bikes," noted Allisat. "This 900 combines Husqvarna's traditional sporting nature with BMW's engineering, technology and reliability," he added.

Check out the Husqvarna Nuda 900 R minisite for more assets.

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