The Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 and the Husqvarna
Svartpilen 401 have been spied testing in Pune, Maharashtra. The two Husqvarna
motorcycles borrow the mechanical underpinnings from the KTM 390 Duke. However,
they will be priced at a premium over the Duke, and the brand’s partner Bajaj
Auto is confident that the bikes will attract a larger population than KTM.
The
Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 has a café-racer inspired design, whereas the Husqvarna
Svartpilen 401 is more of a Scrambler type of motorcycle. It was reported in
November last year that Husqvarna will enter the Indian market by 2020.
Both the bikes come with an all-LED lighting system
and a circular multifunctional digital instrument cluster. The Vitpilen has a relatively
sporty riding position thanks to the clip-on handlebars. The Svartpilen’s
riding posture is more upright because of its braced handlebars. While the
Vitpilen has road-biased tyres, the wheels in the Svartpilen are shod with
knobbies for better off-road performance. Suspension bits for the two
motorcycles include 43 mm WP open cartridge front forks and a rear WP
monoshock.
The bikes employ the Duke’s 373.2 cc single cylinder
mill with fuel injection and liquid cooling. It is good for 43.5 PS of power
and 37 Nm of torque. The engine works in conjunction with a 6-speed gearbox
with slipper clutch. Expect the same engine tune for the India-spec bikes as
well. The motorcycles come to a halt using 320 mm front disc and a 240 mm rear
disc with dual-channel Bosch ABS.
