Factory Supermoto rider Mauno Hermunen is one of the few lucky people in the world to have tried out Husqvarna's awesome new Husqvarna Nuda 900 R. He sits astride the sleek, angular motorcycle at Husqvarna's Milan headquarters, keen to tell the world how exciting the brand's first ever street bike is. The 23 year old Finn trialled the motorcycle in France - apart from official testers, he is the only rider to have been given the opportunity to put it through its paces. Mauno's verdict is simple: "the Husqvarna Nuda 900 R is just a really cool bike".
This 'cool bike' seamlessly combines the Husqvarna brand's fun-loving soul and effortless style with the cutting-edge technology of BMW. The two motorcycle makers collaborated over every element of the NUDA and according to Mauno, the proof is in the riding. "First of all, it handles brilliantly," he enthuses. "It's just so light, the engine is great, and the performance is amazing. If there are fast corners it just takes them - the bike goes wherever I want to take it."
He says one of the things he finds most exciting about the motorcycle is its fun, sporty soul. "It's important that a bike is fun. I could easily pull wheelies and stoppies on the NUDA 900R, it really was great from that aspect. But of course, it depends on the rider - some people choose to ride in a different way and it's equally good for regular riding. It is made for people who want to have fun though!"
Despite the fun factor, the NUDA is a bike which means business. Its 900cc engine has an output of more than 100 bhp and 100 Nm of torque, yet its dry weight is less than 175kg, ensuring a perfect power-to-weight ratio. Premium components have been used throughout its construction - it has fully-adjustable ?hlins suspension at the rear, and full-adjustable Sachs forks at the front, as well as Monoblock radially-mounted four-piston Brembo brakes at the front and a trick exhaust system, equipped with carbon parts.
The NUDA's core is a modified version of the BMW F 800 R's parallel 800cc two-cylinder engine. The engine was upgraded to a 900cc capacity and many internal components were modified to improve power, performance, and torque curve. The result is a more typically aggressive, racing character - a true Husqvarna machine.
For Mauno, who currently rides a Husqvarna SMR449 and is just two points from the top in the Supermoto World Championship standings, the motorcycle's stunning design is a personal highlight. "For me, one of the main things is the style," he says.
"The design is so typically Italian, it's a really great-looking bike - there is nothing else which looks like it. It's just so sharp, it looks really dynamic and in my eyes, it just couldn't look better."
The championship contender has been racing since he was a child, first in motocross, graduating to supermoto after an impressive 15-year career. He is hungry to be World Champion and with three races left this season and just that tiny gap between himself and the leader, the title is within reach. With his ability to get the best from Husqvarna motorcycles, it was felt he was the perfect person to the put NUDA 900 R through its paces.
Mauno, who spends hours every week training on his SMR449, says the revolutionary street bike is the perfect balance between performance, technology and style - the three key elements which went into its creation. "Having been lucky enough to be one of the first to ride the bike, I know how nice its power delivery is. It's so smooth - but with a frame and engine from BMW and the brand's trademark technology behind it, that's hardly surprising. It doesn't just look good, sound good, and feel good, it's a reliable motorcycle too. And on top of that, it has the great Italian design. It's really the perfect combination of the performance, technology and style".
"If I had to sum up the new NUDA 900 R in just three words, I'd say performance, fun and style. It's just a really cool bike".
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