RADICAL STYLE
Single-cylinder scrambler looks like nothing else on the road, but does it have the function to match its form?
Look, I get it. It’s your first bike and you want to make an impression. Yes, there are some great starter bikes out there, from various manufacturers, but you want something to stand out, a bike that is really cool, stylish and urban. Good for you.
You can choose from the little track-inspired, full-fairing offerings, the pseudo cruisers, the faux off-roaders, and even the café-racer-styled entry bikes, but none of them — none — have the radically unique look of the new Husqvarna Svartpilen 401.
Just like the furniture of its national corporate counterpart, Ikea, the Svartpilen — Swedish for “black arrow” — is a textbook design for Scandinavian simplicity and clean lines, the likes of which you won’t see anywhere else (unless, of course, you’re looking at its brother, the more racer-inspired Vitpilen). It’s a fresh take on the motorcycle — entry or no — with serious urban appeal, if not outright street cred.
It also looks tiny, but don’t be fooled; with a 33-inch seat height, it easily fits taller riders, and the higher handlebars make for a slightly forward but still upright “scrambler” posture for riding. In other words, it’s fairly comfortable.
Sadly, it’s only the rock-hard seat that would limit saddle time for longer rides.
There are a few areas of obvious cost-cutting: there’s a handy cargo carrier on the tank but it’s made of plastic, the speedometer is covered in a cheap-looking plastic that will easily get scratched, and even the tank that stretches back behind and below the seat in one continuous form is plastic, not metal. But for a $6,999 entry-level bike, there are also a few pleasant surprises: the forward forks are an upside-down set, the front brakes are a single disc with four-piston calipers from ByBre (and both brakes with ABS, no less) and the headlight and tail lights are LED.
Even the switchgear is lit for nighttime use, and that stylish speedometer includes a fuel gauge. To top it off, the sixspeed gearbox is spun with a slipper clutch. Power comes from a 373-cubic-centimetre 43-horsepower thumper.
It’s at lower speeds where the motor shows a bit of weakness; with the power pulses of that single cylinder, the bike can be jumpy and jerky, and it takes a skilled clutch hand for smooth operation.
But don’t worry, because all of that disappears as the revs climb — and believe me, this mill likes to rev, more than many other single-cylinders out there. Twisting the throttle and moving through the six gears sweeps the tach needle up quickly, with the sweet spot for smooth operation and power finally starting around 5,000 rpm.
There’s very little vibration in this engine. Husqvarna has done an amazing job at damping that single cylinder’s pulses at elevated rpms, with only a hint of buzz coming through the pegs and the tank at higher speeds. And at those speeds — like on a highway — the Svartpilen is at least competent, though it’s no superbike by any means.
It’s sprightly enough to pass at a moment’s notice, but if you’re riding with other larger bikes, you’ll see a big difference in trying to keep up with them. Hitting 125 km/h at 7,500 rpm starts a warning light on the tach, but it’s not until around 10,000 rpm that the engine hits the rev limiter.
With a lack of luggage options and lower horsepower, this was never going to be your grand touring bike; it’s around town where the Svartpilen shines. It weighs just 150 kilograms dry and feels light and nimble, a joy to be tossed around traffic and squirting down side streets, with a suspension on the firm side aiding its darting ability.
The wide handlebars make the front end easy to turn, and that quick-revving engine with 27.3 pound-feet of torque at 7,000 rpm means almost instant power any time you need it. The Pirelli Scorpion tires on the 17-inch rims may look scrambler, but they do a better job for traction on the street than they would in dirt.
As you do scoot around town, you’ll find some curious glances. It looks so different that I’ve had questions on whether it was electric, and the radical shape and lime-green stripes on the black body are a head-fake toward a futuristic powertrain. But there’s no question the Husqvarna Svartpilen is different from everything else out there, so if you want a radical first bike (or a second city bike for experienced riders), this single cylinder is worth a look.