It looks to be a really strong showing for lighter and midsize ADV bikes at EICMA this year, when you throw in the 701, PR7, Honda Africa Twin, the new ADV offering from SWM hinted at by Erik (I assume that is distinct from the PR7), and perhaps some other surprises!
The 701 vid circulating on the Austrian section of CafeHusky is extremely slick. With 200,000+ views for a video about a bike that is essentially a 690 in different plastic, it shows there is a lot of interest in this segment right now, which is fantastic news:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh88exSsQ-g
On the PR7, the specs are much closer to my 610 than the SWM 650, which makes it very interesting from my perspective. Its also a plus to have another application for the 630 engine. I am curious how the PR7 hybrid frame holds up with weight over distance. Putting an oil reservoir in the steering head seems a bit of a gimmick. Also, there are still things I lose if I make the switch from my 610. What does the extra 15 kgs do for me? 4" less rear travel? The 5th/6th gear from the SM630 instead of the wider TE gearing? Beyond a fairing and a larger tank, what do I gain? No mention of ABS, slipper clutch, cush hub, stronger lights, better seat, luggage, or other options...
I am really looking for reliability in my next Adv bike. SWM has increased the power and strapped on a different EFI to the 630/650. This makes it an untested combination. I'm thinking in particular of the example of the TR650 folks and their awful EFI woes. How can we be certain SWM has ironed the kinks out?
In this regard I think both SWM and AJP underestimate the importance of their website/media presence. Its one thing to hand over a few thousand for a dirt bike you use locally and then load onto a truck. Its another matter to hand over 8000 EUR for a bike you take on/offroad a long way from home, where a breakdown has major consequences. For a niche brand, website consistency, attention to detail, continual updates, regular YouTube videos and community outreach are important tools for reassuring new buyers that the product will also be reliable and consistent. AJP and SWM both drop the ball. The AJP site still lists last years specs for the PR7, even as they have started giving out new specs to the media; the various SWM sites list inconsistent information for the specs of the 650 (Mazarocchi front forks, for example). There are only a tiny number of videos. The main SWM site has actually been been taken down and all the old pages deleted, producing 404 NOT FOUND errors rather than redirecting to a new page. This is unnecessarily sloppy. CCM seems to be much more cognizant of establishing a strong web presence in my opinion. I love my 610, I know it well, but when it dies, right now I can't see jumping to SWM or AJP.