2019 SWM RS 500 R
FIRST REVIEW
P92
T
rue story. Someone I had
never met before ap-
proached me in my drive-
way after having spotted a Beta
dual sport bike, one of our Cycle
News test bikes, parked in my
garage. He was drawn in by the
Beta's "exotic" looks. He had
heard of the brand but had never
seen one up close. He was im-
pressed. Questions came flowing
from his lips.
He had some knowledge of dirt
bikes, had ridden them before,
but had left the scene for a while.
He was wanted to get back into
riding again, and he eventually
asked my advice on what kind of
bike, a dual sport bike, he should
get. That's not a simple answer,
but, in not so many words, I said
he had two options: spend good
money on a high-performance
off-road-specialized dual-sport
bike, or spend a lot less for one
more street-friendly and less
technically advanced (and usually
underpowered, too). There isn't
much else in between, I told him.
He liked the idea of the higher-
end bikes but not their price tags.
Two weeks later I heard the
unmistakable sound of a single-
cylinder four-stroke idling up my
driveway. It was my new friend
aboard a showroom new Yamaha
WR250R dual-sport bike. I was
a little surprised by his choice of
purchase, only because he was
not exactly a small guy. He said
the price was right for the WR, he
loved it, and he was happy. And
so was I for him.
Two weeks later, there was a
knock on my door. It was my new
friend and parked in my drive-
way was a brand new Husqvarna
FE 501! He said that he quickly
learned that he needed some-
thing more powerful, so he bit the
bullet and traded in the WR for
the Husky and coughed up the
difference in price.
The SWM RS 500
R is a hardcore
off-road dual sport
but without the big
price tag.
