The confluence of power and agility
When you watch a video of multi Dakar motorcycle champion Cyril Despres and extreme adventurer Mike Horn lowering a 901 Expedition down the side of a cliff in Mongolia on a rope with one of them attached to the other end of the rope that happens to be wrapped around a tree and the other rider one dangling off said motorcycle, you know you are in for a real adventure when you get a chance to swing a leg over the 901 Expedition. Then, you watch them build a raft out of some tractor inner tubes and bits of wood and rope and float the 901 across an almost freezing river and head off into the setting sun with both bikes running sideways and kicking up huge rooster tails, you start salivating.
This was our introduction to the unveiling of the 2023 Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition at a really nice hotel in God’s own riding country where He has a window for everybody to enjoy His perfect creation just for us riders…. Or so we would like to think. The team from Husqvarna treated us to the luxuries of Hippo Hollow Lodge in Hazyview while giving us a run down of all the upgrades, improvements and the sheer amazement that is the Norden 901 Expedition before laying out the riding plan on Husqvarna’s latest adventure offering.
Our ride was to kick off directly after an earlyish breakfast with a short tarmac liaison through town before turning on to an easy bit of dirt road just to get us acquainted with the Expedition. Then, a bit more tarmac before a quick 250m odd forestry road loop where we could give it the beans and do a few laps for the camera’s. From there it would be on to the famous “22” between Hazyview and Sabie where we could scratch those itchy knees – tupperware torpedo style before a quick rehydration stop in Sabie. This section came with a word of caution… a chunk of the 22 has washed away with the recent heavy rains and the road is closed to traffic, but with a bit of careful aiming we could sneak past the obstruction. Then it was to be a bit more tarmac out of Sabie and straight onto some very interesting forestry roads through the mountains and a smidge more tarmac into Graskop for our lunch stop. From Graskop it was to be a loop out past God’s Window, Berlin Falls etc and back into Graskop. This loop consisted of some open touring type tarmac where cruise control could be engaged. There were some gnarly forestry roads, ox-wagon tracks, collapsed low water bridges, mud bogs, pine needle coated tracks, fallen branches, twigs, loose rocks, etc before heading back into Graskop over dongas with patches of tar around them here and there and booming down Kowyns pass back to Hazyview for a late evening Game Drive through the Kruger National Park and a lekker dinner at a local restaurant.
Let the ride begin!
We are pretty sure that you, like us, have read every bit of info you can find on the new Norden 901 Expedition, but here are some of the highlights that really stood out to us.
The metallic blue paint with all the white accents really does take your breath away, it is one gorgeous looking machine, especially with the topographical lines, longitude and latitude lines as well as the stellar clusters alluding to its globetrotting intentions and highlighting the not so subtle Husqvarna branding.
The thing that really grabs your attention next is its purposeful stance, this is no soft roader, shrinking violet.The Expedition stands tall, proud and full of purpose thanks to the upgrade from the 43mm WP Apex front shocks of the standard 901 to the more rugged WP 48mm Explor front forks and rear shock. These increase the front suspension travel from 220mm to 240mm and the rear travel from 215mm to 240mm and lifts the ground clearance from 252mm to 270mm. And before you ask, yes the seat height also goes up – obviously. This model starts at 275mm at its lowest setting and around 285 mm on its highest setting.
The Explor suspension is quite unique to the Expedition and isn’t available as an aftermarket upgrade. It has significantly more adjustment than the Apex units and they are all mostly quick adjuster types that can be done on the side of the road or trail with ease.
A super imposing and extremely tough looking 4mm aluminium bash plate encompasses most of the bottom and front end of the bike adding to the whole rugged look.This thing is incredibly tough and takes a punch extremely well…. I’ll tell you a bit more about that just now. Looking at it, you might think it adds an undue amount of weight to the 901 Expedition, but it doesn’t, it is only a couple of kilos or so. A tall, wide touring windshield makes quite the statement and adds to the big Husky’s imposing looks as does the soft luggage and rack system, all of this standard fare on the Expedition.
Also standard are heated grips and a heated riders seat as well as a full electronics package including Explore mode…. On a bike that is barely 10% in price up from the standard Norden 901? We did a little calculation using the Husqvarna’s aftermarket catalogue and tried to build a standard Norden 901 into something comparable to the Expedition and the price we came to was somewhere north of an extra 60% plus on the Expedition’s price tag before we chucked in the towel, better value for money than the Expedition is going to be hard to find anywhere.
Being 2m’s tall and tipping the scales at 115kg’s at my last weigh in I did have a few issues with the standard Norden that had me a bit concerned with the Expedition. So I approached Husqvarna SA’s technical guru and had him help me set the bike up quickly. We set the forks rebound and compression on the hardest setting on the quick adjusters and turned the compression up on the shock by 4 clicks. Then it was literally a 30 second job to set the seat on its highest setting. Swinging my leg over the “EX” I noticed the seat was fairly wide and squared off, once again unique to this machine for better comfort for those long days traversing the globe, however, this might present a small challenge to the shorter riders, splaying their legs out wider and making it a bit harder to get both feet on the deck. In fact one of the other journo’s did try to put his foot down at a stop in the forest and went arse over kettle. Admittedly he did choose to stop at quite a severe verge than even a tall rider like me would have had a hard time finding Terra-firma.
Heading out, my first check was to see if I could stand up properly and ride without hunching over and to my glee I could, and I could easily grip the front of the seat between my knees. The little bit of dirt presented us with piles of sand, assumedly for remedial work to the road…. Or Husqvarna SA really went the extra mile and sorted us with a nice little playground. Either way, it gave us a great opportunity to really familiarise ourselves with the weight balance, stability and a quick test of the new suspension and electronics package of the “EX” and we quickly worked out that this blue beauty has impeccable dirt manners.
Getting back onto to the black top we were all a little cautious looking out for section of road that was no more, making sure to keep the lead rider well within sight as he had recce’d the route the day before. On tar, the big Husky feels well balanced and perfectly poised but we hadn’t had the chance to really give it the beans yet and that would have to wait a bit longer. Our hosts had found a little 250m odd loop through the forest with several 270° hairpin bends over some interesting lumps and bumps and through some big mud bogs. Say what you like about pretty paint jobs and designer kit, but adventure bikes and adventure riders just look much better covered in beautiful dripping brown mother earth. We each got to do a few laps as camera candy and the first one or two were done quite gingerly, but then the horns came out as we started to understand the Expeditions capabilities and the mud bogs were attacked with gusto seeing who could cover as many other riders and camera operators in smelly mud. What A JOL!!! Apart from the “posh” riders the rest were grinning from ear to ear bathed in nature’s goodness – posh people pay a lot of money at Spa’s to do this kind of thing you know. But we get it done for free and actually make memories doing it.
And so we were as turned back onto paved roads and the famous “22” with itchy knees that needed a good scratching. As we all toggled back into ‘street’ mode, some concerns were raised about the mud covered Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR’s, three bends later and one or two overtakes and said concerns faded into the red mist as we scrubbed the edges of our tyres to cleaner than new. A few bends later as I overtook through a bend, I ran a bit wide and had to pull it back in a bit which had me over the edge of the tyre on the front and I backed out a smidgen, not because the tyre, suspension or bike had reached the edge of its limits but rather my butt tightened up a bit on the seat and I decided to err on the side of caution. Pretty soon after chastising myself for the momentary lapse of confidence, I set off in pursuit of well endowed riders ahead of me, all the while every bit of technology on the new 901 Expedition working in perfect harmony to make me a better and faster rider than what I really am.
The suspension barely noticed the smaller potholes that I was unable to avoid and the chassis felt compliant as I quickly adjusted the trajectory mid bend to avoid the donga-like ones. All the while I could hear those Pirelli’s taunting with, “Is that as fast and as low as you can go twinkle toes?” The MTC and slip control kept everything in line when we were surprised by a naught flexing mossy little stream over the road, mid bend in the shadows. By the time we hit Sabie for a Creme Soda Float, (genuinely milk shakes and floats are what we tough biking journo’s all default to to wash away the dust – no word of a lie), everybody was grinning from ear to ear and jabbering like excited kids getting off the best carnival ride ever.
Just outside Sabie we headed back into the dirt and I started experimenting with the Explor mode as well as the off road mode, forgetting that Husqvarna’s default safety setting is to revert back to full traction control when the bike is stalled or switched off. This electronics package, combined with the softer response of the off-road throttle mode and the perfectly adjusted suspension is that good, that I could play with the ‘slip control’ on the fly and get the back wheel to step out at will, even with the MTC in full on mode. Eventually my levels of confidence were sky high that every bump was attacked with enthusiasm, every bit of water erosion was barely noticed and bends were negotiated in absolute confidence at impressive speeds.
The trail feel of the suspension kept you in touch with the riding surface, not once did the suspension drop through the stroke and bottom out, the steering damper kept the bars from dislocating my shoulders and the front wheel pointed in the correct direction all the time and made this 2 metre tall, moderately overweight and unfit Orangutan with moderately good off road skills look like a very much better rider than I actually am and helped me stick with the front of the pack. Increasing my confidence in my own riding ability almost to the point of arrogance, that I eventually decided that I don’t need all these electronic nannies…. And switched them all off.
And that is when I found out how well the bash plate, handguards and luggage and racks all work in protecting the bike in the event of an off. I knew immediately that I had “messed up” as I went into the first bend and hit the first jump, landed all squirly, ran out of talent for the next jump in the bend and had no electronics to get me out of the dwang… I just knew. Sadly, this was a designated camera point and both the photographer and videographer caught it all in beautifully sequenced high definition for your enjoyment. Lying in the dust listening in hope for the grim reapers cackle I wondered how big the invoice was going to be from Husqvarna SA. Fortunately however, said protective equipment kept the “EX” in tip top condition barring a few fresh scratches on that 4mm thick bash plate and soft luggage. Also fortunately, these were the same units used for the international media launch in the Cape a week or so before and they had managed to put a few scuffs on them. It literally took less than 5 minutes to straighten out the handguards and mirrors and dust off the seat, a quick inspection revealed not even a small scratch or ding to the beautiful blue livery or even a damaged lever. I, on the other hand, took a few minutes to gather my pride and endure the taunting from some of my fellow journo’s but fortunately I had collected some new kit from DMD and hobbled back onto the bike fairly unscathed. I say fairly, my left foot did, however take the full weight of the 901 Expedition through the aforementioned 4mm thick bash plate and the boots I was riding in are more biassed toward comfort and lateral support than crush protection. This was just a freak accident and was neither the boots fault nor the bikes fault and could quite as easily have happened on any bike with any kind of crash protection. I have learned a valuable lesson though. Thank goodness I had proper protective gear on otherwise I would have been in a lot worse condition – always buy the best kit you can afford and ALWAYS wear it when you ride. If you are going to be doing the rougher stuff, rather go for a full-on protective boot.
At this point, had I been a soccer player I would have needed at least 48 TV cameras, 5 medical crews and 2 years of prime time TV shows to bemoan my little boo boo, but being a biker and absolutely loving riding the 901 Expedition in the mountains I quickly got back on the bike and hit the gas. Even with a moderately crushed foot and a few broken ribs and having to change my riding style from predominantly standing to sitting all the time the Expedition’s suspension and chassis was still a comfortable and fun place to be, hiking to the various viewpoints and waterfalls did however lose their attraction to me.
So, I haven’t told you all this so that you would feel sorry for me or think that I am overly tough and very well endowed, but rather to explain how good the 2023 Husqvarna 901 Norden Expedition really is. The suspension and chassis work so well together as a unit that in most instances it lets you get away with some incredible stupidity, the changeable throttle response and ABS negates most panic acceleration and braking, particularly in the dirt. The traction control and adjustable slip control and steering damper make up for most of the lack of skill and talent of the rider. All in all the total package when understood and used correctly inspires much more confidence and helps increase your riding skill exponentially and thereby increasing your enjoyment at the same time.
There have been so many tests done with hot shot professional racers where they have proved that a good ABS system and decent traction control has made them significantly faster in most racing conditions. Companies like Husqvarna and most manufacturers spend millions upon millions in cash doing R&D so we can go faster, safer for longer…. So don’t listen to that beer swilling yobo at the pub or around the braai fire that says that the electronics all get in the way and to turn it all off and go ‘old school’ to go faster and have more fun…. Don’t be a knob like me, you’re not Skyler Howes.
Anyway, after lunch in Graskop we hit the tar a bit sedately on the way up to God’s Window and I hooked the Expedition into street mode and engaged cruise control and just enjoyed the majestic beauty around me. As a tourer, wafting through the mountain passes, the big windshield really comes into play keeping the majority of the wind off of the rider. I really enjoyed the little cut out mid windshield which served to break up the vortex created behind these big touring screens and all but do away with the associated resultant buffeting attributed to said vortex. I occasionally find these tall windshields often interfere with my view with the top of them often vibrating mid line of sight for me. No such problems here, the windshield sits just below my sight line and its design makes it stable at any speed negating any distraction it may cause. Ergonomically the bars are comfortably wide and high enough for me with a nice relaxed shoulder position. The seat has plenty of room to move around on when you want to scratch that itchy knee or relax the butt cheeks after a few hours on the road and the bump stop does offer some relieving support to your lower back as well. Set in the high position I had a really comfortable and relaxed angle on my hips, knees and ankles.
A little way down the road we were back into the dirt and onto some gnarly old ox-wagon come logging trails requiring us to traverse a collapsed low water bridge to enter this playground. Obviously I was a little concerned being in somewhat tender and fragile condition but the new Norden popped through it like it wasn’t there, then it was onto little mountain goat tracks, ox-wagon, pine needle carpeted, log strewn and mud bog potted logging trails and heavy rain and heavy lorry abused mud roads before bouncing through crater pocked tar that pass as suburban roads leading back into Graskop – and not once did the Expedition give me reason for concern or to fall back from the rest of the group. Once back in Graskop it was a fast burn down Kowyns pass dodging said craters and minibus taxis before turning onto the 27 km’s of heaven that connect Kowyns pass to Hazyview. Here, every street mode, sport mode and anything else “go fast” mode was engaged and then it was hell for leather tilting in fast sweeping bend somewhere very north of the double ton in most place, an image burned into my minds eye forever, a veritable waltz of three 901 Expeditions ahead of me and one or two sexy round headlights in my rearview mirrors all cranking over and changing direction in perfect unison with blurred green to our right and left and the occasional car or truck flitting by in the blink of an eye….
(I let out a deep longing yet satisfied sigh as I write this).
Is it because I survived a significant crash on this machine that I feel such a close affinity to it that I cannot find fault with it, or…. Is it because it really is that good? I don’t know, but I do look forward to answering that question as soon as I can scrag another one from Husqvarna SA for a significantly longer period…. Sigh
Stefan says:
As a relatively new rider in the adventure bike world, I was both excited and nervous to get onto the new Norden Expedition. Having ridden the standard 901, I knew that I could expect a quality ride and a forgiving and confidence inspiring bike, but that didn’t stop me from worrying about what the Husqvarna team had in store for us regarding the route.
Getting on the bike, it was instantly apparent that this is a full on adventure machine, made for exploring the world. The seat was very tall for me, being of average height (around 175 cm), but as soon as you get the bike upright and you find the correct one leg stance you realise the bike is extremely light. It doesn’t feel like a big 900cc bike even though from the rider seat it looks quite girthy. All the weight is balanced so well and low down that it was a breeze to handle when doing slow manoeuvres. As soon as we hit the road my confidence started rising.
We hit the twisties, and I found myself going faster through those mountain passes than I ever thought I would. I put it in road mode and let the bike do its thing. Plenty of power out of the corners doing around 140 in 5th and 6th gear, and the brakes made sure that I never overcooked an entry. I aimed the Norden at the rider in front of me and just went for it. What a blast.
The suspension also felt incredibly stable while carving up the bends I might as well have been on a sports tourer. It was a bit slouchy when flicking over between corners, and that is the only time I actually felt the weight of the bike, and remembered “Oh yeah!, this is actually an adventure bike!”
Soon after we found ourselves heading into some beautiful forestry roads. Once again I put the bike into the appropriate mode with the simple to navigate menu and let it do its thing. In the off road setting the rear ABS gives just enough slip to allow for some entertaining skids while keeping the bike stable and aimed in the direction I wanted to go. The tyres gave plenty of grip along with the traction control. I had to throttle it properly to get the rear wheel to spin out, again keeping it stable and upright. If you want to power slide around every corner, the fully adjustable explorer mode might be better suited.
Although beautiful, the forestry roads were quite gnarly. Being washed out by the recent rains and not very well maintained, there was a plethora of ruts and bumps, potholes and rocks and a couple of surprise step ups emerging from the gravel. I found myself faced with some decently sized holes and step ups suddenly appearing after a hump in the road but the Expedition swallowed them up with ease with a blip of the throttle and some advanced suspension technology. Not once did I bottom out or feel like the trail was getting the better of me, despite what my eyes were telling me. The suspension was so incredibly smooth that some of the gravel roads felt like freshly paved tar.
Slap on some waterproof soft panniers and a massive aluminium bash plate that protects the entire bike if it does happen to tip over, and you’ve got yourself a fantastic machine that is ready to take even an amateur rider like myself on any adventure.Whatever you do, get down to your local Husqvarna dealer and go ride one for yourself.
Words: Séan Hendley, Stefan vd Riet
Pics: ZCMC and Black Rock_CS
