Words & Pics: Séan Hendley
Extra pics: Donovan Fourie
As media following and covering epic race events like the Roof of Africa we need some serious equipment to be able to go hairing across the likes of the Maluti mountains in Lesotho to get to the next photo point ahead of the riders. No problem we hear you say, just short cut it on the tar – easier said than done. We have to get to each point before the first riders arrive, tread water, (sometimes more literally than we would like), while we wait for them to arrive and then have get all ‘happy snappy’ with the cameras until we have most of the action and then run like hell across rivers, up and down mountains and jump on a bike and then go tearing along the roads to get ahead of all the riders AGAIN. Then do that about 15 times each day for three days. And this is where a properly good motorcycle is absolutely key.
Earlier this year I had managed get upside down at the SA Media launch of Husqvarna’s Norden 901 Expedition and was that enthralled with the bike that I adamantly refused medical attention for a properly mangled foot and pushed through another 5 or so hours through the mountains around Hazyview and Graskop and I am so glad I did, the Expedition is one spectacular motorcycle. Incidentally it survived the ordeal with barely a scratch.
With the Roof of Africa only a few days away I ventured a query to the team at Husqvarna SA on the availability of demo Expedition to take to The Roof and they gladly obliged, much to my almost squealing delight.
For the last couple of years The Roof has been pretty slippery, so Husqvarna made sure the 901 was shod with fresh rubber and I packed both my rain suits and took along extra kit just to be sure…. And then ‘Murphy’ had a good ol ‘chuckle, blew the clouds and turned the sun up for the weekend.
Thursday morning we were raring to go, looking forward to a zoot up Bushman’s Pass for the Time Trials like last year only to remember that they were all going to be held in and around Maseru Mall – a mere 2.8km’s from our hotel. Pity! We were all looking forward to a lekker ride.
Maseru is a very lekker spot. The people are just so friendly, helpful and exceptionally polite. Traffic is manic with a lot of Meneer speed bumps slowing everything right down to crawling pace, at which the entrepreneurial do roaring trade at selling kebabs of cooked meat, fruit and vegetables and various other wares. All of them enthusiastic and excitable , a real African city. The atmosphere is just so lekker! We got excited cheers as we split lanes and wheelied or jumped the speed bumps, kids waving excitedly and signalling for us to rev up our bikes…. Just too lekker.
You can see the mountains with various prominent landmarks on them from anywhere in the city and soon learn to navigate by them. As with every modern city you want for no amenities, everything and anything is available basically 24/7.
That was our day 1. short commutes from our digs to Round The Houses and on to time trial. We were all very grateful not to be gridlocked in a car.
Clear the city limits and things really start to change. and that was day 2 from Maseru to Thaba Bosiu and onwards to Bushmans. The Maluti mountains are gorgeous any time of year, but on a hot spring weekend with the sun popping up somewhere around 4:30 and hanging around until well after 18:00 the days are long and balmy, the ideal riding weather – unless it is raining of course which is more the norm than the exception according to my few visits….
Heading out into the rural villages and countryside we are always taken with the scenery, The Roof of Africa excitement and pedalling hard to get to the next photo opportunity before the racers. After leaving Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village, ummm well… we forgot to look at the fuel gauges on our bikes. No Problem, every village has at least one fuel pump…
PROBLEM, most of these, in fact all the villages do seem to be a cash only economy with nothing in the way of card machines or even ATM’s or the like anywhere. Halfway between Bushmans and the nearest biggish town, no fuel, no cash, a decision of do we turn around and make a dash for fuel and risk the photo op or do we risk going to Bushmans and try begging for a litre or three of fuel?
So, Bushmans it was and then a long free wheeling exercise back down the mountain because we got there too early and nobody was there to beg, borrow or steal from.
Some judicious slipstreaming and lying flat on the tank got me to within 600 m’s of the Tholo Energy fuel station in Ramabanta. The one and only ATM in town was out of cash, but the very modern fuel station was well equipped with modern niceties like card machines and fridges full of ice cold flavoured milk.
With full fuel tanks and bellies it was the Lesotho TT back to the top of Bushmans to catch the racers coming back in and this is where I really started enjoying the Norden 901 Expedition.
For the most part the roads in Lesotho are in excellent condition, lots of long sweeping bends, bends that keep going forever around the mountain before flipping over in the opposite direction and doing the same. I spent so much time hanging for minutes at a time over either side of the bike with it cranked over and the quickshifter and brakes being alternated furiously , al he while watching for potholes, cars and livestock. It was magic, the big Norden really is such fun to ride at pace through mountain passes.
It is mind blowing how well this bike handles fast sweeping corners.
But…
On one straight section, failed to see a pothole, (more a donga really). It caught me off guard and I was convinced that I might possibly be reviewing Lesotho’s healthcare system rather than a bike or reporting on the ROA 23.
It did bullet me out of the seat and I did have to maintain quite a firm grip on the bars, but the Expedition cruised out the other side and I pulled over to check for damages, which I was certain were significant…. At the bare minimum two flat wheels. Again – Nope, barring a couple of large smileys on the rims and quite a large skid mark in my rods the Norden was basically unscathed.
The next day saw pretty much more of the same, but this time with a lot more off-road thrown in, I was in my element. Getting lost on more than one occasion, ‘accidentally’ – of course…., I had to traverse some quite interesting deeply routed and rock strewn climbs to get to the best vantage points. Thick sandy sections, more rocky, rutted loose climbs, and the bike made me look and ride better than I actually remember being able to.
The suspension is fantastic in every situation over any terrain, I tip the scales at around 115kg’s and my 2 metre tall chassis does move the cfg up a bit higher as well, but the geometry of the Expedition is that on point that neither my weight or height seemed not to have an adverse effect on it.
Which brings me to the rider comfort and the ergonomics, especially for someone of my size.
The 901 Expedition is a tall bike by any standard. As the day wore on and had clambered up and many a mountain and over more rocks and my legs got more tired I did have to concentrate and exert a bit more effort to throw my leg over the seat. Once in the saddle everything is just where you would expect to look for it naturally. The bars are comfortably wide and high and great for me when I stand and ride. The seat is quite firm and wide with a little bit of lower back support offered by the slightly raised pillion seat. The distance from the pegs to the seat gets your legs into a nice relaxed and comfortable position. The fuel tank is wide, but is sculpted to fit comfortably around your legs We can absolutely confirm that it does take 19 litres to fill from empty – as in zilch, nada, nothing, barely even fumes. Find your nearest Husqvarna dealer and check out all the specs here on the Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition.
I really do have trouble finding fault or anything to complain about on the 901 Expedition, so nothing much has changed since I wrote the launch article earlier this year. This has to be one of my current favourite adventure bikes on the market.
It just ticks all the boxes….
A Footnote:
If you are ever in Maseru and looking for a great spot to eat, good food, reasonable prices, get to the Maseru Mall and try The Market. Very cool spot!
