In addition to debuting the Husqvarna TR 650 Strada, our favorite German-owned Italian-based Scandinavian-branded motorcycle company has released a 21-inch-wheeled version of the Strada that is destined for more off-road use. They call it the Husqvarna TR 650 Terra. Using the same 652cc water-cooled single-cylinder DOHC motor, the Husqvarna Terra also makes 58hp and 44.25 lbs•ft of torque, just like the Husqvarna Strada.
Tipping the scales a bit lighter than its road-going sibling, the Terra has a dry weight here in the United States of 368 lbs (410 lbs wet). Available with ABS as an option in other markets, it appears our more feature-reluctant American riders will only be given the non-ABS variant of the pseudo off-road machine (apparently Husky isn’t a part of BMW’s pledge for universal ABS). While the Terra shares many components with the Strada, BMW Husqvarna hopes that the minor changes between the two bikes will help facilitate the Husqvarna Terra’s more off-road oriented purpose in life.
The most obvious difference are of course the wheelsets, which for the Terra means a 21″ spoked-wheel up front, and an 18″ spoked-wheel on the back (17″ for the models with ABS). Other changes include knobbier tires, a slightly lower seat height (up to 0.6″), a slightly longer wheelbase, and of course the 6.5 lbs dry weight loss (4 lbs less when wet).
A big enduro bike that draws from the BMW G650GS Sertão, it is hard to see how Husqvarna hopes to differentiate the Terra from the Strada, let alone its BMW sibling. If the Strada closely infringes on the territory of the Husqvarna Nuda 900, then it surprises us to see that Husqvarna’s third “street” model stays rooted even closer to home. Granted, Husqvanra intends for the Strada and Terra to be two sides of the same coin, with each appealing to slightly different riders, but when you look at the direction of where Husqvarna is currently headed, it is troubling to see what BMW has done with the brand.
Hopefully with this mid-season announcement, Husqvarna has something special waiting for us at EICMA and Intermot. There is a strong chance that either/both the Husqvarna Moab and Husqvarna Baja concepts will become production models, and if we can let our imagination run wild for a moment, a Husqvarna’d BMW S1000RR might be REALLY interesting…assuming BMW gives the Italian designers a little breathing space.
Source: BMW Group
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