Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition Southwest Ride [Desert Tested]

May 30, 2024

“Why is there another Husqvarna motorcycle in our garage?” my wife asks. She usually has a lot of patience with my motorcycle obsession, so her query was more out of curiosity than anything else—at least, I think/hope. It’s a good question, though. After spending months with a Husqvarna 701 Enduro Project Bike, trying to create the perfect adventure motorcycle, I returned it to its home, slightly disappointed that I didn’t complete the task. As I wrote, the 701 Enduro is terrific in so many ways. For a person traveling only a few hours to great off-road riding, it is a fantastic motorcycle for that purpose. I, on the other hand, am looking to travel long distances. Therefore, I am willing to give up some off-road prowess to enjoy a more comfortable perch.

On the other end of the spectrum are the large ADV bikes. I have had a few of these over the years, including my 2019 BMW R 1250 GS. These bikes are fantastic for long-distance riding and the occasional diversion to dirt and fire trails. I’ve even taken the GS on more technical trails in Baja, but the weight of open-class adventure bikes is not ideal for that kind of riding. This led me to the inevitable conclusion, one that a considerable number of adventure motorcyclists are making, that the middleweight market is probably best for me.

There are several great options out there. While they are a lot heavier than the 701 Enduro (and its cousins, the KTM 690 Enduro R and GasGas ES 700), they still have terrific off-road capabilities. That led me to one of the middleweight ADV class leaders—the Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition.

I was planning a ride to Death Valley and Arizona, and the Norden arrived just in time. I had selected my BMW for the trip. It is very comfortable and rock solid, but pretty darn heavy. On paper, the Norden looks like a worthy alternative. It comes with a powerful yet compact 889cc engine that puts out 105 horsepower and 65 ft-lbs of torque. While this is significantly lower than my Beemer, which has 136 horses and over 100 ft-lbs of torque, the Husky is lighter and more compact. It weighs in at about 500 pounds wet—about 60 pounds less than my R 1250 GS.

My first impression of the Norden 901 Expedition was the bike’s aesthetic. It combines an adventure feel, a retro vibe, excellent paint/graphics, and balanced proportions. Climbing aboard the Husky, the first thing that I noticed was how high the seat is. At 34.5 inches, it’s at the taller end of the middleweight market. Making things a little more difficult, the Norden’s seat is slightly wider in the front than other bikes in its class, which makes putting my toes down more difficult. At six-feet-tall with a 31-inch inseam, I am on my tippy toes—not my preferred position for an adventure bike.

Other than the seat height, though, the ergonomics of the Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition are fantastic. It strikes a perfect balance between a compact feel and the more substantial presence of a large adventure bike. The fit is ideal for me—leg bend, reach to the grips, and an upright seating position are all exactly where I wanted them to be. The seat is quite comfortable, and the (large) windscreen top is right below my eye line. Taking it off the stand, the Expedition feels noticeably lighter than my BMW R 1250 GS.

Starting up the 901, I was greeted with the familiar sound of an Austrian engine. The parallel-twin sounds a little rough around the edges, which is not especially inspiring when you’re planning to ride far from civilization. Even a quick turn of the throttle did not elicit much for me to like, and the engine even stalled at cold idle. However, once the engine warms up, accelerating to freeway speeds produces a pleasing growl and rumble—much better.

My first impression of the bike was a 20-minute ride to my house on an urban Los Angeles stretch of Interstate 5. The 889cc engine has received a lot of praise since its introduction. Still, given its size, I expected to miss the strength of an open-class ADV powerplant. I was wrong.

The engine propelling the Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition has excellent power from just above idle to redline. Even at highway speeds, there is still good roll-on thrust. Over the course of my time on the bike, I became increasingly impressed with the overall capability of the engine. The only area I ever found slightly lacking was below 3000 rpm. Down at the very low end of the rev range, the engine bogs occasionally. Fortunately, a tap down on the quickshifter-assisted gearshift lever fixes the problem.

My trip itinerary included freeways from my home in the Hollywoodland neighborhood of Los Angeles to the desert crossroads town of Barstow. Next was a stretch of historic U.S. Route 66 and some back roads through the Mojave National Preserve to Baker, and then up to Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park.

One of my concerns was the size of the Husky Expedition. I was worried its abbreviated wheelbase and narrow profile would translate to less stability and comfort at highway speeds. That proved not to be the case, with the large, well-designed windscreen helping the cause. Even in heavy winds, the 901 remained rock solid, and very comfortable.

On the way through Mojave National Preserve, I stopped at the Kelso Dunes and rode some fun dirt and gravel roads. Later, I found plenty of back roads of various types to explore on the way to Death Valley. The overarching impression was that the Expedition felt nimble, predictable, and easy to manage—all great things in a bike with plenty of power and highway stability.

I opted to stay two days at The Oasis at Death Valley in Furnace Creek so I could explore the dirt, gravel, and sand roads in the National Park. The hotel offers nice bungalows, a bar, a couple of restaurants, and a general store to stock up on basic provisions (e.g., beer and wine).

Heavy rains and flooding had closed some of the major off-pavement routes, but I still found plenty of challenging terrain to test the bike. Flipping through the various ride modes—Street, Rain, Offroad, and the optional Explorer—I found the Offroad mode is helpful in the dirt, though not absolutely necessary.

Once again, the Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition proved to be excellent—nimble and stable in anything but deep gravel or sand, which no 500-pound bike likes! The tubeless Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires mounted on the 21-/18-inch wheel combo handled everything but the sand without much drama. Also providing confidence on-road and off are the Spanish J.Juan brakes, which provide excellent control and bite when needed. The Bosch 9.1 MP ABS unit adds versatility to the braking system, as it is cornering-aware on the pavement, has a front-wheel-only offroad mode, and can be disengaged completely for the most aggressive riders.

Depending on the conditions, I rode both in the saddle and standing up—both are comfortable and stable. The large front windshield is ever-present, though not an issue at my height. Still, if I spent more time in the dirt, I would consider something slightly shorter.

Off-pavement rides tested the fully adjustable, long-travel WP Xplor suspension, which came through with flying colors. On pavement, the only flaw is nosedive under hard braking. Considering the wide range of duties for the Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition, the suspension’s performance is tremendous. The only improvement I would want is semi-active suspenders, at least as an option.

After two days of exploring Death Valley National Park, I continued my trek southeastward toward Phoenix. On departure day, temperatures were in the 30s, and, despite many layers, a heated seat, and heated grips, I was mighty cold! Although the heated seat toasted my buns (the ability to vary temperature would be nice), the grips could use a bit more heat at the lowest rideable temperatures.

I continued to find curvy, empty roads on my way to Phoenix, and the Expedition’s ever-present nimbleness, engine performance, and all-day comfort made it easy to connect to the bike. The engine remained rough at idle—perhaps a nod to Husqvarna’s racing heritage—and didn’t tug at my heartstrings the same way other engines do. Also, the quickshifter was very temperamental—sometimes, it simply refused to assist in gear changes. The good-looking waterproof soft saddlebags that come with the bike are clearly not durable. In fact, one of the luggage rack struts designed for stabilizing the bags inexplicably lost both bolts and almost fell off.

The final trek home from Phoenix to Los Angeles was all Interstate and a lot of wind. Once again, the Husky proved to be an excellent long-distance machine, and I struggled to find a reason why I wouldn’t pick a capable middleweight over a large ADV when I swap out my BMW in the next year. Sure, if you spend most of your time on pavement and carry a lot of gear or a passenger, the large ADV bikes are hard to argue against. However, for a single passenger wanting to go and explore the dirt a bit more, the Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition is a fantastic choice for the journey.

Photography by Freeman Wood

2024 Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition Specs

ENGINE

Type: Parallel twin
Displacement: 889cc
Bore x stroke: 90.7 x 68.8mm
Maximum power: 105 horsepower @ 8000 rpm
Maximum torque: 74 ft-lbs @ 6500 rpm
Compression ratio: 13.5:1
Valvetrain: DOHC; 4 vpc
Fueling: Dell’Orto w/ 46mm throttle body
Lubrication: Semi-dry sump pressure lubrication w/ 2 oil pumps
Transmission: 6-speed w/ quickshifter
Clutch: Wet multiplate w/ assist and slip functions
Final drive: 520 X-ring chain

CHASSIS

Frame: Chromoly tubular steel w/ stressed engine and chromoly trellis subframe
Handlebar: Tapered aluminum
Front suspension; travel: Fully adjustable WP Xplor 48mm inverted open-cartridge fork; 9.4 inches
Rear suspension; travel: Linkage-free, fully adjustable WP Xplor PDS piggyback-reservoir shock; 9.4 inches
Wheels: Wire-spoked w/ tubeless aluminum rims
Front wheel: 2.50 x 21
Rear wheel: 4.50 x 18
Tires: Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR
Front tire: 90/90 x 21
Rear tire: 150/70 x 18
Front brakes: 320mm discs w/ 4-piston radially mounted J.Juan calipers
Rear brake: 260mm disc w/ floating J.Juan 2-piston caliper
ABS: Bosch 9.1 MP cornering-aware; Offroad mode