Husqvarna Streetbike!

Husqvarna Streetbike!

ROUNDUP

Radical New Nakeds

Call them streetfighters, standards or nakeds, these raw and simplistic-looking motorcycles are capturing the hearts of designers. Here are three concepts we hope make it into production.

BRUNO DEPRATO

A LONG TIME HAS PASSED SINCE Husqvarna V-Twins stormed the roads of Sweden. In fact, for many years, the company was known solely for its two-stroke enduro models and motocrossers. And even though Husqvarna has had success with its new-generation four-stroke engines and pavement-biased supermoto bikes, the company doesn’t currently offer a true road-only model.

BMW’s ownership of Husqvarna is about to change all this. At Husky’s headquarters in Biandronno, Italy, engineers are working on a special version of BMW’s parallel-Twin—specifically,

the F800R—that will power the brand’s return to the tarmac. The engine has already been extensively modified to bump displacement to 900cc and achieve the kind of performance that the team of German and Italian technicians responsible for the project has set as its target. In the process, the engine has lost some weight and received a new airbox and exhaust system.

All this is reported to have generated a highly spirited package capable of great flexibility and linear response in the lower half of the torque curve, and plenty of power on the top end. As for the bike itself, expect an agile all-rounder capable of smoothly trotting around town and zapping twisty backroads.

Husqvama’s street plans were evident in the single-cylinder SMQ and threecylinder 1003 concept bikes unveiled at EICMA in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Though an association with BMW’s F-series Twin remains visible, a new sidecover and—most importantly—a classic “Husqvarna Red Top” cam cover make this new 900cc version easily identifiable as a Husky. —Bruno dePrato