I was always going to buy a lighter offroad bike this year (other than the BMW GSA) as I want to go off the beaten track touring. I also have the ABR festival coming up later in the year that I needed a bike for.
I had all but decided on the Aprilia Tuareg Rally 660, but latterly have been put off. They look the biz, but the relatively small engine (660cc) and low powewr have steered me away from them. They don't sell in big numbers, so finding a low mile example is difficult, and as I'm going to be doing some offroad stuff, I'm not buying a new one. While at my ex-Aprilia dealer last month having an MOT, he said to me "If you want a bike where all the lights flash on the dash and you end up pushing it everywhere, that's the bike to go for"
So what now?
A friend has a Yamaha Tenere, but not for me. I don't like the look of them and again, are really low powered.
KTM 890. Possible, but I'm not sold on them.
Honda Africa Twin is a proposition, and I like the look of them.
Then a friend mentioned a Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition. These weren't something I was even aware of, but went to have a look at a one in a dealer in York a couple of weeks back. They are basically a KTM 890 in different clothes, but I like it straight away. The ergonomics felt spot on for me and I knew I wanted one right there. This peticular bike was ropey, with a lot of corrosion and hadn't been looked after. The hunt was on and there were a few more about than I would have thought. A lot have had a life, but I found one in Bridgend with 1,100 miles on it in 3 years and like new. The price was only slightly more than some of the rough stuff I had seen, and I end up buying it. I'm out of their range for free deilivery, and at £2 a mile after 160 miles, I'm looking at around another £400 delivery. They will give me £200 off if I pick it up, so that's what I did last Friday, a 700 mile round trip.
The bike is mint and a quality bit of kit.
I had all but decided on the Aprilia Tuareg Rally 660, but latterly have been put off. They look the biz, but the relatively small engine (660cc) and low powewr have steered me away from them. They don't sell in big numbers, so finding a low mile example is difficult, and as I'm going to be doing some offroad stuff, I'm not buying a new one. While at my ex-Aprilia dealer last month having an MOT, he said to me "If you want a bike where all the lights flash on the dash and you end up pushing it everywhere, that's the bike to go for"
So what now?
A friend has a Yamaha Tenere, but not for me. I don't like the look of them and again, are really low powered.
KTM 890. Possible, but I'm not sold on them.
Honda Africa Twin is a proposition, and I like the look of them.
Then a friend mentioned a Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition. These weren't something I was even aware of, but went to have a look at a one in a dealer in York a couple of weeks back. They are basically a KTM 890 in different clothes, but I like it straight away. The ergonomics felt spot on for me and I knew I wanted one right there. This peticular bike was ropey, with a lot of corrosion and hadn't been looked after. The hunt was on and there were a few more about than I would have thought. A lot have had a life, but I found one in Bridgend with 1,100 miles on it in 3 years and like new. The price was only slightly more than some of the rough stuff I had seen, and I end up buying it. I'm out of their range for free deilivery, and at £2 a mile after 160 miles, I'm looking at around another £400 delivery. They will give me £200 off if I pick it up, so that's what I did last Friday, a 700 mile round trip.
The bike is mint and a quality bit of kit.
Last edited:
