Husqvarna Vitpilen 250, Svartpilen 250 Launched In India, Cheaper than KTM 250 Duke BS6

Official bookings are underway with deliveries set to commence from early-March 

• Both the Vitpilen 250 and the Svartpilen 250 made their global debut at the India Bike Week in December 2019.
• Both bikes are Rs 20,576 more affordable than the KTM 250 Duke BS6. 
• This is, however, an introductory price. 

After the global debut of the Husqvarna Vitpilen 250 and the Svartpilen 250, at the India Bike Week in December 2019, the Swedish brand has finally launched both the bikes in the country. They come at an introductory price of Rs 1.80 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), which is a whole Rs 20,576 less than the recently launched KTM 250 Duke BS6. Official bookings are already open and deliveries will start from early-March. The company will sell the bikes via KTM dealerships, which have been upgraded to sell both KTM and Husqvarna brands. By early next month, they will be available at 100 dealerships in 45 cities across the country. Over the next five months, Husqvarna says its reach will go up to almost 400 KTM showrooms across 275 towns. 

The Vitpilen is essentially a cafe racer complete with a more aggressive riding stance thanks to the clip-on handlebars and slightly rear-set footpegs. On the other hand, the Svartpilen is a scrambler-style motorcycle with a more upright braced handlebar, luggage rack on the fuel tank, and a slight forward-biased footpeg stance.

Both bikes share the same 248.76cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled BS6-compliant motor, which churns out 30PS at 9000rpm and 24Nm at 7500rpm. Even the KTM 250 Duke BS6 makes the exact amount of power and torque. Like the Duke, the motor is mated to a 6-speed transmission with slipper clutch.

The two motorcycles share the same 43mm WP Apex inverted front fork and a WP Apex monoshock at the rear. Braking setup comprises 320mm disc up front with radial caliper and a 230mm disc at the rear, with dual-channel ABS as standard. The 17-inch cast aluminium alloy wheels are common for both the bikes. However, Vitpilen rides on the same MRF RevZ C1 tyres as the KTM 250 Duke, whereas the Svartpilen rolls on slightly more rugged-looking MRF RevZ D tyres.

The KTM 250 Duke BS6 features a 13.5-litre fuel tank whereas the Husqvarna 250 twins make do with a tiny 9.5-litre unit. This coupled with the more minimalistic bodywork has resulted in reduced dry weight compared to the 250 Duke. The Austrian naked weighs 161.9kg dry whereas the Vtipilen tips the scales at 153kg dry. On the other hand, the Svartpilen weighs 154kg.

Interestingly, in international markets like the UK, the entry-level Vitpilen 401 costs as much as its Austrian cousin, the KTM 390 Duke, at GBP 4,799 (around Rs 4.46 lakh). We were expecting Husqvarna to follow the same strategy in India or peg the brand as a more premium one. However, Husqvarna has surprised us with the cut-throat pricing. Expect the brand to increase the price over the coming months to eventually match the KTM 250 Duke BS6’s price point.

The Husqvarna Vitpilen 250 is the most affordable cafe racer in India and there are no natural rivals for the motorcycle. As for the Husqvarna Svartpilen 250, the nearest rival would be the Suzuki Gixxer 250, which is a lot more affordable option at around Rs 1.60 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).