KIWI RIDER 04 2020 VOL2 | Page 20

DIRT NEWS HUSQVARNA LONG RANGER I t’s official! Husqvarna’s mile-munching 701 Enduro LR model is soon to arrive on our shores. Based on the 701 Enduro, the LR model adds a forward auxiliary fuel tank in the conventional position (the main tank of the 701 and its cousin the KTM 690 Enduro is under the seat) to boost fuel capacity to 25-litres. Husqvarna claims the additional fuel capacity allows riders to skip past service stations for over 500km before fills. Husqvarna Motorcycles NZ has confirmed the new 701 variant is expected to arrive here next month with an indicated price of $20,049. With all that is going on in the world, however, KTM’s local head Patrick Stafford has told Kiwi Rider this price could be set to change closer to the arrival of the 701 Enduro LR. “$20,049 is the current correct price for the bike but, with the way the dollar has dropped, I don’t know if it will be able to stay at that, he said. 20 KIWI RIDER Stafford also noted that at this stage Husqvarna Motorcycles NZ currently doesn’t have official pricing on the LR tank kit which can be retrofitted to existing 701 models but expects to have it post-lockdown. The Long Range kit itself is quite a comprehensive unit. It not only includes the large forward fuel tank, but Husqvarna has also included an electronic switch for riders to swap between the two fuel tanks, additional fuel pump, new seat and graphics kit to ensure the upgraded bikes retain the factory fresh aesthetic. At the time of writing KR has no word on whether owners of KTM’s 690 Enduro models will also be able to benefit from the kit or whether the tangerine team plans on releasing their own version of the Husqvarna kit to customers.