Husqvarna has announced a new version of its Norden 901 adventure bike, the Norden 901 Expedition.
Originally founded in Sweden, Husqvarna is now owned by Pierer Mobility Group, which also owns KTM, and mostly use repurposed KTM powerplants and hardware.
The Norden 901 was released in 2022, reworking KTM’s 890 Adventure into Husqvarna’s own take on an adventure bike. While we enjoyed riding the Norden, when we tested it throughout most of last year, we couldn’t help feel that it struggled with something of an identity crisis.
What was it trying to do better than the 890 Adventure? Was it focusing on long-distance road travel, with a laidback riding position, wide seat, and suspension taken from the road-focused version of the 890 Adventure?
But then the lack of a decent windscreen, its high-ground clearance, and bash-plate sporting body suggested the Husky was designed with off-road chops in mind.
Read our review of the Norden 901 here
In the end, it was hard to feel that the Husky separated itself enough from the 890 Adventure and 890 Adventure R. Well, except for the looks which were the topic of hot debate in the ABR office on numerous occasions, with the team divided on whether it looked dashing, rugged, and old-school, or was it a bloated, ghoulish machine?
And now, for 2023, Husqvarna has seemingly doubled down on the jack-of-all-trades approach adopted by the Norden with the release of the Expedition version.
Norden 901 Expedition upgrades
The suspension has been upgraded with the WP Xplor fork and WP PDS shock from the 890 Adventure R, taking the suspension travel up to 240mm at both ends. This is an increase of 20mm and 25mm in the front and rear respectively, and will improve the off-road abilities of the Norden.
Furthering the trail-riding credentials of the bike is the fitting of a new aluminium skid plate, which extends higher at the front of the engine than it does on the standard Norden to allow riders to take full advantage of the new suspension, without being too concerned about damaging the engine.
After those upgrades, Husqvarna has turned to the touring side of the equation, and added a few highly welcome creature comforts to the bike.
Heated grips and seat have been added, along with a new windshield which should be a big improvement on the stubby screen on the base Norden. Together these features will make the bike a lot more comfortable on long rides, especially in cold conditions.
Husqvarna has also included a 36L side bag set, which again splits the difference between on-road practicality and off-road sensibility, but it’s always nice to see luggage come as standard, and the bags do look adventurously cool.
The Expedition also gains a centre stand which was previously an optional accessory on the Norden, along with a Bluetooth connectivity module for turn-by-turn navigation.
There’s also a striking new navy and white colour scheme, which to my eye, looks great.
Availability and pricing
The standard Norden 901 is a very competent all-rounder, but will the Expedition make it a more tempting choice over its KTM stablemates? We’ll have to ride one to find out.
The Norden 901 Expedition will be arriving in UK dealerships in mid-March and will retail at £13,599, which is £900 more than the standard Norden.
You can head to Husqvarna’s website here to find out more.
