The Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 and Husqvarna Svartpilen
401 have been spied yet again in India. The
two motorcycles are likely to enter the market in November-December 2018, and
will be sold through KTM dealerships. 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.
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.
