is great and I enjoyed the predictable feeling and stable ride , although the rear can be unsettled by bad corrugations , which is common on most adventure bikes . For all-roads exploring , even at a pretty decent pace , the suspension action is great ! On true offroad terrain it is on the soft side , but that terrain is still entirely possible at a reduced pace . In soft sand the ( steepish ) 25.8-degree steering angle along with the fact that it ’ s still a sizeable machine – some 8kg heavier than an 890R – and the general use suspension settings mean caution is needed to avoid the dreaded front-end tuck . Conversely though , that same steering angle helps make the 901 an agile and effortless handling machine on road . Facing facts , most Norden riders will spend the vast majority of their time riding on firmer surfaces , so the slower speeds required on sand are a tiny tradeoff for great handling everywhere else . The inverted 43mm forks have 220mm of travel and are adjustable for compression , rebound and spring preload . The single rear shock has rebound damping and spring preload adjustment and there ’ s 215mm of axle travel .
Overall , the suspension works very well , no doubt enhanced by the top-notch chassis ( a modern tubular chromium-molybdenum steel chassis using the engine as a stressed member and high-tech alloy swingarm provide superb mounting points for the suspension ). This all enables a very competent , agile and confidence-inspiring machine that works so well all day , every day and on all roads .
BRAKES AND STUFF The Norden comes with about 80 / 20 road / dirt Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres , but with the 21-inch front and 18-inch rear tubeless spoked wheels , the potential for fitting quality knobblies is unrestricted if your extreme offroad travel side is calling . There are no reservations in the braking department - they ’ re great with the ABS off , and decent when the ABS is on . The Norden is a solid 220kg + with the 19L tank full of fuel and it ’ s a powerful bike , so great brakes are important . I ’ ve never been a huge fan of overly intrusive rear ABS , which I believe Husky / KTM Adventure bikes have . Twin 320mm discs with four-piston radially mounted calipers are powerful with great feel up front . The rear has a
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