Swedish giant Husqvarna rolls into MY2021 with boosted performance, new electronics, and a spanky new Euro-5 emissions compliance rating on the 701 Enduro. The factory also gave it a bit of a facelift with a new headlight housing, new instrumentation, and tuned up bodywork that benefits from Husqvarna's extensive off-road racing experience. New brake hardware and switchable ABS rounds out the safety package.

2021 Husqvarna 701 Enduro Design

- New bodywork - New LCD display - Classic enduro styling

Technically built for both the blacktop and the brown, Husky leads off on the 701 Enduro with laced wheels that have long been preferred by off-road riders with a large, terrain-busting front wheel beneath a high, tripleclamp-mount mudguard. A redesigned headlight splits the night and comes braced by the front blinkers that are tucked up nice and high with a good chance of remaining out of harm's way.

A rally-style flyscreen tops the headlight can and protects the newly-redesigned LCD dashboard that itself rocks a gear indicator and tachometer in addition to the usual metrics and warning lights. Since the actual fuel tank is back in the subframe area, the traditional fuel-tank hump is vestigial at best, and that allows for a long and fairly flat bench seat that boasts a new ribbed cover meant to improve rider grip.

A relaxed rider's triangle unlocks the standing riding position for technical work, and all together, this makes for a machine that begs for some body English. The flanks are covered by numberplate-esque panels that channel even more of that classic motocross-racebike spirit. As with the front lighting, the rear is well protected with the taillight tucked up under the terminus and the turn signals mounted nice and high. The rear mudguard mounts the rest of the gear in the rear with a plateholder, taglight and reflector.

2021 Husqvarna 701 Enduro Chassis

- Subframe-integrated fuel tank - Lightweight frame - Disengagable cornering ABS - 21-inch front wheel

Chrome-molybdenum steel members make up the Trellis-type frame on the 701 Enduro that relies on the engine as a stressed unit to reach its final structural rigidity. Out back, an aluminum yoke completes the skeleton and contributes to a low unsprung weight at the rear axle.

Polyamide thermoplastic forms the subframe area, and doubles as the fuel tank to centralize fuel weight as much as possible, plus the tank itself weighs in just under 12 pounds to cut the heft even more. A CNC-machined tripletree mounts 48 mm WP XPLOR forks that sport spring stacks in both tubes but separates the functions between the two with compression damping on the left side and rebound damping on the right.

Out back is another WP XPLOR component in the coil-over monoshock that comes with the full trinity of tweaks. If you had any question about the seriousness of the Enduro's off-road chops, the 10.6-inch ground clearance and 9.8-inch suspension stroke should be quite reassuring.

At 321 pounds dry, the Enduro is well served by a single, four-bore, Brembo Monobloc caliper that bites a large, 320 mm front disc. Out back, a 240 mm disc and single-piston anchor take care of business, but the real gem is found in the two-channel, Bosch 9.1 MP ABS that comes stock with cornering-optimized and Supermoto modes, and can be switched off in its entirety if you prefer.

Frame:

Chromium-Molybdenum steel trellis frame, powder coated

Front Suspension/ Travel:

Ø 48 mm, WP XPLOR-USD/ 9.8 inches (250 mm)

Rear Suspension/ Travel:

WP XPLOR with Pro-Lever linkage/ 9.8 inches (250 mm)

Steering Head Angle:

62.3°

Front Brake:

300 mm Brembo twin-piston floating caliper, brake disc

Rear Brake:

240 mm Brembo single-piston floating caliper, brake disc

ABS:

Two-channel Bosch 9.1 MP ABS (incl. Cornering ABS and Supermoto mode Disengegable)


2021 Husqvarna 701 Enduro Drivetrain

- Liquid-cooled 693 cc thumper - 74 horsepower - Power-assist slipper clutch - Advanced ride modes & lean-sensitive traction control

The electronic wizardry continues on the 701 Enduro well into the ride-by-wire engine controls. Corner-sensitive traction control keeps you from breaking the rear end loose when accelerating in a curve and an Advanced Ride Mode function lets you quickly swap your setup between on-road and off.

Induction control falls to the 50 mm Keihin throttle body under the control of the Engine Management System, so it will automatically reconcile the difference between rider demand and engine capability for smooth transitions and stumble-free acceleration. A single over-head cam times the four-valve head, and there's a second drive gear up top for a balance shaft that reduces some of the rocking couple typical of one-lung lumps.

Paired 42 mm poppets open up for the intake side with dual 34 mm valves on the exhaust side for efficient aspiration. Plus, dual spark plugs ensure proper ignition and flame-front propagation, so this helps with power, fuel efficiency, and emissions. As for the latter, it's the new exhaust system that helped the engine meet the EU-5 emissions requirements, and while the factory doesn't explicitly say so, I reckon it added a catalyst to the system to burn off any remaining free hydrocarbons in the exhaust stream.

An Adler Power Torque Clutch couples engine power to the six-speed transmission for a final layer of safety netting for the rear contact patch, and a tough O-ring chain final drive carries the power to the rear wheel. The tranny comes with Husky's Easy Shift feature that lets you bang both up and down the range with nary a touch of the clutch lever, or even rolling off the throttle.

Bore and stroke mic out at 80 mm and 105 mm respectively, for a 692.7 cc displacement. Power checks in with 74 ponies at 8,000 rpm, backed up by 54.2 pound-feet of torque at 6,500 rpm. If you live in an area with tiered licensing, you can get the 701 Enduro with an A2-compatible engine tuning package.

Engine:

Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, 4-stroke

Displacement:

692.7 cc

Bore x Stroke:

105 mm x 80 mm

Power:

73.8 hp (55 kW)

Torque:

54 lb-ft (73.5 Nm} @ 6,500 rpm

Starter:

Electric starter

EMS:

Keihin EMS with RBW, twin ignition

Lubrication:

Forced oil lubrication with 2 oil pumps

Clutch:

APTC(TM) slipper clutch, hydraulically actuated

Transmission:

6-speed

Chain:

X-Ring 5/8 x 1/4"


2021 Husqvarna 701 Enduro Price

The 2021 701 Enduro rolls for $12,099 MSRP. Hope you like the white/yellow/blue livery, 'cause that's the only available paint package. A robust line of accessories gives you plenty of opportunities for customization along with inflation of that base sticker, so plan accordingly.

Color:

White

Price:

$12,099


2021 Husqvarna 701 Enduro Competitors

There's no shortage of enduro/dual-sport competition, nor lack of off-road experience from which to draw, but if I had to pick a representative from one of the Big Four, I name Honda's XR650L my Huckleberry.

Honda XR650L

With looks typical of the genre, the XR650L sports much the same mien with a fixed, dirtbike-style front mudguard and racebike-like bodywork that includes blank numberplates on both flanks. Street-legal lights all ride high on the “XR” to stay clear of terrain and brush strikes, and like the Husky, it rolls with stock handguards to protect your hamburger shovels from same.

The picture changes sharply as we move into the mechanicals in question. First off, in spite of the XR's 644 cc displacement that nearly matches the 701 Enduro, power output is a lukewarm 40 ponies against the Husky's husky 74 horsepower. The pain for Honda compounds in the electronics as the XR carries absolutely nothing in the way of safety or ride-quality electronics, not even ABS, which leaves it a very raw machine compared to the fandanglery that fairly drips from the Husky.

If there's any salvation to be had for Honda, it's at the checkout. The $6,999 sticker leaves a staggering amount of cheddar on the table compared to the $12k-plus Husky, but the trade off may not be worth it 'cause the 701 Enduro is a rolling technological marvel, a rare thing in this genre.

Read our full article on the Honda XR650L.

He Said

“It's really impressive how much the Enduro carries in the way of electronics}}, and is enough to humiliate much of the rest of the field for its lack thereof. Sure, they are proud of their product, and that money could go to a larger displacement machine, but you should never be afraid to pay for the best as it's unlikely to disappoint.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “If you're thinking that 3.4 gallons of fuel won't be enough where you plan on heading, be aware that Husqvarna offers an additional fuel tank kit that increases fuel capacity to 6.6 gallons on your 701 Enduro. Yeah, that's adventure-bike range. The kit is derived from technology taken from the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team’s rally machines. It allows you to carry almost twice the fuel without compromising ergonomics and weight distribution.”

2021 Husqvarna 701 Enduro Specifications

Engine & Drivetrain:

Engine:

Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, 4-stroke

Displacement:

692.7 cc

Bore x Stroke:

105 mm x 80 mm

Power:

73.8 hp (55 kW)

Torque:

54 lb-ft (73.5 Nm} @ 6,500 rpm

Starter:

Electric starter

EMS:

Keihin EMS with RBW, twin ignition

Lubrication:

Forced oil lubrication with 2 oil pumps

Clutch:

APTC(TM) slipper clutch, hydraulically actuated

Transmission:

6-speed

Chain:

X-Ring 5/8 x 1/4"

Chassis:

Frame:

Chromium-Molybdenum steel trellis frame, powder coated

Front Suspension/ Travel:

Ø 48 mm, WP XPLOR-USD/ 9.8 inches (250 mm)

Rear Suspension/ Travel:

WP XPLOR with Pro-Lever linkage/ 9.8 inches (250 mm)

Steering Head Angle:

62.3°

Front Brake:

300 mm Brembo twin-piston floating caliper, brake disc

Rear Brake:

240 mm Brembo single-piston floating caliper, brake disc

ABS:

Two-channel Bosch 9.1 MP ABS (incl. Cornering ABS and Supermoto mode Disengegable)

Dimensions & Capacities:

Seat Height:

36.2 inches (920 mm)

Ground Clearance:

10.6 inches (270 mm)

Tank Capacity (Approx.):

3.4 gallons (13 l)

Fuel Consumption:

56 mpg (4.21 l/100 km)

Weight (Without Fuel):

321.9 pounds (146 kg)

Details:

Color:

White

Price:

$12,099


Further Reading

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