Category Archives: New Motorcycles

With the 701 Enduro LR (Long Range), Husqvarna introduces a motorcycle for serious offroad adventure riders.

If a 250cc, or even 400cc doesn’t do the trick for you in the mud, the 701 Enduro comes into play.  With its 74bhp and a dry weight of just 155 kg, this bike gives the rider plenty of power to conquer hills and traverse muddy sections without staying too far behind on the motorways.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Husqvarna 701 Enduro LR is the extra fuel tank, which also can be purchased separately and fitted to any 701 enduro model.

The extra 12 liter tank is well integrated in the front of the bike, and gives the rider, in combination with the 13 liter rear tank, the opportunity to clock 500 kilometers (310 mi) without having to stop for fuel.  Ideal for the longer adventures (e.g. down here in Mexico 😉).

The Huskie comes standard with a slipper clutch and is outfitted with WP XPLOR forks which have been developed in close collaboration with KTM.  The marriage with KTM also is clearly visible in the frame, for which Husqvarna is using the same type of Chromium-Molybdenum steel trellis frame as many KTMs have nowadays.

So what else does the Huqvarna get you for its price of USD $11,899? Well, the bike comes standard with:

• Switchable ride modes, giving the rider the possibility to tweak power settings while riding.
• A Bosch cornering ABS with lean angle braking tech (something my KTM 1090 doesn’t have)
• Add to this, lean-angle sensitive Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC), which can be switched off on the trail.
• Lastly, its easy-shifter improves rear wheel traction and helps the rider to smoothly shift gears on tricky trails.

Rally gurus like Lyndon Poskitt might have just found the ideal bike to turn into a rally monster!

I’m talking about two very futuristic looking motorcycles that are so exclusive that, at best, only a dozen will be made of them. Both are made in France, one boasts a 200hp Yamaha R1 engine and the other is equipped with a 100hp/240NM electric motor that will shoot the bike from 0-100 in under 3 seconds. I’ll start with the petrol one.

The Lazareth LM410

The Lazareth LM410 is not your average two-wheeler. In fact, it’s a four-wheeler.

For its previous creation, Lazareth used a Maserati engine, which makes this R1 equipped motorbike look a bit more like a conventional bike. But make no mistake, the Lazareth LM410 is anything but normal. The bike doesn’t need a side-stand and must have quite an interesting handling if you’re used to taking curves on two wheels. Its hinged axles allow it to lean into a turn, but a locking system keeps it steady at a stop.

The bike is road legal in France and will set you back about EUR 100,000 ($112,000).

The Newron EV-1

The second bike is something that looks like a hipster’s dream come true. Just as the Lazareth, the Newron EV-1 stands out from the crowd, with its wooden panels, futuristic looking engine and sharp lines. The EV-1 is available in 4 different types of wood, just like your IKEA closet.

Newron has equipped its ‘’electric power cruiser’’ with a 75 kW PMAC engine, providing 240 Nm of torque, which is available right from the start. 0-100 goes in less than 3 seconds, and the bike’s top-speed is limited at about 220 km/h, enough to amaze everyone at the traffic light. 

Users can charge the EV-1’s battery for 80% in just about 40 minutes (with a fast-charging plug), which is similar to the Zero SR/S which we reviewed in last week’s MIR. The company claims that the battery will last about 300 km (186mi) in the city, and about 80km less on the highway.

The EV-1 has onboard navigation, WiFi connectivity, and Bluetooth to connect smartphones. It will be quite a bit cheaper than the Lazareth LM410, and comes in at about EUR 60,000 ($65,000).

Drooling hipsters and futurists can now preorder the bike for just EUR 2000. The first ones are set to be delivered somewhere in 2021.

After having discussed electric motorcycles in detail a few weeks ago, this week we look at the launch of the Zero SR/S.

Zero has teased this motorcycle for a while, giving away almost nothing on specs, design or purpose, but last week, it finally unveiled the newest model in its already impressive lineup, the SR/S.

This new model is a sportsbike, but does steal quite a bit from the SR/F, the company’s streetfighter model. The SR/S has an improved aerodynamic design, full fairing and offers a more comfortable, upright riding position. The higher handlebars and lower footpegs give away that the bike was designed for city commuters. The SR/S weighs almost 230 kg (505lb), and Zero claims that the improved aerodynamic will lead to a better range (13%), but on paper, the bike’s range specs largely mimic those of the SR/F

For the powertrain, Zero decided to stick with the same ZF 75-10 engine, delivering 82kW (110 hp) and 190 Nm (140 lb-ft) of torque, giving the bike a top speed of 200 kmh (120 mph). The bike also features the same 14.4 kWh battery. The battery can be upgraded with the Power Tank accessory which adds 3.6 kWh of capacity. 

Given the improvements in battery technology, we would’ve liked to have seen improvements in range compared to the SR/F model. After all, it’s the limited range that keeps a lot of people from buying electric motorcycles. With the SR/S, Zero doesn’t manage to fulfill our dreams. The new SR/S sports largely offers the same range specs as its predecessor, with a city range of 259 km (161 mi), a highway range of 132 km (82 mi), and a mixed range of 175 km (109 mi). With the Power Tank, the Zero SR/S is rated for a city range of 323 km (201 mi), a highway range of 166 km (103 mi), and a mixed range of 219 km (136 mi).

While on paper, the city range doesn’t look too bad, the highway range does look rather limited, and in reality, the 166 km / 103mi, could turn out to be a lot less if you’re going just a bit faster than 100kmh/60mph on the highway.

When it comes to recharging the SR/S, the company offers three different options. Using 1 charger module, the bike charges up to 95% in 4 hours, with 2 charger modules this is reduced to 2 hours, and with 3 charger modules, you can charge the battery in just over 1 hour.  Using the 3 charger modules, the bike becomes a bit more useful for roadtrips, but as we mentioned before, waiting for an hour is not ideal if your friends on gasoline powered bikes are already miles ahead.

Zero is using the Cypher III system as OS, giving you 10 different riding modes and oodles of information on the bike’s performance, including bike location, speed, lean angle, power, torque, state of charge and energy used/regenerated.

The SR/S has a starting price of $18,995, but the premium version (incl. the rapid charge system) with powertank comes in at $24.295. Check out the Zero SR/S site for all the specs and cool videos.