Supermoto for the street

I’ve been riding sportbikes for 20 years but other than my Grom, that’s the only kind of bike I’ve ridden. I’ve been watching videos of Husqvarna 701 supermotos all winter and really want one, my question is, coming off of sportbikes, is there any reason I wouldn’t love riding one of these on the street? They’re pretty pricey at $12k new but I found a leftover ‘20 for $10,800. For those who ride these kind of bikes, let me know what you think about riding these versus 600’s and 1000’s.

 

If you’re not racing the thing at the track, a Hypermotard would be a much better streetbike.

 

701 is a fine streetbike. Plenty of power for highway bombing without needing buzzing revs, lighter than a Hyper, normal street bike maint intervals, it's a sweet package. Where it comes up 'short' as a sumo is in comparison to 450s, they're lighter, slightly smaller, so when it comes to dirt, sumo or short track road racing the 450s win, otherwise the 701 is a better choice.

 

i guess it depends on what you define as “better”.

having owned the 821, 939, and 950 hypers, the 950 is really good. nice power, nice fueling, quick shift/autoblipper, but also ducati pricing for MSRP and parts.

it’s still not a super fast bike though... i currently own a 2021 690 smc-r and i’d say it’s almost as fast.. at least up to 80mph. (anything above that sucks on both bikes).

the husky/ktm will crash better, cheaper to own/maintain, parts are cheaper, you can jump it, and it’s 100lbs lighter. and now they have the quickshift/autoblip.

supermotos aren’t designed for all out speed anyway, but a lightweight bike makes a huge difference in riding experience.

i’d go with the 690/701

 

Honestly as a road racer, I would think the additional torque and power of a twin would suit you a bit better.... 450 can be fun in town and in some tight twisties, but I think they're pretty gutless beyond 50 mph and anything over 70 feels like it's about to come apart.

My dad has a 701 and it's a blast off road and in town, but on any kind of a stretch I think it's only slightly better than a 450. Have you checked out the new 790s or even the Yamaha T7?

 

I actually haven’t checked out any bikes other than this one because it seems like it would be perfect, but I suppose I should before I make a decision.

I should mention that street riding to me is going out on short rides and doing dumb stuff, I don’t commute or take trips or anything. I just want something light that I can play with in the twisties and hopefully not get into too much trouble.

 

Prepare to spend a lot of time with the front wheel in the air.
And taking unconventional exits from parking lots.

 

The Ducati's are not supermotos. A true supermoto like the 701 is the most fun you will ever have on a street. Love my Husky 510.

 

I have a mildly built (~60hp) 525 EXC that I ride occasionally on the street. I normally take tiny backroads and ride it flat out the whole time. Full throttle every gear and trying to threshold brake as much as possible. I'm not into stunting, but I do float over every little rolling hill I can find. I'm not saying this to brag or anything, more to say I can only enjoy it as a hooligan/racebike, not as a typical motorcycle. This is opposed to my 1190 Adventure that I can ride like a sportbike when I get the itch or slowly explore around on it when I'm in a chill mood.

That said, it's a ton of fun to ride supermoto, finding stuff to jump off of around the city and generally just feeling like a stupid kid when I'm on it. I'll second the other opinions that if you want to do kart track days, go 450/500, but if just street I'd look at the 700's.

 

The 701 is the top dog Supermoto right now IMO . That being said , I love my DR 650 Supermoto . I’ve got 33,000. Miles on it and it has only needed chains , sprockets, and tires ! Plus a few pieces of plastic from laying down . It is bulletproof and cost is less than half of the 701 ... it has never been babied and I engine brake the snot out of it . Can’t believe it hasn’t blown up yet! anyone in the market for a larger Supermoto should consider a DR !

 

I'm the weird guy that didn't like a supermoto. I bought a 950SM last year and though it would be a hoot. It simply wasn't for me. On the plus side, Britt loves it

 

You haven't tried a supermoto yet, the 950SM is a confused street bike.

 

I know this isn't a great comparison, but at the same time I bought a DR650 because I thought I wanted a dual sport. Well, I hated that too. Bottom line is that I don't like dirt bike styled bikes on the street, it just isn't a style I feel comfortable on. Yet I absolutely love my GSA, which when it comes down to it is kind of like a giant dirt bike in a way. Had a 990R for a hot minute last year too, but I or my son couldn't gel with it. That's how Britt came to get the 950SM but that's a long story (Hi Dave!)

 

i’d even venture to say that the 690/701 is pushing the limits of what you can call a supermoto.. for me it’s about weight. a 950”sm” is definitely NOT a supermoto, despite what ktm tried to make you think with that name.

true supermotos are converted dirtbikes.. well under 300lbs.




look at me over here gatekeeping what is/isn’t a supermoto

 

Big long highway mingers on that 701. Yea buddy!

 

That’s doing it wrong.

 

I get what you're saying. To me a DRZ400SM is the real deal.

 

psh...

 

The DRZ400SM is good once you do the cam and the straight pull flat slide carb. Stock carb is junk. The carb and cam wake that heavy turd up.

 

I’d not argue that one.. it gets a pass just on longevity and the impact it’s had to the sport.

one of the few I’ve never owned, but it’s bulletproof, cheap, parts a plenty... versatile (as long as you don’t try and do long highway bangers on it)