Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

massive 3 I kg (68 Ibs.) less than the Yamaha XT660X, which tells you all you need to know about the difference between the two bikes - an achievement obtained without any of the carbon or titanium so replete on the Nox. Squeezing the adjustable brake lever to stop hard will get the Husky's front Dunlop chirping on certain road surfaces, if you don't dab the 220mm back brake as well, and no better stoppie bike has yet been marketed with a license plate, not even the KTM Duke. The four-pot four-pad front caliper in the Brembo brake package is quite sensitive, but it gives the kind of stopping power most street-trailies can only dream of, and Husqvarna deserves credit for stiffening up the suspension to suit. The new, long, alloy swingarm is worthy of an RI Yamaha and gives similar suspension response via the fully adjustable Sachs rear shock and its redesigned rising rate linkage with altered progression. However, this too has been stiffened up a little compared to before, so you do notice minor road shocks such as tarmac patches or manhole covers because of this, as well as presumably the stifferconstruction Dunlop road tires. It still works pretty good, though - and, above all, you don't need a stepladder to climb on and off the bike, as you might have if Husqvarna hadn't lowered the ride height quite substantially compared to its off-road bikes. Though the resultant 91 Omm (36-inch) seat height for that vinykovered plank is still pretty tall, I could just sling a leg over the Husky parked on the side stand. And since it's so narrow, even with the lockable 12.5liter (3.25-gallon) fuel tank, most riders should still be able to stick at least a toe on the ground at traffic lights, though shorter ones may have to slide off the seat to keep the Husky upright. Once aboard, with the fruity-sounding engine cranked into life, you notice there's much less vibration than on the previous model, with the thick rubber blocks on the footrests dialing out what little remains after the gear-driven balance shaft mounted behind the crank has done its work. The new SM61 0 feels much more refined and comfy to ride hard, and the large, effective rearview mirrors don't vibe at all. You're aware of sitting quite far forward in the redesigned, more compact, single-tube cradle frame, though, with the quite wide, slightly pulled-back handlebar sourced from See!'s SM450/51 OR racers mounted on tall risers bolted to the upper triple clamp. The extra leverage this gives is really only useful for countersteering the bike to control the rear-end-slide-in-the-tarmac use the SM610 will invariably be put to. I tried a bit of gentle off-roading, but those Supersport tires aren't really cut out for it. Personally, for real-world road riding I'd prefer some narrower, flatter, more flat track-style bars to cut down the width for use in narrow streets as well as to reduce that leverage. The steering is a bit too light and vague cranked hard over on tarmac, in spite of the leading axle fork, thanks probably to that smaller front wheel, which must have reduced the trail and speeded up the steering of the dirt-derived frame perhaps too much - another reason you don't need the extra leverage of the wider dirt-derived handlebar. Still, the Dunlops do an adequate job of sticking to the road at unlikely angles of lean - though the sticky Pirelli Diablos the Husky also comes shod with might be a better bet - and you can always stick your foot out to prop the bike up if it feels like you're about to wash out the front wheel, can't you? Husqvarna has continued revamping its liquid-cooled four-valve single on the new SM61 0, still with chain-driven SOHC rather than the twin-cam layout of its works racers. The revised 576cc engine measures the same 98 x 76.4mm dimensions as before, but as well as feeling smoother and more refined, the engine is quite a bit more powerful. It delivers a claimed 54 bhp at 7000 rpm - up 9 bhp from before and a massive 16 bhp or 40 percent more than the wannabe FMX650 Honda which also weighs 28 kg (61 Ibs.) more but costs 35 percent less than the 8195-euro ($9800) Husqvarna, whose extra poke comes thanks to a higher compression I I: I piston and new 41 mm Keihin carbo While still retaining HVA:s trademark separate crank chamber, there's a proper oil system with twin pumps - one for the cylinder head and crank, the other for the crankcase and gearbox - as well as a cartridge oil filter. And while increasing the compression ratio two points to I I: I, Husqvarna engineers have redesigned both intake and exhaust porting as well as the combustion chamber, revised the airbox, and altered the valve and ignition timing, all to deliver a more reliable, rideable package in road use. The result is a Willing, eager, lusty motor that pulls hard off idle, with notable grunt from as low as 2500 rpm, with a hard, relentless shove all the way to the nominal 8200-rpm rev limiter, which you'll only encounter out of curiosity. The hard, dry, drill-hammer exhaust note echoes in your ears as the revs rise, though from 3500 rpm upward, the torque curve flattens right out - and thanks to remapped digital ignition with a TPS (throttle position sensor), maximum torque is also up slightly to 52 Nm (38.3 ft.-Ibs.) at 6500 rpm from 50 Nm (36.9 ft.-Ibs.) at 5000 revs on the older bike. In spite of this, you're encouraged to rev the Husky's motor harder than before, using the sharp-shifting six-speed gearbox and revamped oilbath clutch (now with an anti-kickback function for easier electric starting) to the best advantage. Compared to the TE/TC 610 dirt bikes, the bottom two ratios in the Six-speed gearbox are unchanged, but the top four are different from those on the off-road motor, more evenly spaced for road use and with a higher overall gearing, thanks to different gearbox and rear wheel sprockets for the same reason. Ultimate top speed is pretty much irrelevant on a bike like this, but the SM610 should break the ton - though 100-plus mph on a bike like this means you must hold on tight with that high handlebar. The MX heritage means the bottom three ratios are extremely close together - a fivespeeder would really be enough for street use, because starting off from rest, you have to change up three times in as many seconds to get meaningful forward motion. You don't need sand-plugging potential on a street Supermono. Anyway, this is a point 'n' squirt motorcycle par excellence, a smile-bike supreme that sends you out into battle on city streets or country lanes with a grin on your face that will still be there when you return from action. You wouldn't want to ride from Rome to Milan on the Husky, least of all with a passenger on the back - though there is space for one once they fit the extra set of footrests missing from the test bike. But as a tool to unlock traffic congestion and beat the gridlock blues, the Husqvarna SM61 0 is a pretty capable piece of kit that'll leave you smiling after the ride to work. What a good eN way to start the day. (Left to right) The SM's 576cc single is still a single overhead cam unit, rather than a DOHC as on the Husky's works racers. Handlebars are a bit wide for everyday used; break out the hacksaw! As always, Brembo binders are top-notch but a tad too sensitive. CYCLE NEWS • AUGUST 3,2005 51

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