DUSTY'S NEW BIKE in 2024 is NOT a BMW

Professional adventure motorcycle instructor and tour guide Dusty Wessels has primarily ridden BMW motorcycles for the last 14 years. Now he has switched to something different.
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CONNECT WITH DUSTY AT West38moto.com
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#adventure #motorcycle #offroad #husqvarna #norden901 #arizona

[@MOTOTREK]

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[@juliansiuksta2805]

I'll be interested to read your long term review of this. In particular the reliability of the KTM engine.

[@texlee1640]

You're just used to the nuclear level heated grips on the BMW.

[@pawisangtulisan1248]

Bmw heated grip settings: 1. ‘Is it on?” 2. ‘Hell”

[@longbow0728]

Eh, BMW two step heated grips was either not enough or lava.

[@texlee1640]

@@longbow0728 you've obviously never experienced the 5 setting heated grips of the late model 1250, but yes, the high setting is quite literally lava haha.

[@longbow0728]

@texlee1640 Nope, mine was a 2015, wasn't aware they finally added more levels!

[@texlee1640]

@@longbow0728 Yea, you get five levels on the grips and the front seat and the pillion has two settings as well.

[@OnMyWayBack888]

I just had this bike. Does great in all terrain. After two years the electrical issues started. Lost cruise control, couldn’t start in any gear than N (clutch relay), GPs not charging, front break doesn’t activate break light. Not mentioning the fork seal… for each part I had to wait 3-4 months. Noisy as hell when driving with high screen on the highway. KTM support is crap. Not mentioning the heat on the legs even when I put the heat shield… Forgot to mention that the programmable buttons (up and down) are loosing the programming every few days and that the quick shifter goes to neutral between 5th and 6th while the bike screams and two dealers could not figure it out… Never again…

[@lukefish7562]

Guess you had the regular 901 cause the Expedition wasn’t even revealed at KTM show two years ago. I know it’s the same at its core but the Expedition is a much finer package. Hate you had those problems. 12,000 miles for me so far and couldn’t be happier. What did you switch too?

[@BlazinBlades]

Typical KTM Very exciting before all the s… happens No buyers remorse after 4 days is also typical 😁 Keep us updated Cheers 🍻

[@occyman]

Yep I know two riders with 901 (one Expedition and one standard)…both similiar problems to you and one has traded already and the other is about to. Just unreliable POS

[@AF-O6]

My experience with two KTMs I owned. Love riding them…hated that (for my samples) they broke too much.

[@BlazinBlades]

@@AF-O6 I think KTM doesn’t want to admit it but they should be looked at as race machines and should have a race machine maintenance schedule When they give them a Japanese adv/dual sport service interval they just don’t hold up.

[@HighCountryRambler]

That's why I went to 2 bikes, BMW GS and a Kawi 300 KLX for single track. Looked for years for the perfect one bike, found it didn't exist. Grew up on 2 stroke dirtbikes and never could wrap my arms around a big bike on single track trails, so settled on the KLX.

[@joebukrey2187]

I agree, I have been riding a klr for a while which I'm keeping, and just picked up a 800de vstrom a couple weeks ago, the vstrom is a great bike bike but i started out on 2 stroke dirt bikes also and there just is no substitute for light weight when it comes to off road, im now looking at the 300's for dirt, what made you go with the klx over the honda, I have heard the klx has better suspension from the factory

[@thefastelephant94]

Consider the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Rally. Perfect for both purposes.

[@advmatt]

Will be interested to see what you are thinking a year from now.

[@MaRmAn1337]

Let’s see the reliability of this thing. It’s still a KTM in blue. Will the cams fail?

[@dsackman1495]

Interesting that you did not stay with BMW and got the new F900 GS(A) when you down sized. Do you want to share your motivation?

[@jasonr428]

Dusty, stop fighting your urges and just get the Africa Twin you've always wanted. Just kidding, the Husly is great.

[@andyduncan9442]

I'm just happy to hear someone not complaining about the tires immediately. I love my expedition and it goes a lot further than I could have imagined. Enjoy the bike.

[@lukefish7562]

Same experience here 12,000 miles in. Keep on enjoying it! 🏍️💨

[@howlinhog]

I have the Norden 901. if you haven't experienced the awesomeness of low slung fuel tanks, then you are in for a treat.

[@advmike]

I ride a 23 Expedition. Spectacular machine and a fantastic value.

[@riendetout8812]

It's funny because just the other day KZbin popped up Bret's vid from a couple years ago where he talk about why he rides an older GS but he's on a DesertX now (amongst all the other bikes he pops up on). Congrats on the new bike! I'm looking forward to seeing it in all your new videos!

[@fallinginthed33p]

That Ducati could be more reliable than a Husq or KTM.

[@ukaszusielski3606]

got this bike almost year. 15k km and i still love it, and what a platform if you like to mod your bike. I know it's lots of accesories for GS, but man... after coming from Triumph Tiger? This is shocking. You can do almost everything and change everything (yes, 90% of accesories come straight from ktm 790/890 platform).

[@kaffeinekeiser9091]

My man! I knew you were looking at my bike more than you were looking at my technique, at Borrego camp! Ted is sure to buy his in 3…2…1…

[@beachdaddy5588]

Why not an Africa Twin?

[@Puttj]

Traitor

[@FanOWater]

I had the SW Motech crash bars on my 790R, but took them off. They were bomb proof, but when you fell over, the bars often tipped the bike past horizontal making it much harder to pick up. Sadly, I have tested the stock setup many times and the tank can take abuse. They also made oil changes even more of a pain in the keister. Cheers

[@MOTOTREK]

Good advice - Thx!

[@erikpeiren2506]

I loved your videos, now I'll love them even more riding the same bike as I do ;-) 15.000km so far, no issues at all! Good luck and keep posting those awesome videos!

[@HazardSports]

CFMOTO JUNK CAMS in that too ?

[@MOTOTREK]

Time will tell.

[@DigitalProphet_]

The CFMoto cams may be the good ones. The bad cams people experienced was before the CFMoto manufacturing deal was even made. People with CFMoto 800 MT’s on 80 000km without issues. CFMoto also only does the 790 Adventure from 2023 - not 890 or 901.

[@EugeneYunak]

@@DigitalProphet_ i have one of the very first 790 adv r, do you know if they also had this cam issue? so far so good for me

[@DigitalProphet_]

@@EugeneYunak Those ones are different than the 2023 and later models and was still made in Austria. Lots of people posting it trying to get to find out what the issue is. Also plenty reporting no issues. To me at least it seems like a lubrication issue on cams - so could be wrong oil, bad batch of cams, all kinds of things so impossible to say at this point if your 790 will have these problems. If it’s going well and you are enjoying it then i’d say just keep on enjoying it!

[@axamitidynamit8355]

I just love how weight distribution changes everything. The Tuareg and the T7 weigh almost the same, but when you go offroad, the Aprilia feels like it’s 170 kg, while the Yamaha feels like it’s 230 kg. Same here. The 890/901 weight distribution is just wonderful. I hope you enjoy it 😊

[@martyllanos73]

Once the problems start and KTM doesn’t stand behind their product, you’ll wish you hadn’t.

[@JDHetzer]

The GS mafia is going to take away your secret decoder ring Dusty.

[@Anony-Mouse28]

Nice bike, keep an eye on the cams though.

[@rayfriend7450]

You’re having way too much fun on the Rim Road! Arizona certainly does throw everything at us off road . Glad you got a new ride, and I’ll be looking for you up in Northern Arizona.

[@nunop6606]

What? That's a KTM... with a different finished. I thought you had the courage for a Aprilia Tuareg.

[@CidDennis]

My grips are very hot on high. So maybe you do have bad grips.

[@drachwitz]

Right on Dusty! Just picked up a standard Norden myself and LOVE IT. Looks like lots of FR300 footage, and it appears to be in great shape.

[@MOTOTREK]

FR-300 for sure. Awesome views.

[@enduromotorradtouren]

Hope your new bike works every time you want to ride. Bikes from the Pierer group can be a diva ;-) All the best, Günter/Nürnberg

[@csiautodetail]

I want you to review this bike in a year after all the problems star showing up.

[@mrethicpreneur7510]

I’m very reassured to see someone with your expertise making this choice. I have no regrets 12 months from buying and having toured the Balkans on and off-road. The standard luggage is woeful but other than that it is a great package. Superb footage by the way.

[@theninja001]

I love Husky and KTM, but I really think they build more reliable dirt bikes and dual sports than ADV bikes.

[@gabrielkopp2036]

Just don't let husqvarna ser this video.. flogging on like before it's even broken in will void the warranty lol

[@longbow0728]

Keep on the maintence and pay attention to the valve's and cams specifically. I had to many close calls with my 890 Adv R trying to kill me or leave me stranded and traded for a T7. I'll miss the 30 extra HP but off road that doesn't matter. I just lost my confidence in the motor and decided I wanted simplicity/reliability vs overall performance. Plus, I can fix the suspension (which is happening in June). On the KTM pattern bikes CHECK YOUR SWINGARM BOLTS OFTEN for TQ. I almost learned the hard way. They are not loctited at all.

[@showmytime9177]

Swing arm bolts? You mean the same bolts that hold the peg mounts? Those brake loose because the peg mounts swivel.

[@longbow0728]

@@showmytime9177 Pretty much

[@showmytime9177]

@@longbow0728 get the Blackdog or Camel or IanChappel bash plates and stop the pegs from swiveling, problem solved. Add HeavyDuties crash bars for extra strength.

[@longbow0728]

@@showmytime9177 I had the Camel Skid, bolts still undid themselves.

[@showmytime9177]

@@longbow0728 it hasn't happen on mine, but I also have the HeavyDuties crash bars installed. I do remember the bolts were loose from the factory, they were supposed to be 100Nm but they were lower than that, I've checked all major bolts after handover.

[@mikemills5144]

Happy New Bike Day! Nothin' better. Would love to see a video on how you set the suspension up on the Husky. Would also like your long term impressions one the road manners as I will be about 80/20 road to dirt.

[@rabihnahas5275]

Hey Dusty! I was debating the need for crash bars as well. I ended up fitting the CrossPro upper crash bars. They are super light and “look” solid. I have not drop the bike yet but I am sure that will happen soon 😊

[@MagnumMuscle1000]

I hope your China special holds up

[@markushjelm6684]

Well, BMWs new f900gs motor is assemble in China. Do you think that will break too?

[@bmwbob51]

I had a KTM 890 Adventure R and road it for 10K miles and sold it. I had no mechanical issues but it lays flat unlike the GS and 470 pounds laying flat is a lot heavier than a GS laying on its cylinders! Awesome bike, handles great and covers the miles, but at 72 GS does fire roads just fine!

[@2fastnlight]

Lighter is better! Glad you are on the path. Forks rule too!

[@endangeredmarmot4518]

This platform is amazing. It is heavy, yes, but I find it handles like a smaller bike but with much more grunt behind it. Great choice!

[@NMS.SuperDuper]

I love this bike!!! Off-road is amazing, even on technical stuff. My gripes are the minor glitches I get from time to time. I don’t like the throttle dead space on Street and Offroad mode. Rally throttle is perfect. I sometimes have a very strong gas smell on hot days. It lingers for hours in the garage. I even have to leave the doors open.

[@Moto_on_the_Marble]

I just turned over the 1 yr mark on my Norden (base, not Exp.). These things are incredible and IMHO deceiving on what they can do. My OEM heated grips are pretty decent, so perhaps your dealer can slap a new set on/troubleshoot. I live in rainy Auckland (doesn’t get much cooler than 35-40F, so consider that when / if you read my comment). Have fun, brother!

[@justsomedude445]

not surprised 13500miles on mine and its the best bike ive had , well id give the big KTM i had the nod for on road comfort but be any other measure the 901 destroys it

[@mmdadventures]

Finally! A propper motorcycle. 😂 Congrats on the new family member. Have fun and ride safe.

[@roddyw.7388]

Sorry..These bikes are to big and heavy.Owned 1090R.690R..Sorry..They are basically Street bikes with dirt tires..Too heavy..Sorry you gotta own a dirtbike,and Street bike really..Dude that bike is heavy no matter what..Gravel road bike.

[@carstenpobzien2130]

hmmm...reliability...my 2015 Tiger 800 needed 5 headlight bulbs on the last 75.000 miles...

[@christopherbutler4404]

Thanks for the video Dusty @mototrek ! I have a Norden 901 Expedition 2023 too. I love the bike have done two BDRs on it and am getting ready for another. I am not a fan of the rack/luggage system or the Moskomoto racked pannier bags. Looks like. you have the Rackless 80 and the Perun Moto tail rack and no side racks. Is that correct? And if so how do you like the fit and the weight location / distribution? Thanks!

[@jamescordoba8836]

I had for 23 years BMW Motorcycles since F650gs to R1250GS ADV TRIPLE BLACK and then comes to life R1300GS and hate it! Huqsvarna offers 4 years of warranty with Unlimited milles and changes many issues from the past generation of Norden and use the same structure of european service , do the maintenance as the book saíds Or your in trouble

[@randycallow3736]

I like this guy,his attitude and content. Obviously has his groove.. the 901 is a little more nimble than a BMW GS but only a little. All these big bore bikes have good road manners and are not really for off road, and all people who are serious know there is no such thing as a 500+ pound agile off road anything. A note to non Americans, we are a bit chubby, @40+% of population is overweight. Most bikes come sprung for riders weighing @175..so a @200 pound American, aluminum top and side cases and 500 pound motorcycle is a heavy beast. BMW pretending by use of the best pro riders available, make Hollywood versions of guys riding 1250 and 1300 with cases going over jumps or 50mph over rough roads, it's all make believe and nothing regular riders are capable of doing. So these big bikes are awesome, but not easy to ride in technical off road situations..

[@jalex19100]

Super appreciate you getting what you want, not just sticking with BMW. I admit, there are a lot of good options out there! I have a camhead GSA, and I mostly stick with it because of reliability and ease of working on it myself. All bike reliability and self-maintainability equal, I would probably have a different bike. Also have a ktm excf - ktm engineering is no joke.

[@bdg88]

Tractive ESA suspension on the BMW transforms the bike. But you'd still be stuck with that 19" front though.

[@ADV_CAM]

I feel like the grips too hot and I'm in Florida. I would change those tires as soon as possible (IMO) they don't hook-up, sadly my ankle and wrist know from experience. I did add crash bars (HEED) and although the quality is great, they failed in the design. You have to remove a good amount of hardware to change the oil. Given the intervals after the first change it's not horrible but, it's enough that I plan to make some of my own modifications to them. Excited to see more videos of your time in the 901!

[@RandyFarnes]

Love your shots from the rim! I really miss that area. Looking forward to seeing your videos with the new bike!

[@MOTOTREK]

More to come, Randy!

[@Bhombar]

I would never buy Husqvarna or KTM ever again. I owned both brands and sold them within 1 year each. Both turned to crap brands. Worst service and no response from either Turkish distributor/retailers or both brands' global offices.

[@toddwmac]

Loved watching your review and I know the terrain you like is my cup of tea, I've been off-roading my 08 990 Adv for 15 years and the thought of letting her go is killing me. That being said, @ 60, being in the middle of the desert on a 15-year-old KTM makes the wife nervous, so a new bike it is. The 901 has been on my short list and your perspectives help solidify its standing. Your ride descriptions are similar to my 990 and that is great to hear. I have a GS as well, but there is a differnt feel between the two when it comes to single and twin track. Thanks for dropping this.

[@showmytime9177]

Buy yourself some brake switches, they don't last and take cruise control with them. Also, get a spare dashboard, because it likes to drink water. Grab some cams and a chain tensioner because they grind like crazy. Oh, remember to start it in vertical position or else you wil be running in one cylinder. KTM/Husky has shit quality.

[@fox111qc]

I tried this bike and fell in love with it. So I researched on it and all I could find problems. Lot's of people around me said they are great bike when it work. Everyone I talked to had problem with theirs in the first year. So I will wait to see if KTM/Husky fix their product. I'll stick to Japanese bikes.

[@N221BP]

All 790, 890 & 901 engines suffer from catastrophic cam wear. Just search around, and be shocked. No recall.

[@markusd827]

4:31 About the crash bars: I’ve got a 790 adv and most crash bars for it are mounted to a point at the frame that is not designed to take any hits. There are plenty of reports of that part breaking off after a crash with crash bars. As far as I know, most crash bars mount in the same place with the Norden so I’d advice against them. Have fun with your new bike! P.S.: There’s even a KZbin video about someone who’s had that issue with a 790. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqHdpJKbl79nfq8si=seAfV7r-iK-8o8yT

[@virginialax03]

I would love to hear why you chose this specific bike over the Africa Twin, Tiger 900, and KTM 890.

[@michalcaganek8287]

Well done mate, great choice. I got my Expedition in 2023, only had to change to footpegs and tyres, but other than that I love every moment on this bike. What sort of tyres are you going to put on your bike? I set it up with motoz gps at the back and motoz dualveture tubeless at the front 🙏

[@cjayflo9319]

@mototrek do you have a video about your coms? I have nothing, nada, zip, zero so I'm considering what to buy as a 1 shot solution. GMRS to a Bluetooth headset looks the best to me (too much pew pew in the Army so i cant hear the mike, i need a headset)

[@alozborne]

Curious if you considered a Suzuki V-Strom 800DE and if so why it wasn't the right bike for you

[@ehiggins7476]

Looking forward to this series of videos. Been riding 4 years all road riding. Do you think this could be a good bike to get started in the ADV world. I would be doing mainly a couple hundred miles on asphalt to get to gravel/forest service roads and progress to more technical riding after some training.

[@PatRick-bg4dm]

In my opinion, due the difference in rim size, you can’t compare the bikes. This one and the GS are other categories.

[@greenrush4313]

I have a Pan america. great bike. How much does your weigh?Also what tires are u running?

[@husnupy7469]

I don't like both bikes but I can detjfinitely say that this KTM clone is worser

[@redstormr1769]

I would take the new F900 GS.. magnificent bike!

[@DirtObseXXion]

Heck of a lot more adventure options now than there were in 2013! That's thanks in large part to the videos you've made, making big bikes off roads more approachable to folks!

[@pawelwis7215]

Just wait two or three year and then we can talk about this bike :) It`s still a bloody KTM

[@davidwood974]

Welcome to the Norden brotherhood, love my 23

[@halmgbel4761]

can you make a video talking about why 901 not 980 R!

[@halmgbel4761]

I got 2023 KTM 890 R and I love it, good choice mate!

[@officialhavre]

Hats off from Sweden, nice to see more Huskies out there!

[@SteveHofsaess]

The road will be less plush than the 1250 at highway speeds

[@Bouldertag]

Perfect choice!!! Glad it was not a T700!!

[@LBRides]

My dream bike! Congrats!

[@flemmingk1]

Interesting choice Dusty!

[@tracyt4327]

I am in Payson. We have probably ridden a lot of the same trails. Great vid!

[@MOTOTREK]

Right on

[@craigincali]

It's an old KTM 990 Adventure.

[@craiglambert9515]

I love this bike but it has problems with soft cams

[@perkinsmiller19]

Welcome to the club!

[@Nerb1]

Great bike for the short term. I just worry about longevity with the KTM/Husky/GG's. Mine didnt last past 60k miles.

[@chamade166]

It’s amazing what KTM gets away with. How can they still make hunks of shit for engines in 2024.

[@longdaysandhardworkatramra8260]

KTM ready to rebuild

[@gautamr9]

Could you make some videos on what daily drills I can do?

[@rickybobby8224]

Will have some great videos on repairs😂😂😂

[@TempusFugit2K]

Nice choice. Did you consider the Ducati Desert X ??

[@greenrush4313]

what trail were u on.Looked like going to knoll lake?

[@davehell740]

So you bought a KTM Chinese built

[@ericwiedemann1070]

Good luck.... I loved my 890 until the engine blew up with 21k, needing 7k rebuild. This happened after i just had a major service done by the dealer. I will never trust husky or ktm again. No better then a Chinese bike

[@MOTOTREK]

Sorry to hear that

[@Pcfly]

Yeah…..you tell’em Dusty!!

[@alananderson5202]

When I was a kid a midsize bike was a 175 dt or 250 four stroke. This big is better idea isn’t for me. I’ve ridden the 1250 gs. It’s a great bike for what it’s designed for…. I guess…. For what I do my 650 is great. Though for some things my 350 is even better.

[@youtubeaccount9058]

I guess that's my criticism of this review - they always want to show offroading and this video shows dirt exclusively. But if you're only riding dirt, you'd obviously choose a much smaller dirtbike instead. An adventure bike is for highway miles too.

[@olegyd]

amazing bike 🚲 weigh better then any bmw

[@bachwatz8112]

Heated handles?!?!?!! Heatable seat bench?!?!!?! You wimp!!! Seriously: Have fun with your new moped. And always remember: The rubberized parts always go down, the painted parts always go up. 😀🥳

[@matthewwilliams9916]

Me and my mate just rode 2000 miles through europe. Me on a T7 and him on a brand new out of the showroom 901. It performed well offroad( mainly due to his skill) but within 2 days he started having issues with selecting gears. Kept getting stuck in 1st. Quite dangerous a couple of times. He sold it as soon as we got back.....

[@zzxx33mh]

Congratulations,Nice ,unique shape,This bike is offroad biased, so it will perform better than the big GS.. Yes,..I came for the drums beats also.. What about 5 T7,800DE..

[@atvtinker01]

Congrats on the Husky! If your dealer has hasn't done it, make sure they have the newest software update downloaded. I think it cancels out the demo program that KTM had on their 890s. I didn't get mine done until recently when I started losing certain functions like cruise and the quick shifter. Everything is all good now. I'm definitely enjoying this bike especially the suspension.

[@lukefish7562]

I’ve got 12,000 miles on my Expedition with nothing but smiles. Other than one ditch than cost me a $550 piece of plastic. 🙃 Still not getting crash bars either. Enjoy! 🏍️💨

[@thomasbuchwald7092]

Great comments - it’s like you are echoing a lot of my sentiments. My biggest challenge is I just can’t get my mind away from moving away from a shaft drive. Re the new BMW - love the ergonomics of the new BMW 1300gs, but the front end is just too fugly. If I had a Husky dealer remotely close, I would be tempted to go for one All the best with yours 👍

[@charge6267]

Did you consider the new BMW F900GS? I am trying to replace my 1997 R1100GS with something lighter, reliable, and more modern.

[@augustusbrinckmeyer4219]

Love the Zia neck gaiter!