2026-on Husqvarna 701 Enduro review: Go-anywhere adventurer

Although the fully adjustable WP XPLOR suspension has largely been carried over, there have been some minor internal mods and improvements to the fork adjusters for easier tuning. Launch the 701 up a loose, rocky climb, and the rear shock maintains composure with aplomb, soaking up impacts within its 250mm of squish to keep the rear wheel in contact with the trail surface for the best chance of traction, and with sufficient damping to prevent skipping about on the rebound stroke.

Coming back down and the 48mm forks do just as admirable a job in keeping the front end supple enough for confident steering, and with 265mm of travel, would take considerable effort to bottom out.

On a paved road, the ride is plush, sporty, and fun. For the launch, Husqvarna equipped the 701 with Continental TKC80 tyres, which were ideal for exploiting its neutrally balanced handling both on and off road. A big player in keeping the mass evenly distributed is the rear subframe-mounted 13.5 litre fuel tank, with the result that the centre of gravity feels right between your feet.

The single Brembo front caliper has the feel and feedback necessary for nadgery descents without compromising the performance required for spirited road riding, but most notable is that the Bosch cornering ABS is now easily selectable via a push button on the left switchgear, allowing the rear to be isolated independently, or the system disabled entirely. It also has a memory function so that the chosen settings remain locked in even after the ignition’s been turned off.

Street and Offroad modes come as standard, with bespoke throttle maps, ABS, and traction control settings to suit, but for an additional £270.92, the optional Rally Mode is pretty much a must-have - it’s like having the cheat code to off-road performance. Among its features is the Dynamic Slip Adjust function, which temporarily introduces more spin to the rear wheel when it senses a drop-off in momentum during a steep climb or on a slippery surface, regardless of the current traction control setting.

Essentially, it means that you can ride off-road sections with TC on, without having to worry about the system cutting engine power and reducing drive on a fleetingly loose surface. There are nine levels of TC available, including the option to turn it off altogether, and the DSA will always revert to the pre-selected setting.

The highest level of TC is akin to a rain setting for the road, and for the type of dry, dusty conditions as experienced on the launch, level 4 seemed to be the sweet spot. This allowed for confident power slides through turns without hampering progress, but with the reassurance of a safety net should throttle inputs get a bit too eager, and with such a punchy motor that’s not too hard to do.

On top of DSA, the Rally pack also includes an adjustable Motor Slip Regulation system, which works in tandem with the slipper clutch to prevent rear wheel lockups and a potential stalling situation.