Husqvarna at the ongoing EICMA, have marked their re-entry to the world of street motorcycling with the Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401. Apart from this, they have also showcased the Vitpilen Aero concept about which we will talk in a separate article.
The problem with motorcycles of today is that most of them, in a way, have the same overall design. Yes, you may hate me for saying that but to an extent that is true. Street nakeds have this sharp look oozing of muscles, faired one have a streamlined form which makes you feel that they can slip through the smallest of the gaps. Husqvarna though wants to be different.
The Vitpilen 401, although shares a lot of parts with the KTM Duke 390, looks refreshingly new. Powering the bike is the same single cylinder mill churning out 43.5 PS of maximum power at 9,000 rpm and 37 Nm of peak torque at 7,000 rpm. That’s 2 Nm more torque than the Duke. The liquid cooled, fuel injected mill gets a slipper clutch.
The fuel tank though can store only 9.5-litre of fuel. Braking duties are administered by a 320 mm disc with Bybre four piston calipers in the front and a single piston, floating caliper over a 230 mm disc. Bosch’s 9.1M ABS is standard on both wheels. The ground clearance is 170 mm while the seat height is 835 mm. The weight of the bike is 148 kg (without fuel).
Now while the Vitpilen is a road going machine, Husqvarna has another machine for those who want to take their bike to a more adventurous route. The Svartpilen 401. This one gets Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres (the former gets Metzelers) and motorcross styled handlebars instead of the clip-ons. It also gets a skid plate and an exhaust protector. The Svartpilen 401 gets the same powertrain with the same output but gets a smaller 300 mm disc in the front and a 150 kg weight (without fuel).
