especially as it allows you to
explore the limits of the engine.
The Suzuki's tech pack isn't
groundbreaking, but it doesn't
really need to be.
Both bikes, however, are
remiss for not having cruise
control or even the option
of fitting it, especially on the
higher-priced Suzuki, as it's so
comfortable you could easily go
touring on it and a bit of freeway
comfort never goes astray.
As for day-long comfort, the
Suzuki has the win, hands down.
A near perfectly upright rider tri
-
angle means you have next to no
weight on your wrists, and it al-
lows you to smash out the miles
with consummate ease, even if
the seat becomes a little hard
after about an hour on board.
The Husqvarna is racier in its
ride position, with wider, MX-style
handlebars and a firmer seat
that encourages you to load up
that front tire that really doesn't
seem like the kind of front tire
you want to be loading up.
That sounds odd, I know, but
let me explain.
The Husqvarna's semi-off-
road Pirelli MT 60 RS rubber
was designed primarily as a
scrambler hoop, but the Italians
know most of these bikes will
never see a dirt road in their
lives, so on-road performance
needs to be paramount.
You can get away with some
pretty extreme liberties on the
front-end of the Svartpilen even
with this rubber fitted, which is
helped by a higher-spec WP fork
than the Suzuki's 41mm fork
from KYB.
The Svartpilen runs a 43mm
WP Apex fork that's fully adjust
-
able, giving the rider a more
solid feel under heavy braking
and during initial turning. The
Suzuki's nonadjustable front-
end offers a more comfortable
ride at low, traffic-light speed,
but once out in the twisties and
with the speed increased, it
will plunge to the bottom of its
shorter stroke quicker, which
The tiny low-mount exhaust is overly quiet on the
Suzuki. It could use a bit more bark.
VOLUME ISSUE NOVEMBER , P101
