Husqvarna Norden 901: Detailed Technical Specs and Honest Review

The Husqvarna Norden 901 is one of the most eligible ADV touring bikes for both on and off-roading with one of the most interesting designs and innovative build. It is largely based on the KTM 890 Adventure and shares a slight resemblance with it due to being directly inherited by the KTM Group. However, the Husqvarna Norden 901 has its own specific identity in the ADV market. The iconic large retro-style round headlamp, along with the smoothly integrated windscreen and side panels/fairings beautifies its overall style and character.

First revealed at the 2019 EICMA, it took the company almost two years to release the Husqvarna Norden 901 in 2021. It was a successful experiment by Husqvarna as the company did not have prior experience in producing a dual-sports ADV bike. The final product is a great-looking bike with tremendous capabilities and innovative features to enhance performance and value for the money. Continue reading this article to learn more about the detailed specs and honest review of the Husqvarna Norden 901.

A major upgrade has been made to the exhaust unit. The exhaust system is a completely redesigned equipment to make sure the 2024 Husqvarna Norden 901 complies with the Euro 5 emission regulations. Along with its tremendous functionality, the new exhaust system also incorporates a pre-muffler to avoid the installation of a bulky silencer at the end. The new exhaust system ensures a more refined exhaust note which is quite addictive.

The dry weight of this bike has marginally increased by 3 kg from the previous year's model which makes the 2024 Husqvarna Norden 901 weigh 204 kg.

This bike has also received a fresh look with gray paint and yellow graphics and highlights on multiple parts of the bodywork. On the technical ground, the Husqvarna Norden 901 new model comes with quite a lot of improvements. There is a completely reprogrammed lean angle sensitive traction control system which provides riders with the opportunity to adjust the rear-wheel slippage in 10 different settings, along with the optional Explorer riding mode. There is also a new USB charging port for mobile phone charging. Riders can also turn on the warning hazard lights in case of emergencies to notify other riders and drivers on the road.

Being directly owned by KTM, the Husqvarna Norden 901 has received one of the most prestigious power plants developed by KTM. The 889 cc parallel-twin engine which powers this bike holds a good reputation for strong and lively performance. It makes a peak torque of 100 Nm and a horsepower of 77 kW to make sure the rider stays satisfied in most riding conditions. The overall design and bodywork, along with the sophisticated 889 cc engine allow for a punchy and powerful performance on the road for both quick riding and adventure touring. Above all, the parallel-twin engine when coupled with the all-new exhaust, produces an addictive sound. The exhaust note is not excessively deep but it can put a smile on your face with its growling V-Twin sound.

If you get a chance to ride this bike, you will have no complaints about how the engine performs in almost all sorts of riding conditions. It does not shy away from revving faster to make you go quickly on both paved and unpaved terrains. Also, the Husqvarna Norden 901’s 889 cc parallel-twin engine will make you proud of its ability to produce impressive torque. The rear wheel immediately starts spinning with even a slight pull of throttle no matter where you are riding. It also helps you in slow-speed riding, especially when you are maneuvering on dirt trails and other challenging terrains.

The Husqvarna Norden 901’s remarkable engine technology creates a perfect balance when it comes to delivering the nominal amount of horsepower and torque which makes it ideal for versatile riding. The 889 cc parallel-twin platform turns out to be a great fit for a middleweight ADV touring bike, like the Husqvarna Norden 901.

Surprisingly, being a pure adventure bike, the Husqvarna Norden 901 is one of the best and smoothest ADV bikes if you are looking to cover long miles on paved roads. You do not feel any sort of buzz or vibrations around the handlebars even if you are going at a constant pace of 70 mph on open roads.

Though based on the KTM 890 Adventure, this bike stands out as one of the coolest-looking bikes in the market, not only in just the adventure bike category. It is a perfectly balanced bike with smooth linings and bodywork. The KTM 890 Adventure may be the most perfect adventure bike in the market with a well-balanced design and power to outperform its competitors, but the Husqvarna Norden 901 has undoubtedly surpassed it when it comes to styling and aesthetics with its retro-modern look.

The Husqvarna Norden 901 has a slightly bulkier-looking front end with widely installed side covers to integrate auxiliary headlights on either side of the headlamp, beefy and wide front forks, and a radiator. Most of the machinery is also covered, along with a wide and firm skid plate for engine protection. This bike also comes with lower seat panels to strengthen the overall look.

Attached to the wide and flat ADV-style handlebars are round side mirrors and hand guards. The seat is also quite wide and flat and comes with a complete tail assembly, incorporating grab rails, a luggage rack, and a beautifully designed tail/stop light. The graphics on this bike give it a marvelous visual appeal and attitude when riding on the road.

It is not surprising at all that the Husqvarna Norden 901 handles perfectly well and smoothly on both roads and unpaved terrains. The weight of this bike is centered down low thanks to the fuel tank design which equally hangs on either side of the frame. Even when riding with a full gas tank, this bike does not feel heavy up top. The perfect weight distribution and mass centralization make this bike smooth to handle. The suspension setup makes this bike quite taller which ultimately assists in providing a high ground clearance for off-roading.

The Husqvarna Norden 901 uses the powder-coated chromium-molybdenum-steel frame with the engine as a stressed element and aluminum swingarm which ensures rigidity, lightness, and better maneuverability. The suspension technology has come from the in-house built WP Apex brand by KTM which makes a perfect combination in terms of handling and performance. There are 47 mm WP Apex upside-down forks upfront with compression and rebound adjustability, offering a nominal wheel travel of 8.66 inches, and a WP Apex rebound and preload adjustable rear mono-shock, offering a wheel travel of 8.46 inches. You also get the little thumb adjusters on top of the fork legs so you can comfortably adjust the suspension without getting the tools out.

The Husqvarna Norden 901 is an ideally designed adventure bike for dual-purpose use. It receives the most perfect wheel size combination of 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels for off-roading and adequately knobby-looking tires. The bike has 9.92 inches of ground clearance as well which is almost perfect for off-road adventures. The Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires are also well-known for their multi-purpose capabilities. They are the most ideal and perfectly balanced tires currently available in the market for dual-purpose adventure bikes. However, despite their knobby appearance, the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires are more on-road-biased. If you want a more off-road-oriented version, the Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition is an off-road-focussed adventure bike specially designed for extreme dirt riding conditions.

The Husqvarna Norden 901 is a super comfortable ADV bike for both long-haul tours and off-roading. It offers a highly upright riding position and a comfortable reach to the handlebars. The foot controls are also mounted at the center position to make sure it offers comfortable room for riders to adjust their legs while riding. The foot control positioning is also ideal for riders to stand on the footpegs while off-roading.

The Husqvarna Norden 901 is an immensely taller ADV bike and is less approachable for vertically challenged riders. In its lowest setting, the seat height still reaches 859 mm above the ground. It can be further increased to 879 mm by adjusting the seat to its highest setting. So, even in the lowest seat height setting, it is not suitable for shorter riders.

Behind the windscreen, there is a stylishly designed folder-style TFT screen display with catchy graphics and colors. Using this screen and the options on it, riders can manage all the settings and technical rider aids to make them work according to their preferences. You can enter a menu and select a desirable setting on the screen using the hand control options mounted on the handlebars.

There is Bosch 9.1 MP ABS which is dis-engageable, along with the specialized off-road mode, cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control with 10 adjustability levels, and electronically-controlled ride-by-wire throttle. The Husqvarna Norden 901 also features a standard easy shift feature which makes the riding more fun as it allows clutchless gear shifting without needing to decelerate. To enhance the touring capability, this bike also comes with a standard cruise control feature.

To allow riders to customize their riding experience whenever they face a different riding condition, there are four riding modes installed on this bike.

• The first one is the Street Mode which enables the ABS, full-power throttle response, and road-biased traction control setting.
• Whereas, in the Off-Road Mode, the rear wheel ABS, along with the wheelie control is turned off, and the traction control is set to a level where it allows more wheel slippage for better maneuverability and cornering in off-road conditions.
• The Rain Mode can be switched on in wet riding conditions which reduces the power output and ensures smooth throttle response for better control and grip. The traction control is also at its maximum value when riding the bike in the Rain Mode.
• The fourth riding mode is the rider-customizable Explorer Mode which allows riders to manually adjust the interference of traction control, ABS, throttle response, and other tech equipment.

• Appealing retro-modern design
• Good-looking bike with stylish graphics
• Proven engine technology
• Lively engine performance
• Versatile motorbike
• Top-of-the-line tech package
• low mass centralization and weight distribution
• Upright riding posture
• Adequately off-road capable

• Tall seat height
• Not suitable for vertically challenged riders
• Slightly wider for standing on the footpegs
• Soft suspensions for road touring

The Husqvarna Norden 901 is a highly agile bike with a top speed of 124 mph. Regarding acceleration, this bike can reach the 100 km/h mark from rest in only 3.6 seconds.

Husqvarna is not an unknown brand to most motorcycle riders and it has made a good reputation as a reliable and performance-wise notable motorcycle brand. Though the build quality and reliability may not match what Japanese motorcycle brands offer, Husqvarna after being acquired by KTM has flourished a lot in the global motorcycle industry landscape.

The Husqvarna Norden 901 is highly inspired and mostly based on the KTM 890 Adventure as KTM is one of the direct owners of this company. However, there are several elements and features in terms of design and performance that are on par with the KTM 890 Adventure. This bike boasts a retro-modern styling, unlike the KTM 890 Adventure, which attracts most riders. The low mass centralization and proven engine technology make the Husqvarna Norden 901 a desirable middleweight adventure bike and one of the top contenders in its category with lively engine performance.

Looking to improve your road touring experience on your adventure bike, Viking Bags offers the best quality touring luggage bags, including tank bags, side cases, bottle holsters, tail bags, and backpacks, specially designed for ADV tourers.