2016 EICMA: Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 and Swartpilen 401 Production Models Unveiled

Based on the KTM 390 Duke, the Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 is a street racer, while the Svartpilen 401 gets scrambler characteristics.

Here come the first two models from the house of the off-roading master, Husqvarna. The company has finally unveiled the production versions of its Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401 concept models at the 2016 EICMA show in Milan, Italy. Both the concept models were showcased at the 2014 EICMA and enthusiasts were eagerly waiting for their production-spec models. 

Both the 2017 Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 and the Svartpilen 401 have been built using the trellis framework of the KTM 390 Duke and shares the 373cc single with their KTM sibling as well. Both the new models share the same street motorcycle design; however, each gets some distinctive features and varying geometry that provides different abilities to both the machines. And yes, different colours as well. The name 'Vitpilen' stands for 'White Arrow', while the 'Svartpilen' means ‘Black Arrow,’ so both comes with their respective colour codes.

The Vitpilen 401 is a street racer-type motorcycle that gets clip-on handlebars along with a slightly leaned-forward seating position. The bike has a minimalistic design approach, providing a sleek bodywork with clean lines. Apart from the steel trellis frame, it shares components such as the updated brakes, tyres and suspension set-up as well with the 2017 KTM 390 Duke. However, there is another noticeable change in the design: the spoked wheels, which are really looking better than the cast units. 

The Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is almost identical to its sibling, but gets some different type of abilities. The bike gets a wide, bit raised handlebar, providing an upright seating posture, along with the dual sport tyres providing grip on changing terrains. The handlebar also gets a cross strut for extra durability and there is an interesting green, transparent removable protection cover for the headlamp as well.

As we mentioned above, both the road-going Husqvarnas share the 373cc single with their KTM sibling. There is not any change in the performance of the liquid-cooled motor and it continues to deliver 44PS of power and a peak torque of 35Nm. Both the ends get single disc brakes by Bybre, 320mm front and 230mm rear, along with WP rear monoshock and 43mm inverted forks up front. Moreover, the bike gets slipper clutch and the Bosch 9.11MB two-channel ABS system as standard fitments.

The company has not provided any words on the launch of the Vitpilen 401 and the Svartpilen 401 yet. However, we can expect their launch by the end of the current financial year and the bikes could also make an entry in the Indian market by the end of 2017.