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Elegant Hooligan: Husky 701 SM by ASE Customized Bikes…
When the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto launched in 2014, it was essentially the most highly effective manufacturing thumper ever constructed, boasting 74 horsepower and 54 pound-feet of torque from the liquid-cooled 690cc SOHC KTM-designed engine — severely stout numbers for a 319-pound machine. The dual spark plug ignition featured staggered timing for optimum combustion, and the ride-by-wire throttle had three response modes: Gentle, Normal, and Superior.
The boffins at MCN spent a yr with a 701 SM and completely cherished the grin-inducing character of this overgrown supermotard:
“In such a tall, mild package deal it’ll wheelie off the throttle in first and second gear, certain eagerly out of mid-speed corners and hit a datalogged 121mph prime velocity. On-the-road efficiency is equivalent to Yamaha’s twin-cylinder MT-07 – outstanding for a motorbike with one piston.” –MCN
Lately, we heard from Andy Steward of the UK’s ASE Customized Bikes — a person who spent greater than a decade doing design and undertaking administration for Jaguar / Land Rover earlier than opening his personal workshop within the West Midlands. Andy doesn’t simply construct bikes, he rides the hell out of them, and he has a selected love for the mind-blowing bodily, psychological, and technical problem of arduous enduro:
“I like to experience and have been lucky sufficient to compete in a few of the world’s hardest excessive enduro bike occasions resembling Pink Bull Romaniacs and The Nutbuster Laborious Enduro in New Zealand.”
The bike you see right here started life as a first-year 701 Supermoto, and the London-based proprietor had a superb grip on what he needed from the customization:
“Dependable use as a metropolis commuter, weekend adventurer, and being able to carrying a pillion comfortably (together with seize handles). Key styling options resembling a tubular rear body, aluminium gasoline tank, and Alcantara seat cowl have been additionally a precedence.”
The bespoke rear metal subframe is a murals, incorporating grab-rails for the pillion rider which could be swapped for a rear baggage rack, and there’s additionally a provision for a body slider — once more swappable, this time for a billet aluminum plaque.
Andy changed the usual airbox with a DNA pod filter to create extra space for the bespoke aluminum gasoline tank, which was created in free house out of 20 separate items, welded and linished to look seamless.
“Why so difficult? I actually needed to make it seem like floating. A fastidiously thought out mounting technique allowed us to attain this while having the ability to safely mechanically isolate and dampen it from the encircling framework.”
The OEM seat base was modified and a customized saddle sculpted from new foam for elevated rider / pillion consolation, full with a little bit of a “velocity hump” for further assist when the pilot uncorks the large single — which itself has been tuned for 25-30% extra energy than commonplace!
The brand new seat was trimmed in charcoal Alcantara with yellow stitching, and different highlights embrace a carbon fiber exhaust heat-shield, customized battery covers, rear LED indicators with inner wiring, and a bespoke livery of gloss black, day-glow yellow, and brushed aluminum:
“It pays homage to the older Husqvarna scramblers of the 70s which had the aluminium ‘window’ within the paintwork.”
Nicknamed “Archy” after the gangster performed by Mark Sturdy in Man Ritchie’s movie RocknRolla, this elegant hooligan was showcased on the annual Bike Shed Present at London’s Tobacco Docks…although it’s simply as residence on the road and circuit. Says Andy:
“Our buyer has definitely used it in anger on the observe and when the prospect comes again spherical once more he has promised me a blast — sincere!!”
With greater than 80 horsepower now obtainable from the 690cc single, this Husky is one in all hell a weapon — we hope you get some observe time on it, Andy! Under, we speak to the person himself for the total rundown on the construct, and credit score goes to Mitch Brown (@24sevenphotography) for the pictures of this gorgeous supermoto. Get pleasure from!
Husqvarna 701 SM Customized: Builder Interview
• Please inform us a bit about your self, your historical past with bikes, and your workshop.
My identify is Andy Steward, founding father of UK-based ASE Customized Bikes. I’ve all the time had a ardour for something with wheels. I used to be introduced up enjoying with automobiles and bikes, taking any alternative to experience, tinker with, keep and enhance them.
After finishing a level in Motorsport Engineering & Design in South Wales, I started my working profession performing a number of design and undertaking administration roles over an 11-year interval for the car model Jaguar Land Rover located within the West Midlands, UK. After a bit of break from the day job to journey and work abroad, I made a decision to take a leap of religion and be self-employed, organising my very own bike constructing and customising enterprise in the identical space.
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Alongside engaged on bikes, I like to experience and have been lucky sufficient to compete in a few of the world’s hardest excessive enduro bike occasions resembling Redbull Romaniacs and The Nutbuster Laborious Enduro in New Zealand. Eager for journey, I proceed to journey extensively on two wheels each on and off highway and invite any new and thrilling alternative.
Because of my prior design expertise, in depth automotive information in design for manufacturing, and sensible method, I felt this put me in a robust place within the elementary groundworks of the enterprise — to supply a begin to end service to my prospects. I’ve arrange my workshop to capitalise on this; offering design, constructing, fabrication and restoration companies in-house. Six years in as a full-time enterprise and we’re proud to supply an ever-improving service to our very particular non-public purchasers, constructing dream rides and often concerned with some well-known bike producers by fabricating some key parts and full builds for present ideas, prototype and growth bikes.
• What’s the make, mannequin, and yr of the donor bike?
Starting with a 2014 Husqvarna 701 supermoto, the bike arrived with us in just about commonplace kind cosmetically with a Dynojet energy commander fitted, liberating up a number of HP — which has since been re-visited. Apart from a superb valet to wash off some London commuting grime, the premise was nice to get straight to the customized work.
• Why was this bike constructed?
This bike was commissioned by a consumer (and now good friend) primarily based in London. He had a reasonably good concept of what he needed from the construct and offered a helpful “one-pager” detailing these key options.
• What was the design idea and what influenced the construct?
The preliminary mood-board design temporary specified the dependable use as a metropolis commuter, weekend adventurer, and being able to carrying a pillion comfortably (together with seize handles). Key styling options resembling a tubular rear body, aluminium gasoline tank, and Alcantara seat cowl have been additionally a precedence. Clearly, the ideas advanced as we went alongside and it was all the time a steadiness of the place we have been going with the type of the bike while nonetheless sustaining the practicality, reliability, and elegance.
• What customized work was achieved to the bike?
The place can we begin… Step one was to create a bespoke rear metal subframe to tie into the type of the prevailing entrance body (changing a composite plastic gasoline tank/body). We continued with the asymmetry of the usual bike and maintained the seating place and commonplace exhaust pipe and silencer.
We added detachable grab-rails (swappable with a again rack for these weekend adventures) and integrated a provision to safe a body slider on the proper hand facet (swappable to the billet aluminium plaque pictured when not on the observe).
The structure of the 701 additionally had the battery, fuse/relay field located on this subframe meeting. We knew that creating the aluminium gasoline tank wouldn’t have capability for as a lot gasoline as commonplace, so to get some obtainable quantity again we eliminated the usual airbox (positioned above the engine) and changed it with a DNA pod filter permitting us to relocate {the electrical} meeting into this house.
The gasoline tank was an actual problem as we needed to design and fabricate it to suit up beneath the brand new body which successfully meant modelling it in free house, part by part — extra on this later!
The hand-crafted aluminium options have been carried over to the radiator facet cowls and rear fender, which have been hand formed on an English wheel to each exhibit the trellis body beneath however add some curvature to the general design.
The seat base was modified from commonplace to swimsuit the brand new design of the bike and new seat foam was sculpted to fulfill the temporary for extra consolation for rider and pillion. We coated this in charcoal gray Alcantara with distinction yellow stitching to tie into the opposite highlights on the bike. Panels in direction of the entrance of the body to cowl the battery set up and a heatshield for the exhaust have been produced from carbon fibre to tie into the prevailing carbon elements on the bike.
The rear LED indicators have been fitted inside the body rails with the wiring routed internally to take care of the minimalist integration to the design.
Lastly the personalised livery of gloss black, brushed aluminium, and day-glow yellow was derived to indicate off the handcrafted aluminium panels beneath while offering some placing highlights and a few personalised numbers. It additionally pays homage to the older Husqvarna scramblers of the 70s which had the aluminium “window” within the paintwork.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
Properly our consumer has described it as a “Elegant hooligan” which I believe is fairly apt. So he has ended up calling it “Archy”, just like the gangster from Man Ritchie’s RocknRolla.
• Any concept of horsepower, weight, and/or efficiency numbers?
Placing the DNA cone filter on and giving it a tune has unleashed roughly 25-30% from commonplace on a motorbike that was an entire lot of enjoyable to start out with!
• Are you able to inform us what it’s prefer to experience this bike?
I definitely had an enormous grin on my face throughout the “shake-down” highway miles and our buyer has definitely used it in anger on the observe and when the prospect comes again spherical once more he has promised me a blast — sincere!!
Once we re-trimmed the seat we integrated a little bit of a velocity hump — partly to permit some extra pillion and rider consolation and likewise to present some assist when cracking it vast open, that works a deal with!
• Was there something achieved throughout this construct that you’re notably happy with?
I might say essentially the most difficult and labour-intensive a part of the construct was the gasoline tank. As beforehand talked about, creating the separate panels in free house made it extraordinarily difficult. It will not be clear to see from the photographs, however it’s made up from about 20 separate items of aluminium painstakingly formed to tie into every bend of the framework above it. The vast majority of these welds have been then linished off to make a seamless construction, except for some “function welds” the place applicable.
CNC flanges have been integrated into the sheet materials to take care of the entire present performance of mounting the gasoline pump, sender, gauge, breather, and filler neck. Why so difficult? I actually needed to make it seem like floating. A fastidiously thought out mounting technique allowed us to attain this while having the ability to safely mechanically isolate and dampen it from the encircling framework. Ultimately we solely misplaced about 1.5 litres of useable gasoline capability due to the relocation of some key parts beforehand talked about, sustaining real-world useability.
• Is there anybody you’d prefer to thank?
The client actually, it was a implausible alternative to construct a killer experience. Additionally, the crew on the Bike Shed for having it on show at “The Bike Shed Present 2022” in London’s iconic Tobacco Dock.
Observe the Builder
Web site: www.asecustommotorcycles.co.uk
Instagram: @asecustommotorcycles
Fb: @asecustommotorcycles
Picture credit score: Mitch Brown (@24sevenphotography)
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