The SM 650 R supermotard is the second model now available in Australia from SWM Motorcycles.
Italian brand SWM recently returned to the Australian market with Mojo Motorcycles being appointed as the national distributor last year.
The first model imported was the RS 650 R enduro which is based on Husqvarna’s TE630.
The SM 650 R supermotard is another variant on the same theme, and shares most of its technical specifications and main styling features with the RS 650 R.
It uses the same 600cc single cylinder four-valve DOHC fuel injected engine that produces just on 40kW, GET ignition, Mikuni throttle body and six-speed transmission.
The SM 650 R also uses 45mm upside-down Marzocchi forks as the front suspension and a single Sachs shock on the rear.
The obvious differences are in the wheels and brakes.
The SM 650 R is fitted with 17 inch wheels front and rear and road going tyres.
The 300mm front brake disc on the SM 650 R is a larger unit than on the RS 650 R enduro.
The rear disc is also slightly larger at 240mm, and Brembo calipers are used on both the front and rear.
The SM 650 R is also 3kg heavier than the RS at 147kg dry.
The SM 650 R is a perfect mix of off road looks and on road capability, and like its RS 650 R sibling, the SM 650 R supermotard is learner approved.
It will initially go on sale for $9,490 including GST plus on road costs.
SWM was resurrected through a partnership between Apelio Macchi and Daxing Gong in 2014.
Macchi is the former Technical Manager for Cagiva, Aprilia and Husqvarna, while Gong is a successful Chinese businessman and the head of the Shineray group.
The bikes are manufactured at SWM’s facility in Lombardia, Italy, the same plant previously used by Husqvarna.
Australian distributor Mojo Motorcycles plan on bringing two other models from SWM’s 12 model line-up to the country in the near future – the RS 300 R and RS 500 R.