2023 Husqvarna Svartpilen 125 Spotted

Looks quite different from the current-gen model

Soon after we spotted the 2023 KTM 200 Duke being tested, spy shots of the 2023 Husqvarna Svartpilen 125 have surfaced online. 

The most prominent visual update is the small flyscreen that the bike now gets. That, coupled with the round headlight as well as round mirrors, makes the Husky’s front look somewhat similar to the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. 

Side shots reveal that the bike now gets a split trellis frame instead of the trellis one, similar to the next-gen KTM 125 Duke. That said, the subframe is substantially different on the Svartpilen 125 in order to accommodate its flat, bench seat. A prominent radiator guard can be seen along with a bigger sump guard. Internationally, the Svartpilen 125 makes 15PS and 12Nm from its 125cc liquid-cooled engine which is 0.5PS more than its Austrian sibling, the KTM 125 Duke. While we expect the new generation bike to make the same power, Husqvarna could give the engine better levels of refinement.

The International-spec Svartpilen 125 rides on 17-inch wheels, shod with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR Tyres. It gets a 320mm disc up front along with a 230mm one at the rear, with dual-channel ABS from Bosch. We expect the updated bike to get the same underpinnings. That said, one of the test mules sports the same lightweight alloys with new lighter brake rotors as the next-gen KTM RC 390. 

The bike now also gets a more conventional rear fender, as opposed to the minimalist tyre hugger seen on the first-gen model. Lastly, the tank extensions now extend forward and look sharper, further enhancing the bike’s sportiness.  

Husqvarna’s pre-existing 250cc motorcycles aren’t setting the sales chart on fire, and hence the company is unlikely to bring the Svartpilen 125 to India. So if you’re looking for sporty 125cc offerings apart from the KTM 125 Duke, you could consider the TVS Raider and the Bajaj Pulsar NS125.