City Slicker

Gets a new engine and chassis for 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 and becomes even cooler urban transport

Yes, the new Svartpilen 401 is essentially a KTM 390 Duke styled by someone with a check shirt and bountiful tattoos, but we must admit they’ve done a fabulous job. If you’re after urban transport, you’ll struggle to find anything cooler this side of an expensive one-off custom. Everything has been changed from the old bike – engine, chassis, electronics, switchgear… the lot. That comes courtesy of the revamped 2024 KTM 390 (KTM own Husqvarna), which means you get a perky cutting-edge 45bhp single-cylinder engine, steel trellis frame, 5in TFT dash, cornering traction control and high-quality WP suspension. Most of the engine changes are to the cylinder head, but these don’t chase power – they cut weight and help with emissions, according to Husqvarna. The 2bhp power increase is due to the 373cc to 399cc capacity increase achieved by increasing the stroke. Torque is up a useful 11 per cent from 27 lb.ft to 29 lb.ft.

The electronics have been totally revamped, too. Besides the new TFT screen, you now get two riding modes (Street and Rain), a speed limiter that doubles as cruise control, new switchgear and – most impressively on a small-capacity bike – lean angle-sensitive traction control and ABS. There’s no launch control as there is on the KTM version of 390, though.

The old Svartpilen handled well, but Husqvarna have overhauled the chassis anyway. The new frame has greater fork offset for better stability (the old bike did have a slightly flighty feel to it), and the new swingarm shifts the shock across to make room for the new silencer and allow a slightly lower seat height – down from 830mm to 820mm.

The WP suspension is now adjustable for rebound and compression damping at the front, and rebound at the rear. Plus preload of course. Lighter wheels also contribute towards improved handling, according to Husky.

All the major mods are carried over to the Svartpilen’s café-racer brother, the Vitpilen, which gets stickier rubber, cast wheels and different styling. Both cost £5599 (£100 cheaper than KTM’S 390) and are available now.

‘Everything has been changed from the old bike’

CHASSIS New steel trellis main frame with a die-cast aluminium subframe to reduce weight. There’s a redesigned curved swingarm, too. ENGINE All new single-cylinder motor has a longer stroke (capacity is now 399cc) and smaller, lighter cylinder head. New camshafts improve gas flow. Power is 45bhp.

VITPILEN The Svartpilen’s café-racer brother gets the same tech but stickier tyres and a more aggressive riding position. ELECTRONICS Plenty of these. Two riding modes – Street and Rain – plus cornering traction control and a speed limiter that acts as cruise control.