The best thing about a super moto is how ridiculously pointless they are, there is no sensible reason to ever need one other than the joy of riding and that’s fantastic in my eyes
I have to disagree there mate. I'd say the best thing about Super Motos is they are fit for any task, if it's commuting, stunning, racing, joy riding, mad whoolies. Anything man. They lack in top speed due their single cylinder, so not good for big race tracks, but other than that it's a perfect do it all.
Hi tmf, you are quoting the spec of the 2016 bike that had the ktm 690 smc engine in, the 2017 on 701 has the 74 bhp duke engine and no mode switch under the Seat! I’m sure half the internet will be telling you this 🤦🏻♂️ I’ve got a 701 and love it!
And dual counter balancers to smooth out the engine. There's nowt wrong with the seat now, earlier 2016 bikes had a hard seat, the newer bikes are very comfy as Husky listened to feedback from owners and changed them for the later models. TMF just regurgitating a 2016 review. Bet Husky are chuffed, not.
I must say that me and my nephew both commute on these bikes. His is a 16 mines an 18. His is pushing 13k miles and have had no issues apart from small things like indicators and the such. You will manage 160 miles on a tank, they are very good on fuel really. The fuel light comes on between 130 and 140 miles and thats using it to commute. I took it to wales a few months back and it easily did 160 miles in a tank and the mpg works out between 60 and 70 mpg on average. Crackin little bike with a few small minus points
Husqvarna was a consistent winning brand in World Championship Motocross and Enduro events in the 70’s. Great to see them getting some attention again.
Great Review as always!, Like the quality of the video as well. Regarding the bike. I rode it at the dealer here in Costa Rica and absolutely loved it, it feels so light and toqueee (If that's a word...) and really fun to ride. I've been riding sportbikes for a few years now and when I tried the 701 I couldn't believe how light and nimble it feels, it feels like a bicycle (and is very powerful too). Don't have one because don't have the money right now but when I get to save enough, I will get one for sure!
Towards the end of this year (2024) i booked a group trip tour with the 701 SM fitted out for touring, fitted factory touring windshields, better seats, Dunlop Mutant tyres not sure what that means, and a full factory exhaust system. They claim about 200 km a tank, and a 120-130 km freeway rideable. Not sure about the luggage. Probably should mention that this comes with a warning and that is beware, this bike will easily break the speed limit. Thanks for the fab review
Look forward to your review of the Vitpilen 701, hopefully Husky will do a Svartpilen 701 to compliment the current Svartpilen 401 (probably more my thing)
My next bike!! I actually started saving up for this one (I'd rather die than finance anything anymore, damn those banks). I ride a big 650 single cylinder enduro or dual-sport bike and it's in enduro trim yet the reality is it hasn't seen any dirt this year. I spend like 95% of the time in the city and it simply makes no sense to have knobby tires in this setting.. But I love these light bikes that can take on the motorways with ease as well. Though I will have to test ride it myself as well at some point :D But I seriously can't see any deal-breakers on this thing.
That's a fair suggestion, but apparently the XT660 single isn't sold over here anymore (I bet the EURO 4 is the culprit).. I've also ridden quite a few older XT-s and they all suffered from bad fuel injection and twitchy throttle especially at city speeds. Though come to think of it, two years ago I tried a then brand new model and I think it was better... Other (big) problem is the weight. XT is around 175kg (vs the Husky's 145kg). And of course, the looks :D The XT looks as if it's dragging it's belly along the ground. I know it's a bit shallow but I tend to lean towards form rather than function..
Hmm.. good point. Just looked up bikes in my area and there's a good-looking sub 10K km XT600x for 5000.- Guess there's something to ponder over come winter :) Thanks for the insight!
@Mark Cummings Right now I sorta have a similar bike as the 701, it's an enduro with 650cc engine and 160kg weight. So it's really heavy for an enduro, but super light for an adventurer :D The most I do motorways is for around 100km at a time, so naturally it's perfectly fine. Not comfortable, but doable. :D In the end I am looking for a bike for the city.. :)
I've had 2 690's over the years, they are torque monsters and good on fuel which is nice. I've not ridden a newer one (or 701) but the throttle was extremely twitchy back then, bad enough to make me sell one of them. For me they don't feel quite as happy in extremely tight roads and hard to handle some times (especially if you've ever ridden somewhere like the Yorkshire Dales, it's like being on a bucking bronco if you aren't careful) and on longer stretches a big naked is more comfortable.
Great review, seems like a fun hooligan bike. As a swede, Husqvarna has a special place in my heart :) I did own a 1991 Husaberg FE 350 some years ago. When it wasn't in bits in the garage it was a fun bike offroad. Left side kick start ftw :)
I love the line "if I am doing a wheelie, something has gone terribly wrong". Same here :). When it seems like many of the motorcycle channels have gone relatively silent (at least the one I frequent), you keep posting great videos. Hopefully, Husqvarna has found a stable home with KTM. Thanks for posting.
Sure, no problem. There is Teapotone (two posts in the past month), and Motorcyclist Magazine (three posts in the past two months) to name two. I wonder if the upcoming winter season is causing the slow down.
I have owned a 2016 and a 2018 701. The 2018 701 has a more powerful engine than the ktm 690. It revs more so it gets about 10 more bhp. just for information,the bike does have issues with false neutrals
Looked at this last Saturday and fell in love and ordered one.... pick it up this Friday, got them to put an acro can on as you will find out the stock one weighs a ton and gets unbelievable hot.
Love it, I bought the 701 Enduro version to sit next to my '15 R1200GS. You really should get them to lend you the Enduro so you can see how great it is offroad. I love the true dual sport nature of it. Thanks for the great work, love the channel! Also, the 2018 here in the US has the newer engine-75hp, dual balance shafts, higher rpm.
Hey TMF! Nice to see you trying an SM. I LOVED my 625 SMC back in the day. Just sold my 848 Evo and bought a Hypermotard to get some of that feeling back again. What jacket is that you’re wearing in the video please? Cheers!
Couple of things (based on a KTM 690 Enduro). Wings exhaust makes a wonderful difference to the motor. Seat Concepts (US) makes a replacement seat that does NOT feel like a 2x4 with vinyl covering. Double Take Mirrors (US) makes an option for the mirrors, and another option is mirrors in the Hand Guards(don't remember the builder). Not sure if all of that will fit the Husky version, but worth check if someone plans to buy one. Biggest disappointment of the 690 was the gas tank (gas tank bolt not up to par and location). On the 690, on of the display options was a tach across the top, but wasn't needed, and may have been removed. Other than that is was a great FUN bike. If got replaced by a Ducati Super Sport S. Wonderful review as always!
I think there may be a round of milky coffees required for the slight nibble of the solid double white line 😉 It looked like a lot of fun and I could hear the grin in your voice 👍
Kind of them to lend you the bike. They should have taught you how to pronounce the name of it too. It's "Huus-kvarna", not hus-ge-varna". That aside: I'm somewhat interested in this type of bike, so i'm really looking forward to what you have to say :)
A413 Buckingham to Aylesbury .. excellent twisty ride .. but you know that already. Shame about the traffic on the day you were riding ... Quality review as usual - thanks.
Nice review! Quite like this bike...Would love you to get a hold of the 701 Vitpilen and hear your thoughts as well. Also keep an eye out for the new 2019 KTM SMC-R 690!!
Ohhhhhh how I’ve been looking forward to this review/series. The Husky 701 in either form (SM or Enduro) has been a bike I’ve lusted over for a couple of years, if they weren’t 11K in the US I’d have had one by now. Humboldt County roads and trails scream to be ridden by this beast.
One of the best bikes/ huge fun factor. Put gas in the bike before you leave, 0 out the trip odometer- enough said, it also gas a low fuel warning light
I've been drooling over the TE 701 as a replacement for my CRF250L. I'm curious about your opinion on the lights. Not seen many reviews of night time driving on one of these. Great review, looking forward to your next installment.
Looks a bit "plasticky" if ask me. I found the video a bit "jittery" and at first I thought it was possibly your new GoPro 7 Black (if you are actually using it in this video) but I also noticed it during the Phone camera walk around. Maybe it's something on my end? I haven't seen any issues in the past as your stuff is always top quality... Back to the bike, loving that weight!!! I am always amazed by how certain bikes can bring out the hooligan in us. Good show TMF as I always look forward to your long term reviews. Cheers!
You lucky dog. I've been waiting for for my local dealership to get one of these in so I can fondle it. My last SM was a (barely) street legal KTM 560 SMR. Pure madness on the street.
Hi, nice initial review, the Duke 690 has actually a slightly bigger tank at 14 litres but that's just being pedantic (-:. My Duke does between 60 and 75mpg so I think if not driven like a loony it should have a range of over 160 miles quite easily.
If I was younger and, uhm, lighter, I'd have this as my main riding machine. After all these years I still yearn for the simplicity and zippyness of my Honda 500 XLR and my Kawasaki 600 KLR. Absolute crap on freeways, but utter fun everywhere else.
I like the nod to Husaberg with the blue and yellow (swedish) scheme. Looks very similar to the late model husabergs, although not as good looking. Sounds very similar, hard seat, large tendency to wheelie and iffy switch gear. Great bikes though. It's interesting to compare this bike with the vitpilen. Loved the 70 degree motor on the Husabergs better - almost no vibes.
As a 6ft 6 personality a below knee amputee with prosphetic, I’ve been riding my Zx10r which is a cramped riding position with a adapted foot peg to be made 4inch lower, would I be comfortable sat on a 701? Is the seat to peg quite a lot in space?
Thankyou TMF for an enjoyable video..... Good to have a 'newbie' perspective on this bike : for riders who may consider one of this type for general road use and commuting... The KTM 690 engine does vibrate, but they have made an effort to smooth it out.....it needs 3500 rpm to feel comfortable....and much cog swapping in town..... Interested to know what the gearing is like for road use.....how many mph per 1000 rpm to compare with other road bikes..... Keep up the good work.....!!
Would you swap your street triple R for one of these? as a street triple R owner myself I have thought about it but can't make my mind up.I'm not a wheelie person but love this bike.
no wonder that you like it, same weight as the CRF250L so you felt at home but more than double the Hp. ever thought to convert your Crf into a supermoto?
I do like a Husqvarna! They also do the 701 in an Enduro config. If the Seat is anything like that on my Husqvarna FE350 then I get somewhat numb nethers after about 10 miles!
Fantastic looking bike,love a thumper owned a Honda SLR650 for 9 years 10 years ago great commuter c/o being so skinny,used to eat chain though (perhaps the way I rid her in hooligan mode) great review as usual.👍🏻
The most politely spoken hoon in history. Riding down the highway at warp speed. Then encounters a slow moving vehicle TMF leans over and asks"excuse me sir, would you kindly like to move over so I can vertically lift my front wheel past the constabulary driving up ahead so they don't note my registration?" Wheelies up road at twice legal limit past the highway patrol giving a royal wave.
The acceleration looks very tame in this. Presumably it must have a better power to weight ratio than my MT07 though (which also wheelies if you rev it too hard). Obviously you're going to be gentle with the throttle on a bike you'd never ridden before 20 minutes ago too, especially if you're only borrowing it. Maybe Aprilia will lend you a Dorsudoro next - that would be interesting because people only ever review the Tuono and RSV4.
If I could have afforded it..I would have bought something like this over my crf250l 2017! But I’m happy with my purchase/investment for now...lol cool videos I’ll be continuing to check out this series
Finally ! :) Lets see if the CRF will be replaced...;) Really looking forward to what you think, I'm really not sure what I will do..love the little CRF but some extra grunt would be nice and yes I kind of like the Swedish color theme...;)
The fact that despite not being the tallest you didn't have a problem with a 690cm seat height is a bit of an eye-opener for me !! Normally I would ignore any bike with that seat height without a second thought , but maybe I should try sitting on one and see how the suspension compression effects it ? I actually disregarded a CRF 250 for the same reason when I stood next to one in a showroom and I know you own one of those , but 690cm is literally on another level !
I have an old (2008)KTM 690 SM,I've owned it for 3 years & it has been perfectly behaved mechanically in all weathers. I found the easiest method to get on was use the footpeg before booting up the kickstand,it didn't prevent me from tiptoeing once sat though & if any tarmac depressions(potholes)caught me off-balance then I'd drop the bike. It now destroys my butt after 20 mins the seat is so hard(I thought it would eventually soften over the years not get harder)the engine vibrations are chronic meaning the mirrors are useless,though can be reduced slightly by chain adjustment(which needs done almost before any ride as the motor thumps do stretch the chain quickly & if ignored,will happily destroy a chain/rear sprocket in very few miles)the motor pulls strongly from low revs but nowhere nearly enough to get the front wheel up(which suits me as my last wheelie was about 40 years ago) It was brilliant fun in heavy traffic then suddenly developed a stall at 3k RPM (EasyTune app fixed that) that frequently locked the rear wheel or threw me off balance & I dropped it. It had 6k miles on it when I bought it,it's now got about 13-14k(I leave the odo on trip as it too only has fuel light)& consistently produces 65-75 MPG but I'm getting used to the "fuel range" issue of head to garage when it lights & I've never ran out of fuel despite my initial enthusiasm with it saw me pop out on a Sat lunchtime "for a ride" that had me hooning round the county(easily done as Cumbria is large)for over 130 miles. :) Now,I can't endure it for 10 miles as my other bike (93 Honda CBR 600) is way more comfortable even after many hours ride(I did the 700+ mile round trip to Loomies on it)
Any bike manufacturer that offers a hard seat doesn't deserve a sale IMHO. I mean, who makes a bike with a seat that's inherently uncomfortable and why would they do that?
Great first review, as always! I added a 690 to my garage earlier this year and am enjoying it. As you mentioned, it is a very different sort of bike (my others are sport bikes and a R1200 GS A). Like you, I'm 5'8" (and shrinking), and the 690 was nosebleed height. I bought a lowering kit but decided to get used to the bike first, which worked out find. The 701 Enduro is even taller than the 690. I agree with the other commenter about the mileage. I never get less than 60 mpg, and sometimes get closer to 70, depending on how and where I ride (mostly in the mountains). Unless the 701 is different--as it may be--the switch under the seat has to do with adjusting for fuel quality, not modes. KTM offers an off-road ABS dongle, which is supposed to allow you to switch from full ABS to front wheel only ABS (although there is a difference between the written instructions and the RU-vid videos). Mine worked for awhile and then reverted to "full time no ABS" at the rear, which led to some amusing moments in traffic as I locked up the rear wheel. A few other points: Most people ditch those mirrors and add folding adventure mirrors, mounted on RAM Mount pieces that screw onto the original mirror mounts. Much easier for filtering (lane splitting, in the US) and less vibe-prone. Also, given my height challenge, I added a RAM Mount base (the cradle and ball) to the kickstand to make it easier to catch while leaned over onto the other foot. I also added a Wings exhaust, which looks and sounds wonderful. Have fun getting to know that bike, and thanks for all you video content!
Have a 1200GS Rallye, thinking about downgrading to this bad boy. I also wont have time for long trips in the future so there's no point to have one other than comfort. What are your thoughts?
I'm a similar height to you MSF and used to have the KTM version of this bike and always seemed to struggle 'kicking' the side stand under, have you noticed any issues?
And there are no riding modes on the 701s after 2016. The 17 onwards are 1 mode only. The 2018 bikes make 70 ish bhp, your specs are for the old model mate
