Husqvarna Nuda 900R review

 It’s fast, cheeky and a whole lot of fun even on an everyday basis. We ride the Husqvarna Nuda R

Cycling, as I learnt on my recent trip to Mumbai, is a fast growing fad in the city. You can hear about cycling trips, programs and even incentives on the radio; read about it in the papers and on a sultry Tuesday morning, I also witnessed it firsthand. And it was quite a sight, especially the taut and pretty women cycling away with ferocity on roads that would in a couple of hours be chock-o-block with traffic like clogged arteries of a 'fat' food eating couch potato. Interestingly some of the men on cycles looked as if their arteries were already there. However, it was this latter bunch that was encouraging me to ride faster with thumbs ups and loud cheers aplenty.
As for me, I wasn't sure whether to accept this adulation or cheer them on instead. You see, I wasn't exactly cycling; motorcycling would be more like it. But I guess my ride had clearly caught the fantasy of men with receding hairlines and potbellies donned in stifling tees and cycling shorts. And it wasn't the looks of the bike alone - which I agree are a tad odd - but also the noise that got their attention. The Husqvarna Nuda 900R, dear readers, is quite something.
Husqvarna - for the late arrivals - is owned by BMW and will be sold through BMW Motorrad showrooms in the country. Also fondly called Huskies, these bikes are big on the off-road stuff. So much so that Huskies have won a number of championships in this genre. The Nuda though is a street motorcycle and resembles a supermoto than a naked streetfighter. The seating ergonomics are similar too. So, with the seat being flush with the tank, one sits a lot forward than on a normal street motorcycle. The footpegs aren't really rearset either and the handler is a wide, high set one piece unit. One can hold onto the bike tightly too thanks to the tank's shape and the positioning of the footpeg hangers lending better control. Overall, the Nuda is a comfortable place to be in for shorter rides particularly when filtering through traffic.
The Nuda handles like a supermoto too; it feels light on the move, is eager to change directions, and is equally comfortable leaned; whether you choose to do it in the conventional butt-out style or the more dramatic leg-out stance has no bearing. Now we only did ride the bike inside Mumbai city and therefore can't deliver a verdict on its high speed cornering behaviour but whatever we did experience, one thing is clear - the Nuda does show a lot of promise.
Another great bit about this Husky, is its ride-ability. To begin with it is one of the few big bikes we have sampled in a long time that actually has a decent ride quality. We rode it over raised manhole covers, through potholes, and even held it pinned over small speed breakers, but not once did it jolt us rudely or lose its composure by bottoming out or losing grip or moaning even. Plus, with a relatively light clutch (and precise gear shifts), progressive brakes and a light steering, it isn't tiresome to ride either.
Then there's the performance. Again, we don't know how it would behave at very high speeds, but its light and linear throttle, low end torque and well matched gear ratios make it super easy to ride around the city. Even with the throttle fully opened (we could only manage it in 1st and 2nd gears) it doesn't overwhelm you enough to scare you. Moreover, if you want to ride it calmly, it manages that too quite well. We rode it barely at 4000rpm in traffic for quite a while shuffling between photography locations, and no matter what gear we selected but every time we were liberal with our right wrist, it always had enough shove to do its 'big' bike tag proud.
The Nuda gets a near 900cc parallel twin which is basically the BMW F 800 R engine, but with toppings laid out by Husqvarna. So, the power and torque ratings have climbed compared to the BMW and the noise is more purposeful. The power delivery, especially towards the top is sweeter too, but not without having to lose out on the ride-ability, as we mentioned earlier. And of course, the engine gets the red rocker box cover, a typical Husqvarna signature.
The Nuda 900R is quite expensive. After all, for the same money one can buy the likes of the Suzuki Hayabusa and still save some cash. But comparing the Nuda with the 'Busa isn’t fair; after all these bikes set out to deliver very different riding experiences. You want to buy the Nuda only if you are done posing, and want something to ride more often and make those trips to close by destinations. It’s a more everyday bike so to speak. The real competition then is the Ducati Hypermotard, which as our experience tells us, is less refined and more tedious.

Courtesy: www.autobild.in