Hi Riel,
Which model year is your 701 ? I'm guessing it's a 15/16 ?
Thanks.

I only asked what you paid in Canadian dollars ... not MSRP. I can figure conversion from CA dollars to US. Here we have lots add on fees and tax ... so price goes WAY up above MSRP. maybe same in Canada?

Good to hear. Yes, most bikes are pretty smooth riding dirt. So you never rode your Husky cross country on highway for long day rides? Maybe test that out before going RTW on it?

Wow! 10K km between oil changes is great! Is that what Husky/KTM recommend in the factory service book?

I don't even go that far on my 10 year old Suzuki DR650! I usually try to change at around 4K miles or so (6K km). So far, made it to 62,000 miles with NO engine work. Just lucky I guess?

I'm sure you'll do just fine. Even with the DR you have to order parts from abroad. Most Suzuki dealer outside USA/Canada would not stock Suzuki DR parts. So same as Husky ... order and wait a month.

Question is ... which engine will break first?

Great travel stories! Thanks for the links!


Spot on! But I'd rather actually RIDE than simply "think" about riding

... and I don't see the bike when I'm riding it. The main thing is that it starts up and keeps going ... everyday ... for 10 years ... without even ONE repair.

I raced AMA Enduro, dist. 36, B rider, for eight years. So I know how to go fast in the dirt and I know what a fast dirt bike is.

For travel (for me) I'd don't need the fastest or best handling ... or even the best looking bike for long distance travel.

Most times I'm on highways anyway, so a "True Dual Sport" is of paramount importance. Being able to ride 10 hours a day, day after day at 75 MPH is a good test of the engine.

All the best!

16 months after starting this thread, I finally got to test ride the 701 (albeit in SM format) this morning, back to back with a Honda CFR250 Rally.

Short version is while it was not perfect, I liked it overall and it is likely to make its way into my garage in 2019. Interestingly (at least to me), i test rode with a pal, swapping bikes, after which we independently made top 3 +/- lists. These lists turned out to be identical.

Husky 701

- Friendly power low down (rather than lairy right off the bottom of the throttle)
- Light weight (would be happy trail riding it)
- lots of top end grunt (really smooth at 70/75mph, with plenty left)

- Quite lumpy at low speed
- very fussy about you being in the right gear
- seat is a plank
- would need better wind protection for longer distance touring at speed

Conclusion: would enjoy trail riding AND touring on that

Honda CRF250 Rally

- very smooth engine through rev range
- Comfortable (seat and ergonomics)
- Good wind protection

- engine is gutless (couldn’t grunt you out of a tight spot on a trail)
- No top end (out of puff and getting vibey by 70mph)
- Cheap plastics

Conclusion: a really good bike that i have zero desire to own!


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Well, I’m in. The Freeride went today, the XT660z is up for sale in South Africa and the 701 arrives next week.

I would suggest test the new 2019 models of husky 701 and ktm 690R,
they made number of improvements so maybe this weird gear ratio is fixed
as well geometry. I'm considering myself ktm 690 enduro R to replace or complement my xt660z. Another suggestion is with these bikes better have spare fuel pump

I have just come back from a 3500 mile round trip to Romania, mostly tarmac but did do a little off road. I have previously ridden my 701 off road any chance I got, on the TET and at various meetups/events since buying the bike about 18 months ago (it's a 2018 model) here are my thoughts:

I have over done 6000 miles, only problem I have had is with the clutch. It's a common problem, and was repaired under warranty. Even on the trip to Romania I had no problems with the bike (apart from a flat battery but that was my fault for leaving the ignition on).

Vibration is barely noticeable, these engines have come along way in the last couple of years. I change the oil/filters every 2000 miles just because.

Before another long trip I would:

• Get the suspension set up correctly. Stiffer spring in the rear for the extra weight, and maybe a remote preload adjuster.
  
  Get a new seat. A day is manageable but for any extended trip it becomes unbearable very quickly
  
  A screen would make cruising on the motorway much more comfortable.

real pain in these bikes is fuel tank size, I mean they put bigger airbox then tank... For longer trips can be annoying. Neavey, did you have bigger tank installed?

No, I did manage to squeeze 300 kms (180 miles) out of a tank by taking a wrong turning on to a motorway with no exit for the next 25km (fuel light was already on when I took the wrong turning). But to be honest, with the stock seat you are more than ready for a break before emptying the tank.

Some sort of larger tank or rotopax is on my upgrade list.

I tried the 2019 SM - felt ok. I guess I’ll find out the full picture now! Happy to report back if it is useful. I’ll be doing some trails with it in 2019 and have a bigger trip planned for 2020.

Thanks Neavey, really helpful insights. I did Romania in 2016 on my DL100 and loved it. What tyres did you use for your trip?

See you are in Bristol too - if you fancy chewing the fat over a coffee or brekkie at Fowlers some time we can swap notes!

Cheers
Andy

I'm currently living in Belgium (must update my bio) but occasionally back in Bristol so I will look you up next time I'm there.

I had Motoz tyres front and back. Whilst they last really well and performed great off road on the tarmac they are really noisy.

Good point correlating seat comfort with fuel range.
It sure worked on my CRF250L – 120 miles before I pulled over to top up from a can. Never got sore.

__________________
Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

Not sure if this has been posted before, here's a review of the 701 of a Dutch guy who rode it from Amsterdam to Cape Town. He had quite a few issues with it. Also some nice insights in to the dealer network.



https://twowheeledwayfarer.com/10k-r...husqvarna-701/

Sorry Chris what did you do to your seat

Update from me on this one.

I took the 701 trail riding (in the UK) for the first time yesterday. I am riding a long distance trial next week on it so have it shod in Pirelli MT43 trials tyres. I took it up lots of muddy lanes and rock slab hill climbs. I feel like a wreck today, but the bike was great - a good purchase for me.

As others have said this is a dual sport with a big emphasis on off road ability. It was much harder work that the 99kg trail bike i’ve been using off road for the last 6 years, but it did it all with ease in a way a road bike would not, and with 175 mile tank range, heated grips, powered GPS etc it is a bike i’d be happy to travel on. A couple of weekends ago i did 450 miles on paved roads (on the standard TKC80 tyres and it was a pleasure, albeit a sore arsed one!)

It will not be replacing my 800 Tiger for European road touring just yet (the Tiger is a way better bike for that), but for harder unpaved riding this is a bike that will do that (in a way the Tiger would not) so it ticks my ‘travel bike’ boxes.

Planning to ride the TAT on it in 2020 so will report back after that.