5 Things to Know BEFORE You Buy a Husqvarna Norden 901

I've been riding and enjoying my Husqvarna Norden 901 for the last seven months, and while there are a ton of Norden 901 review videos out there put together by reviewers who only had the bike for a weekend's riding, there are not many long term Husqvarna Norden 901 reviews out there. This video is less about Norden stats and specs and a lot more focused on the experience of riding and owning the Norden 901 over a longer period of time. So, if you're thinking of buying a Norden of your own, here are five things you need to know before you buy a Husqvarna Norden 901.

#1: There's a lot of talk out there about bad Norden 901 reliability, but it's been overblown, at least in my experience. There's a lot of talk out there about Norden 901 problems, but while there have been some issues these problems aren't as common as they seem.
#2: The Norden 901 is insanely fun to ride both on and off road.
#3: Forget what you've heard about frequent Husqvarna Norden 901 maintenance.
#4: The Norden 901 is an insanely capable adventure motorcycle both on and off the road.
#5: The Norden adventure bike will make you ride like an a$$hole...

#norden901 #husqvarnanorden901 #adventurebike
SUBSCRIBE for more adventures, how-tos, gear reviews, and moto shenanigans!

Want to support the channel when you buy your dual sport or ADV gear and mods? Please consider using these affiliate links:

Thank you for supporting the channel by clicking on the affiliate links in this description.
Husqvarna Norden 901 Mods:
(save 20% with promo code “dorkintheroad”)

[DorkintheRoad]

Want to support the channel when you buy your dual sport or ADV gear and mods? Please consider using these affiliate links:

[BigRockMoto]

Great info. I miss mine, what a great bike. If they made one with a higher spec suspension, I'd strongly consider getting another one.

[danaECBC]

7, 000 miles on mine. It's a great bike, no plans of swapping it out yet and I change bikes a lot. Fantastic for commuting, awesome off-road, amazing for Moto camping/BDR's.

[monzadh]

Agree 110% on all points especially #5! 5, 000 mls on my Norden and have had zero issues. Such a great bike and now seeing the 2023 890 ADV just proves how great the platform is.

[johnhoaglun]

I owned a 2020 KTM 790 Adventure (s) which is mostly the same bike. I put 17k miles on it over 20 months. It was a great bike that did some long trips like the CDR.

I sold it to get 2022 R1250GSA. The Beemer is a great bike but i actually prefer the 790/890/901 platform in hindsight.

The reliability is better than people give it credit for. It is not at Honda or Yamaha level (yet) but is becoming respectable especially if you like the hooligan quality that it brings.

[pinkiewerewolf]

Excellent thoughts on your experience with the bike Ben. Those road miles are an important consideration in an ADV bike. We get wrapped up in the off-road, which this bike seems very capable to handle, but most people in the daily rider ADV segment spend 70% or more of their time on pavement.

[cosamuel]

890-R owner here. The biggest concern I have with this bike is the clutch. I've been warned by a local ripper I sometimes try to keep up with that has been on a 790-R since it came out that you need to change how you ride with the traction control on these things. Namely you need to trust the TC and resist that urge to work the clutch to manually control traction. This is hard as hell for me to do, especially at slower speeds. I've had mine buried up to the axles in a mud hole and unable to get it going because the TC feels like it is conspiring against me. (Also because the factory TKC80's are no bueno in mud!) Once I managed to heat the clutch up quite a bit. My woods bike is a 200 XC 2-stroke. From riding that I have my hands programmed to slip the clutch whenever I get into something slick or dicey. De-programming that and trusting the computer on the 890 has proven to be my biggest concern. Especially now that I've heard horror stories of guys having clutch failures far from civilization.

Other than that I would ride this thing anywhere. And it is fun as hell! Best bike I've ever owned.

[AdventureGlide]

Cheat Code. I love my traction control on the GSA. I can't imagine playing without it now. 😂 Thanks for the update and info, Ben.

[kai-uweoch]

Got mine in March 2022. Problems so far: cooling liquid leak from hose clamps, loosing programming of quick access functions, uneven worn front brake rotors. Nothing that left me stranded. 21.000km so far.

[obsidianduck]

Nice update! This bike is still on my radar. I'm at decision paralysis between this, the Desert X, the Tuareg, or the newer Africa Twins. Coming from a 2018 Africa Twin, I'm interested in some of the newer technologies in all these new bikes. Simultaneously a great time to be looking for a new adventure bike, and also a stressful time because of all the options. Each have so many pros/cons, it's easy to get stuck in decision analysis mode.

[sorenmelchior]

Here in Interior Alaska (Fairbanks) my only experience with the 901 was seeing one non operational at the KTM dealership this last fall with a computer issue that this dealership could not resolve as the KTM diagnostic equipment would not pair with it. I am not sure if it ever got fixed here, or if the owner needed to have it shipped to Anchorage where there is the only Husqvarna Moto dealership in the State (only Husqvarna repair places here are geared towards power tools, not moto).
That said for me at least it was a sign for my next bike to be a brand that has more repair shops, easy to self repair and high reliability so I put money down on a 2023 DRZ 400 last week that I will ride next summer to train myself up on dirt before upgrading to a T7 the following year. So though the Husky seems like a great bike, we here in Alaska go out to some really remote places and need to have a bike with minimal issues (less electronics).

[bluesky]

Incredibly beautiful country. Greetings from Australia

[lukefish]

Appreciate the video very much. I put a deposit down on the new Norden 901 expedition if it does indeed come out this next March like my dealer has said. If not, prolly still go with the regular one. Excited and like my chances of getting one without any major flaws.
Thanks again for the info!
Have a Merry Christmas 🎄
🏍💨

[RideSafeNSmart]

Thanks for sharing this great video and some stunning scenery! 👍🏻

[andrewearly]

Thanks Dork! My old V-Strom 1000 had the same effect on me. I did a LOT of speeding on that….

[toejamtimmy]

I fancied changing my CRF1100 so I test rode the 901. Amazing engine, best I’ve ever known for response. However, reliability was a main concern for me so when the salesman told me prior to the test ride that the fuel gauge didn’t work but it was ok because “they all do that” I’d already decided it wasn’t for me. It’d only 480 miles 🤦‍♂️

[allnbuchanan]

Well now you’ve done it. I have a Tenere 700 and a Super Tenere 1200….now after watching your video and several others, I traded my Super T on a 2023 Norden 901….don’t get me wrong I loved my T10 but wanted a touring bike abit more capable off road…I’ve done a few BDR’s on the T10 but had to pass up some technical sections because of limitations….so we will see if the Norden will also replace the T7….ain’t life great….keep up the good videos.

[jasonscott]

Love your content, keep up the good work! If you had to pick one and stick with it (I'm a 75/25 rider) which would you pick; Africa Twin, Norden 901, and KTM 890 Adventure?

[motoadv]

I’m waiting to see if the 501 version ever shows up.

[howlinhog]

I had the coolant leak and a bit of a cold start issue but the cold start can be somewhat alleviated with a part throttle start. I also have an issue I haven't heard anybody mention. An oil leak from behind the front sprocket. No drips, just enough to accumulate dirt. All in all, I consider it to be the greatest do-all motorcycle I've ever owned. My XL600 was great, the 690 is awesome but the 901 blows them out of the water. Comparing the 690 to the 901 isn't really fair though, they kind have their own niche. I suppose I'd give the 690 higher marks if the seat didn't brutalize my groin area on long rides. P.S. legs were dry during a significant rain storm so the shape of the tank and panels are quite impressive.