Easy Pilen to swallow
Husqvarna reveal second generation 125 and 401 Vitpilen and Svartpilen singles
Husqvarna have kicked off their 2024 campaign with a redesign of their smallcapacity Svartpilen and Vitpilen, marking the biggest change to the single-cylinder line-up since its 2018 inception.
All four bikes share the same powder coated steel trellis chassis, which was first seen on the KTM Duke 125 and 390 models revealed in August 2023 ahead of a now imminent UK dealer arrival.
With both manufacturers belonging to Pierer Mobility Group (who also own GasGas, and a chunk of MV), the incoming Husqvarnas will be built in India by long-term partner Bajaj, having undergone development for the past four years.
Dripping in advanced tech for the A1 and A2 licence classes, the Huskies are said to now be easier to live with than before – thanks to a lower seat height, and a more relaxed riding position for the previously clip-on clad Vitpilen which now gets flat bars.
“People were not so happy with the aggressive ergonomics of the bike, which were incredible if you wanted to go into the twisties and go full throttle,” Product Manager Agustin Augustinoy admitted to MCN. “It’s a really fun bike to ride, but a little bit of a pain if you use it day to day for commuting.
“Also, that’s why we changed the rear wheel hugger to a proper licence plate holder in the frame of the bike. This was as a result of customer feedback.”
Augustinoy was also responsible for the latest Dukes, so it’s little wonder there are similarities – which also include the Euro5✚ ready engines. Fans hoping for a return of the thumping 701 variants will remain disappointed, although spy shots have previously shown larger ‘901’ parallel twins in the works.
Back to the new bikes, and the
brapping £5599 401 versions are claimed to produce a fraction over 44bhp – making them A2 compliant without the need for restriction. With 28.8lb.ft of torque peaking at 7000rpm, they will need to be thrashed to get the most out of them - with likely enough punch to see off any four-wheelers from the lights around town.
With a new trellis frame, complete with a right-side mounted WP Apex rear shock adjustable for rebound and preload, the seat heights have come down from 835mm to 820mm. Meanwhile, the front end is now suspended by 43mm WP Apex upside-down open cartridge forks, adjustable for compression and rebound.
The wheelbase has been extended to 1357mm (✚/-15.5mm) for additional stability on all four derivatives – aided by a new forged aluminium triple clamp with a revised 32mm offset. Steering head angle is now also 66°, up from 65°.
Meanwhile, the off-centre rear spring works with a new curved aluminium swingarm. The new bolt-on subframe is also said to give better pillion comfort, but having sat on one we are not convinced.
Away from the chassis, both 401s roll on 17in rims (as do the 125s) with the road biased Vitpilen (White Arrow) wearing a pair of Michelin Power 6 tyres, and the more rugged Svartpilen (Black Arrow) getting knobbly Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRs.
ABS-equipped brakes for all variants are supplied by Brembo subsidiary Bybre.