MCN Fleet: Bouncing around Rockingham on the Husqvarna 701

Living with the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto has been up and down since the keys landed on my desk. Any journey that lasts an hour or more is always a low point, but getting on the Husky after a couple of days away always produces a grin the first time the throttle is twisted in anger.

• 2015 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto review

The high point came at Rockingham recently, with an empty track to myself all afternoon. I’ve not done enough track riding recently, and I wasn’t overly sure how The Husqvarna would cope, but it made for an excellent afternoon.

Compared to rock solid, planted sports bikes the 701 felt lively, bouncing over kerbs and pitching back and forth as I braked and accelerated hard. It was harder work than I expected – just holding on down the straight was hard enough with no wind protection. But at the end of the day I’d felt like I’d bonded more with the Husky and had a bit more of an understanding with it.

Then came the 40 minute ride home. Oh…