2019 SWM RS 500 R
FIRST REVIEW
P100
ed inertia. Our SWM rep tells
us—honestly—that the RS 500
R weighs around the mid-280s
without fuel (SWM's tech sheet
says 255.7 pounds dry, don't
believe it). Add it all up, and the
SWM just feels—well, like I said,
big. It takes muscle to ma-
neuver it around and requires
a tight grip on the handlebar
every time you grab a handful of
throttle because it has so much
power.
Regardless, the SWM
handles and corners quite
well on the trail, even on tight
single-track, and the suspen-
sion is solid. Initial stroke is soft
at both ends, but by mid-stroke
things stiffen up significantly
and quickly to soak up the hard
hits nicely. The bike is also
extremely stable and takes a
Volkswagen-size boulder to
knock it off course.
As mentioned, the liquid-
cooled 501cc four-valve en-
