2013 Husqvarna TR650 Terra and Strada | FIRST LOOK

UPDATE (09/04/12): Pricing has recently been released for the American market with the dual-purpose TR650 Terra getting a price tag of $6999 and should be arriving in dealers later this month. The street-going TR650 Strada should arrive shortly after with an MSRP of $7499.

WORDS: Marc Cook PHOTOS: Husqvarna/BMW

Under BMW’s stewardship, Husqvarna has not only dramatically upgraded its manufacturing capabilities but also benefitted from the parent company’s bank accounts and engineering resources. Now the famed brand is pushing hard to broaden its reach in the showroom.

To fill out the lineup and bolster its selection of street-oriented fare, here come the TR650 twins, the Terra and Strada. That’s not a brother-and-sister emo group or even a microbrew from a small town in Oregon, but a pair of dual-sport models in the general vein of the BMW F650GS. In fact, the new Huskies, like the street-only Nuda introduced last year, borrow a version of the Beemer’s one-lunger.

The liquid-cooled, 652cc engine gets more aggressive cam profiles, revised fuel-injection calibration and a raised compression ratio—up from 11.5:1 in the BMW G650GS to 12.3:1 through a new piston and subtly revised combustion chamber—all adding up to a claimed 58 horsepower at 7250 rpm. BMW called the G650’s max as 50 bhp at 6500 rpm. The engine retains its chain final drive, five-speed transmission, and cable-operated clutch. Husky’s press mavens predict 55-mpg fuel efficiency. (Not with us pulling the wire, thank you very much.)

Primary differences between the TR650 Terra and Strada come to suspension components and wheel choices. As BMW did with the G650 series, the more road-oriented Strada model rolls on cast-aluminum wheels, a 19-inch front and a 17-in. rear. The Terra spins 21-in. front and 18-in. rear conventional spoked hoops, though both bikes share a Sachs-made suspension system. The inverted fork has 7.5 in. of travel, as does the single, link-assisted shock. (BMW’s G bikes have different amounts of travel, with the Sertao packing a bit more.) Clearly, Husky expects the asphalt-bound Strada to have more of a supermoto feel than the quite benign, low-to-the-ground BMW G650GS.

Brakes come from Brembo, a single 300mm disc up front and a 240mm in the back. ABS is standard with the Strada but not available on the Terra for the U.S. market. (The worldwide press packet suggests ABS is an available option for the Terra.) American riders wanting to play around can switch the ABS off.

Husqvarna says the Strada weighs 410 pounds at the curb, the Terra just 2 lbs. less—figures about a dozen pounds less than the BMW G bikes. While the chassis seems similar in concept to the BMW G650’s steel-tube structure, it’s an all-new design, sporting a modest 59.1 in. wheelbase, 26 degrees of rake (for the Strada, 27 for the Terra), and giving a seat height of 33.8 in. on the Strada, 34.4 on the Terra. As part of what’s expected to be an extensive collection of factory accessories, you can expect a low-seat option.