Highland Motors

Check out the new bikes from Highland of Sweden at www.highland.se look at the outback 936cc v-twin at 370 lbs.

They may be new to you but Highland have been around for some time now.

More about them here;

http://www.highland-motorcycles.co.uk/

I like the dirt tracker.

Man, this is what we need. A 370# twin DS with good suspension, decent fuel range. Oh how I wish they were here in the US. Then I could find a used one for sale. I thought that they went out of business; good to still see them around.

Highland Desert Storm

There was a used one on ebay not too long ago - they were imported to the us in small numbers. IIRC they have been around since at least 97 (with the big, light twin cylinder dual sport). Never really sold too well though.

I do believe they took two husaberg singles to make the twin motor. If anything like a Husaberg be ready for frequent valve checks .
Sweet bikes, not sure on the reliability.

A South African tester suspected a cam chain tensioner issue, it dropped him in hospital trying to ride it home cam chainbroke and locked it up solid!

Welshie :eek1

there was a rep at the Indy dealers expo three years ago tring to sign up dealers - guess he didn't have much success. Nice looking bike tho

MB

from http://news.motorcycle.com/article.motml?sid=3218&mode=nested&thold=1


<TABLE width="99%" border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#efefef><TD width=500>Re: Adventure Touring: Go There, Go Anywhere (Score: 2, Insighful)
By stapleking on Monday, July 11 2005 @ 05:11:18 PDT
(User Info | Send a Message) </TD></TR><TR><TD>Interesting comparo; I have just returned from Sweden where I had an opportunity to compare the [unavailable in the U.S.] Highland 950 V-twin adventure bikes with the KTM 950 offering during several hours of rural Swedish back-road bashing. The KTM is indeed nicely refined and rides much lighter and nimbler than its size and heft would indicate. Having said that, the unexpectedly high vibration levels at any and all engine speeds were annoying and curious in light of the twin balance shaft architecture of the motor.

However, the Highland, in all 3 iterations [Motard, Allroad, and Adventure] simply blows the KTM away. Sportbike HP, coupled with dirtbike torque and racebike handling makes an unreal package. And, little vibration from a non-balance shaft V-twin which, by the way, is the lightest currently on the planet. The entire bike is a [relative] feather-weight at 360 lbs., dry. If I had a complaint, it is that the Highland is a little too "racy" - not surprising since it is the product of a partnership of ex-motocross and speedway racing stars and engineers from the halycon days of Husqvarna and Husaberg. The seat, peg and bar ergonomics work to push you forward over the tank with elbows splayed and on your toes. Great in the dirt but less so at high speed on pavement. Having said that, on a "technical" road course such a Louden, I would bet my Vanson leather suit I could lap faster on the Highland than on my full-race Buell Thunderbike class machine. As for canyon dicing, it would give a current liter-class sportbike fits.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the price is obscene [$16K], even in Europe, but it IS basically a hand-built homolgation special that employs all the best bits available for every single function screwed together by guys who know how these hybrid bikes are supposed to work.
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Yeah, he was handging out in the Vendors forum at one stage too.

There is one at my KTM dealer. I've been in there a lot of times & have never seen it before. The counterkid told me he thought it was for sale. No, I didn't ask.

Submitted without comment. It looks cool, but it's an orphan.

Too bad. Cool bike.

Interesting that the guy that posted had a few for sale & this one appeared this week. Like I said, I've never seen it there. The counterkid said he didn't know why they brought it back out on the floor.

I had the chance of a ride on the Highland Motard 950 demonstrator at Rock and Road in <st1lace>Bolton (UK)</st1lace> just before Christmas. For some time I have wanted a dual purpose fun bike &#8211; a bit of an impossibility I suppose but after being conned by the 1150gs I gave up the quest and just went for biking fun and interest. Present bike after numerous large jap sports and tourers is an &#8217;04 Rosso Corsa Guzzi &#8211; not the most powerful bike on the road but in my humble opinion certainly the most engaging to ride, after 18 months of real pleasure this ones a keeper.
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The BM was marketed as a dual sport machine with excellent build quality and reliability. The reality was some what different &#8211; fantastic handling on tarmac and well surfaced dry dirt, strong motor, good fuel mileage but desperate gearbox (nice high top for cruising) crunch clatter &#8216;they are all like that sir&#8217;. Corroding rims and cycle parts in less than 6 months. No low speed ability for technical stuff and gargantuan weight. Did a lot of gentle off road in the <st1lace>Yorkshire</st1lace> dales to improve my technique but what a brute, did well not to kill myself. Just couldn&#8217;t get it to work. Sent it on it&#8217;s way after a trip round <st1:country-region><st1lace>Italy</st1lace></st1:country-region> (it wept oil in near 40 degree heat) and not regretted. BTW I thoroughly recommend Rainbow in <st1lace>Sheffield</st1lace> for service &#8211; head and shoulders above the rest.
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Tried the Wee Strom, what a nice machine, comfortable all rounder but too much plastic for my adventure stuff. Smooth sweet motor with good range in slow and fast going, budget suspension is just that but acceptable. It does not pretend to be something it isn&#8217;t.
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<st1lace>Africa</st1lace> twin and Transalp do the job quite well but are very greedy when pushed, a bit heavy and I found (sorry Honda fans) a bit boring.
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Suzuki DRZ400s has the handling but is hard work on the open road. Could just do with that sort of off road ability with a bit better touring capacity. To be able to plonk along at a comfortable 90 with a little luggage and reasonable fuel range and consumption. The relatively close ratio gearbox and untuned motor won&#8217;t allow both ruff stuff and decent touring. Shame, close but no cigar.
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Had a look at the KTMs 950 990 Adventure, God are they BIG and Ugly (sorry that&#8217;s not objective) so didn&#8217;t even try one.
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So to the <st1:city><st1lace>Highland</st1lace></st1:city> &#8211; looks good to me, excellent materials, fit and finish, best quality parts in suspension and wheels. Weight 165 kilos dry seems a bit lardy for an off roader but for a 950 that&#8217;s a real lightweight. So to the ride on wet roads, sealed but rough with bad potholing and washouts and smooth motorway. What a bike, all the power I want with loads of effortless grunt where you need it and as much top speed, easy peasy 100+ but could do with a small screen to reduce the wind blast. Sweet handling although the suspension had been set a little firm for road use (apparently they have been using it at <st1lace><st1lacename>Cadwell</st1lacename> <st1lacetype>Park</st1lacetype></st1lace> circuit to frighten the sports bikes in it&#8217;s supa moto guise). The motor was really smooth over 2500 but off idle would not fuel smoothly where you really need it for technical trails, tight rocky turns and that sort of stuff. For riders who like to &#8216;really get on&#8217; this would be no problem but for me there are places I just want to plod. Unusually for this type of bike the seating was really comfortable and could be used for all types of riding (not head down, ass up) suited me well 6&#8217; 1&#8221;, 200lbs, 33inch inseam, just a little high but when you are moving no problem.
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This could be my perfect general purpose bike, even giving me some pride in it&#8217;s obvious build quality and components. But&#8230;. could I live with the off idle fuelling? What a dilemma &#8211; I will get back when the decision has been made.

Thanks John, what is the OTR price? I e-mailed Rock and Road as there are no prices on their 'site but had no reply.

Hi Tim

quoted price is £8200 I think. If the bike was a little better sorted it could be worth it (certainly compared to the overpriced BM), however I think that it would be really difficult to sell if I found I couldb't get on with it, so making it a VERY expensive buy. Derek at Rock and Road will certainly take an offer but as yet I don't know where to pitch it.

Potentially this is such a good bike, having talked to all I can who know the bike I don't think the fueling issue (biggest problem to me) can be sorted without a redesign of the inlet tract, I suspect you can play with the map till the cows come home and you would get no further. The makers have produced a stonking motor with loads of power, and a great chassis but you have to able to live with a bike and I don't buy anything without some serious research

will get back to this when I know more

sometime in the murky past I found a review of that bike.... i think it was an amateur, like a blogger or somesuch. it was not raving..... seems the rider thought there were a number of things that did not work well about the bike.

but I agree: on paper it looks like they "nailed it"

Other stuff that was not good - crap clocks and switchgear, massive seat height and Volvo good looks (sic).

Edit after 2 months I take this back:- the clocks are just different, now I'm used to them they work well as do the controls and switchgear. Everything is really practical even the seat height is now a benefit, good view and comfy suspension.

However they are not the the main elements of a good functioning bike (seat height excepted). Good news is that one tester stated it was pulling on from 125 (could be the crap clocks - I could hardly read them) before he gave up the unequal effort against the wind and that was a fast as he wanted to go on a supermoto. Also showed some very confident wheelies and stoppies. Could be that it fills it's nitch above the 600 enduros and below the HP2 and 950 ktm enduro, but with more comfort.

BTW if you get to any test info other than the defunct Motard mag please let me know

Cheers

Thanks John.

INO the Desert Storm is a big improvement in looks over the original.

So the decision is made and the bike (an Outback) will be mine at the beginning of March with an 07 plate. The deal includes road and trail wheels so I will give some serious testing after it's run in. It will have a detachable rack and screen (they are all like that sir) plus appropriate spockets.

Will it fulfill it's promise, if you don't try you will never know

Hope to be back with something positive at the end of March, wish me luck