SWM Super Dual T 600 India Review, First Ride [Video Inside]

Enchanting –

• Road legal four stroke dirt bike character
• Off-road dominating performance and chassis setup
• Switchable ABS

Unsatisfying –

• Console not modern enough
• Vibrations and Seat height are high

A little known brand entered our market and this time everybody took attention. Why? Motoroyale, the guys who are Kinetic owners and also had MV Agusta in their portfolio brought the brand into the country. Also a reason why everyone focused on the product because it was off-road adventure bike. Something, which is a trend and requirement in the country from enthusiast. The SWM Super Dual T promises to be a lot just given how it looks and how it is on paper. We spend some time with to tell you our first impressions.

Design

First look and it looks like a very large dirt bike. The long and tall proportions, the flat body, the squarish fuel tank, the very tiny head lamp at the front and a windscreen that defines a bit of road worthiness that it can offer.

The rear gets swept back top-mounted twin exhaust, a tiny tail-lamp and there are three panels on the side and one of them is the heat shield exhaust. The black panels and suspension bit along with a red chassis help it grab attention on the road. The quality all around is industrial to a large extent is because its an off-road bike that has to go through a lot where this does feel solid enough to take a lot of beating.

Speedo And Switches

Speedo is from the 80’s it is the smallest screen with quite a lot of information and everything is digital including speedo and tachometer along with odometer and other bits including tell-tale lights. Switches are same as any other European bike and there is three stage engine kill switch, auxiliary lamp button on the LHS. LHS also houses rear wheel ABS switch off button, high beam, horn and turn indicators along with a pass light button.

Ergonomics are fairly simple as the handlebar is flat and in slightly raised and since the seat is set low, you can hold them and be comfortable while standing on the pegs or sitting. The pegs are slightly rear set and are fixed quite low so taller won’t complain of legroom. The seat height is quite high at 898 mm and six footer can end up tip toeing on this bike. Mirrors are mounted well but there is no visibility in them most of the time because of the amount of vibration on offer. Seats are scooped but rock hard and they aid in long distance riding and saddle time but not the most comfortable of the lot.

Engine

The 600cc motor makes 54 BHP of power and 55 Nm of torque from its 4-valve, liquid-cooled single-cylinder with dual exhaust setup from the engine head itself. The motor is free and quick revving but not the smoothest. The vibrations are there throughout the rev range and if you grip the tank hard enough all the time accelerate hard, the vibrations are going to get you a lot.

Keep your thighs away while cruising and you can manage because handlebar, seat and pegs don’t vibrate that much to make things numb. The clutch is heavy but the gearbox is smooth shifting.

The motor has punch throughout the rev range and you can have fun off the road with this bike and expect more than brisk acceleration on the road too thanks to a good power to weight ratio as the motorcycle just weighs 169 kgs and 189 kgs with 18 litres of fuel in it. Mid-range and top-end is good too but the top speed is pegged at a low 160 km/hr. The soundtrack is plain basic and reminds us of the first generation Duke 390, with a larger bore though.

Dynamics

On the road the steering isn’t quick to respond thanks to a very high rake degree. The trail is a high 120 mm. The wheelbase feels long and it is not the most agile bike in the city because steering requires effort, but when you do put in efforts, it rewards being normal, not a city slicker. The ride quality thanks to 210 mm travel suspension on both ends means you are entirely cut away from what is happening below.

Fast ace upside down forks at the front and Sach monoshock at the rear are adjustable which can meet all your needs for of the road and on the road. The remote to control the suspension at the rear is a nifty touch.

The off-road manners are brilliant, you can do almost anything with this bike. Jump off the speed breakers on the road or off the road and the bike is unfazed. Right amount of damping means it makes you feel confident. Ground clearance stands at 180 mm. The Metzeler tyres are trail worthy and they provide tonnes of confidence. 19-inch wheel front and 17-inch wheel at the rear make it off-road friendly with spoke wheels also on offer.

Switch of the rear ABS and the motorcycle get instantly slide friendly and quite lively. Brakes offer in consistent feedback but are progressive enough. We think a more powerful brake setup is the need of the day to make it more fun off-the road and will become automatically on the road. On the road reminds us that through twisty road the chassis responds brilliantly as it stable through the corner which makes it confidence inspiring even if the motorcycle slow to steering response and takes time to turn-in.

SWM Super Dual T 600 India Review, Verdict

The Super Dual T from SWM is great off-road bike for adventurers and off-road junkies. This motorcycle fits the bill just right. It has all the right ingredients to do so. It is fun to ride and offers hardware along with it. It may not be supremely polished like its peers but they cannot come close to offering this off-road package that the SWM offers.

A old-school European off-road focused four stroke bikes do not come every day and probably won’t stay long given the regulations. Sure it was expensive, but with the price cut and a bit more goodies added to the package, it is just about good value for your money as well. Want one, just get yourself instantly because there is no substitute to something like this.