The basic recipe is pretty simple: take a modified BMW F 800 GS frame and a heavily revised version of the same bike’s parallel-twin donk, add in a mix of quality componentry and finish it off with some sharp styling. The up-spec 900R gets fully-adjustable suspension front and rear (the Öhlins monoshock also with a ride height adjustor), a 16-tooth front sprocket (as opposed to 17), a flat seat (instead of a stepped seat), a pipe with carbonfibre bling, and the red/white/black paint job.

Over a selection of tight Qld/NSW roads the Nudas were an insane amount of fun – with broad ’bars, an upright ride position and excellent ground clearance they can be chucked around with abandon. The engine is brilliant – boosted by 100cc to 898cc and with a heap of revision, it’s appreciably more potent than the source donk and its punchy, flexible nature delivers bulk, real-world thrills. It’s smooth, too, but with enough of an aggressive edge to add to the experience backed up by a distinctive exhaust note.

The suspension and chassis work well, although the set-up is very firm – on the standard bike in particular. Over some of the harshly-rutted roads we traversed, the bike displayed a tendency to skate over the bumps rather than soak them up, but I’m sure more time to play with settings would pay dividends. Still, on better tarmac the Nudas were a sheer delight – these bikes capture the essence of biking fun, then amplify.

The standard Nuda’s anchors have gobs of power and feel, while for many riders I suspect the 900R’s monobloc Brembos will be overkill. There’s no ABS option yet, but Husky says it’s coming.

Husqvarna has scored a direct hit with its first modern roadie. It looks the goods, it delivers in term of performance, and the pricing is incredibly attractive ($13,995 (plus ORC) for the 900 and $15,995 (plus ORC) for the 900R). If this is the marque’s first modern road-going effort, I can’t wait to see what else it has in store…