As most Adventure Riders out there, we are in the hunt for the perfect all-around and do-it-all Adventure Bike. One of the key features is the weight. A perfect adventure bike must be light enough to tackle some single-track use or hard obstacles. As we have mentioned in our article Adventure Bikes, always keep in mind that if you can not pick up your bike fully loaded in any situation, then it is not an adventure bike!
Speaking of off-road use, another key feature is a good suspension. A proper Adventure bike must have proper off-road suspension and everything that comes with it. If the bike can not handle dirt-road abuse, then your adventure will be sort. One of the most important features in any adventure ride is the absence of frequent gas stations, so our bikes must be able to carry a lot of fuel. The more we can carry, the best we are. With large tanks, you always have the option to leave them half-empty in the event of a difficult single-track day.
Single-track is part of any Adventure Ride
The last required feature is good wind protection for those tarmac miles that you will need to travel. This protection will be also very useful while riding off-road, protecting your GPS and other devices from stones, branches, and other things that keep coming your way.
A thought that instantly comes in our minds is that Rally bikes have almost all the required features of the perfect adventure bike. We choose the 701 to begin this project for the same reason its progenitor, the KTM 690, has so many hardcore fans and so many companies are building hard parts for it, all around the world. The 701 took its place as the latest incarnation of an almost extinct breed, refined and perfected in all aspects and maybe this is the actual reason why KTM never fixed some of the serious problems of the 690.
Many (like us) are addicted to the look of Rally bikes and just recently we got acquainted with a native Greek company, AURORA Rally Equipment that specializes in doing exactly what we wanted. It produces a complete Rally Replica kit that converts a stock Husqvarna 701 to the ultimate Adventure and Rally weapon, with 3 tanks, 2 fuel pumps, a navigation tower, and a big RR screen. it seemed obvious that this was the ultimate 701 and just the right bike for what we were looking for.
This 701RR is the absolute best Adventure bike ever built
The 701RR has the aggressive look and the light factor that today's adventure bikes simply do not have any more, just because the companies are constantly adding street-oriented features to their motorcycles making them heavier and with bigger boar engines, year after year.
The 701 as stock is ready to take you into some of the most wonderful back roads Greece has to offer, but it lacks is some areas especially fuel range. This kit doubles the range of the bike with two OEM rally tanks (total fuel carried is 28 liters).
As we started our first journey on this bike to test its capabilities, we found out it was a real pleasure to be able to choose which pump to use, front or rear tanks, in order to change the balance characteristics of the motorcycle at will. In Travel Enduro situations, the motorcycle has to constantly adapt to both the added weight-load from the equipment that is caring and the ever-changing conditions of the road. In addition, having a dual fuel pump system gives you peace of mind since, in the event of a malfunction, you still go the second pump to take you safely at your next base.
The actually added weight to the bike is not much. If you have an after-market can like we do and a Li-Po battery, then the added weight is 12.833kg. Adding the fuel (27lt) we are at 178kg total. Not bad at all !!
Another lacking characteristic of the 701 that gets addressed with the 701RR kit is rider comfort. Your butt now gets a royal ride with an ergonomically enhanced high-tech polymer seat that does not get in the way when standing on the pegs but makes a comfy sitting position for those tarmac-legs that you were dreading.
Night riding experience also gets a serious update with a dedicated high beam LED light, a 10.000 lumens Baja Squadron that literally turns they darkest night into a bright day. No more worries about those last off-road miles while getting dark.
AURORA Rally Equipment Roadbook and Nav-Tower are build as tanks
Another feature to get addressed is bash-plate protection. This kit features a full-carbon plate that integrates perfectly with the shape of the front tanks. Now, this is a part that we were skeptical about since Greece has rocky soil, so close encounters with boulders is a very common thing. Added the fact that the bike is fully loaded with fuel and luggage, this seriously reduces ground clearance in deep ruts and small jumps, because the springs are working overtime. In reality, though, the carbon-fiber bash plate did not show any kind of stress marks or cracks. It stood perfect while tackling the harsh Greek mountain roads.
The last feature of the perfect Adventure bike is reliability. So, "plug & play" was the only option that we were looking for and this kit has it. The Aurora 701RR kit is the only one in the market today that uses OEM Rally Factory parts and does not modify the frame in any way. This way you do not lose the official Husqvarna warranty and this is something very important in our book.
Combine that with the confidence that this kit will survive everything you throw at it, with brackets that come with a limited lifetime warranty, you got a really nice deal here.
On our off-road / adventure motorcycles we are using exclusively Soft Luggage for a variety of reasons. You can give yourself a read about that in our Hard or Soft Luggage blog post.
In our Mythical 701 Rally Replica bikes, we are using Enduristan Sandstorm 4H tank bag to safe keep our cameras and other electronics from water, dust, or whatever we encounter. For all of our tools, spear air tubes, and clothes we are using Enduristan Blizzard L Saddle Bags to keep everything safe and maintain a low center of gravity. For our saddlebags we are not using any kind of frame, so we can keep the added weight to a minimal. The last storage item used is the Enduristan Tail Pack, a fast-accessibly bag with a zipper design to save keep some items that we would need to use frequently, like a second dry-fit shirt, a Gore-Tex softshell, or a power-bar.
We like to ride as compact as possible
Speaking with Dimitris, head-developer of the 701RR is always cool since you always learn many things about the fascinating Rally world. This is his analysis of the 701RR kit:
Fuel System
A fully loaded Aurora 701RR will hold approximately 28 liters of fuel. We chose to use the KTM factory parts. The fuel pump is located on the right tank, while the left is waiting to be upgraded with a third pump should you travel to the ends of Earth! Tripe layered racing heat reflector is installed to protect the tanks from the heat generated.
The fuel piping uses billet non-return valves and OEM quick release couplings, but also adds two extra fuel filters in the system. A secondary fuel piping can be installed as a spare system on the bike, ready to be connected in case the primary one is damaged. Thermal protection is installed in all the critical areas of the fuelling lines to prevent over-heating.
Aurora 701RR comes with two fuel pumps manually selectable. We added the OEM Keihin, rally pump, and its fuel warning light to ensure that the rider will get to the next resting point whatever the circumstances. It is known that the KTM690 fuel pumps were failing sooner or later, so the extra fuel pump is necessary. Due to the laws of hydraulics and the geometry of the bike, the tanks cannot be interconnected (and they are not, even on the rally bike) so the two fuel pumps are necessary for optimal performance.
Tank Brackets
This is the only kit in worldwide today that uses the OEM KTM factory tanks and does not modify the frame in any way. While other ‘garage’ built kits will force the builders to modify the frame of the bike, invalidating the warranty in most of the countries that the bike is sold, the Aurora 701 leaves the frame unharmed.
Pioneering in materials use and design, these tank brackets are the strongest in the market to date. While sheet metal is cheap to make. It has neither the integrity nor the strength of billet parts. We, at Aurora Rally Equipment, made no compromise in designing and building something that will last the lifetime of the vehicle. Installation is a breeze, no need to remove the internals of the rear tank or other major parts of the bike to install them.
The CNC brackets, made from Aluminium or ST37, allow some flexibility in case of a crash, yet they are warrantied for the life of the vehicle.
Head Clamp
One of the most important parts of the bike. Holding the navigation tower and electrics. When collaborating with winning teams, we know that failure is not an option. Aurora Rally Equipment is active in the Rally scene since 2013 and our equipment has won multiple times in the mighty Africa Eco Race and Dakar. We have used data logging equipment to understand the forces involved during riding and crashing. Using temperature loggers and three-axis accelerometers on Rally bikes, we designed a pioneering head clamp-like no other. Machined out of a solid block of aluminum, using the stock mounting points on the bike, our innovative design uses a third anchor point to increase strength and stability. Once again, this clamp is warrantied for the life of the vehicle.
Navigation Tower
The navigation tower on the 701RR is like no other. Easy cable access, strong yet flexible to protect your valuable gear, this tower can be transformed either to a digital setup using HighwayDirtbikes unique iPad and iPhone cases or to a rally cockpit using the winning Aurora Rally Equipment products. This tower comes with special rivet nuts so there is no need to put nuts and washers in the critical, no easy to access places.
Lights
If you decide to take it the long way and wonder in the dark, you have the perfect combination of lights. OEM Hella light with a Baja Squadron Sport keeps you both legal and safe. The option to replace the Sport with the Pro model, as well as add another two Squadrons can lit up the road with almost 10.000 lumens! The RGB position light allows you to create a unique set up according to your mood and the soon to be released thin sheet lights will give the bike an appearance like no other bike on the road.
* More information about the AURORA 701 RR kit can be found here