Husqvarna Svartpilen 200 vs KTM 200 Duke: What's Different?

How different is the Swedish cousin of the Austrian Duke?

[Update: Husqvarna Vitpilen 250, Svartpilen 250 Launched In India]

With the acquisition of Husqvarna, KTM wanted to tap into the enthusiasts who were not only keen on having great performance but also look stylish while going fast. That’s where the Huskies fit in quite well. The proof is in the pudding as the Svartpilen and Vitpilen series of motorcycles have been a raging success worldwide. We have finally been introduced to the brand with the Svartpilen 250 and the Vitpilen 250, as the bikes were revealed at India Bike Week 2019. However, on the sidelines, Husqvarna has also prepped a Svartpilen 200. So, how different is it from the KTM it is based on, the 200 Duke?

Styling

The most obvious distinguishing factor between the two 200cc motorcycles is the design philosophy. Both motorcycles are KISKA designs. The Duke, it looks just the way that it did in 2012, with the only new bits on the bike being the new graphics. The Svartpilen series of motorcycles are urban scramblers that look radically modern. The round LED headlamp, the underseat LED tail-lamp, the sleek LED turn indicators and the slim narrow tank extensions are simply posh. Even the fuel-filler cap gets a bronze finish, accentuating the premium quotient of this motorcycle.

Chassis

Both motorcycles run a tubular steel trellis frame. On the Svartpilen though, it is made from ChroMoly steel, which is lighter than regular steel. Plus, the rear subframe is bolted-on, much like the KTM 250 Duke and the 390 Duke. The Svartpilen 200 tips the scales at 149kg (dry), which is a whole 15kg heavier than the 200 Duke. One can attribute this difference in weight to the Svartpilen 200 being future Euro 5/BS6 emission norm-compliant, while the Duke currently isn’t. However, the difference between their 250cc counterparts is 8 kilos in the Husky’s favour. Why such a large disparity in the weight figures? We shall bring you the answer to it soon.

Rider Triangle

At 835mm, the seat height of the Svartpilen 200 is 25mm higher than that of the 200 Duke. The seat is slimmer, flatter and does not slant upwards like the Duke. The bars are closer to the rider and the footpegs are set further back on the Husky. The ground clearance on the Husky is a cause of concern. At 145mm, it is a bit too low and could perhaps scrap its belly if you are riding two-up or if there is a pot-bellied rider on board.

Mechanicals

Not only does the Svartpilen 200 adopt the split-type frame from the 250 Duke but also its suspension units. The rear monoshock might be the same units that the bike shares with the 200 and the 250 Duke, we guess the tuning might just be different. However, the front 43mm USD fork on the Husky has the same 142mm of travel as the 250 Duke.

While the two headlining motorcycles here run on MRF tyres, the Duke comes shod with street-friendly Revz-C tyres while the Svartpilen 200 gets Revz-FD rubber which are dual-purpose in nature. The latter goes well with the urban scrambler demeanour of the Svartpilen as these are the same tyres also found on the Svartpilen 250.