Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 and Vitpilen 401 2024 Launch Review

The new 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 and Vitpilen 401 come from good stock; built from the ever-solid bones of KTM’s 390 Duke.

Need some context? Husqvarna’s actually owned by the same people as KTM (and GasGas). They took over back in 2013 – and at the time they wanted to create some standout street-focused bikes that’d bring the brand into the 21st century, while also honouring its historic roots. That’s where the Svartpilen 401 and Vitpilen 401 come in.

The Kiska-designed, ultra-modern but somehow still ’60s/’70s-inspired bikes were first unveiled at EICMA in 2016, blending the winning engine and chassis from KTM’s 390 Duke with a look all of their own. They proved a success, and the following year were tipped to go into production. Alas, it actually wasn’t until 2017 when the first bikes rolled off the production line.

Initial reports were good, with both the clip-on-clad Vitpilen café-racer and more rugged, knobbly-tyred Svartpilen street-scrambler winning favour with style-conscious riders far and wide. In the intervening years they’ve not exactly sold in big numbers, but they’ve done well enough – offering something different to the rest of the market, and a classy offering in Australia’s broad LAMS (Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme) category.

Now Husqvarna is hoping to keep the good times rolling with a thorough revision for the duo. Has it worked? To find out, we spent the day throwing them around in the hills above Malaga, Spain – fighting against a torrent of wind and rain, before finally searching out the sunshine and getting to see what they’re capable of.

The big news is that there’s an all-new engine for 2024. But that’s just the start; there’s also a new frame and swingarm (which contributes to a lower 820mm seat height), updated adjustable suspension, a new TFT dash, rider modes, cornering ABS, switchable traction control, a quickshifter as standard, and a dominant new front headlight. This pair are over 90 per cent different to the models they replace – a serious overhaul in anyone’s books.

They’re much more closely matched than they were before too. Previously the Vitpilen had a much more aggressive (and slightly uncomfortable) riding position. Not anymore. Away from a few choice accessories for the Svartpilen (in the form of a rear grab rail, tank rack, skid plate and some slightly more upright bars), the big difference are the wheels and tyres.

The Svartpilen gets a set of spoked 17-inch wheels with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres, while the Vitpilen gets slightly lighter cast 17-inch wheels fitted with Michelin Power 6 tyres. Other than that, they are exactly the same, so we’ll discuss them as such through the rest of this review. By the way, if you're wondering about the origins of those model names, 'Vitpilen' is Swedish for 'white arrow', while 'Svartpilen' is Swedish for 'black arrow'.

The engine’s the centrepiece. It’s a more powerful 399cc, 45hp, single-cylinder number that builds on all the high-revving goodness of the previous model. I spent a few months blasting around on the first generation Vitpilen 401 (and did the same with a more recent KTM 390 Adventure) and was enamoured by it. Thankfully, the new one delivers in all the same ways.

Ride it hard and you’ll find it fun, flexible, and capable of holding its own with bigger bikes. It’ll gather speed quickly, cruise on the motorway without much fuss, and reach speeds in excess of 160km/h on the track. That’s bloody good going from a ‘little’ 399cc motor. And yet, it can be surprisingly compliant when you need it to be too. It’ll crawl calmly enough through traffic and develops smooth, predictable power.

That’s the other thing. These bikes are surprisingly comfortable. Sure, they’re compact little bikes – but despite that lower 820mm seat, they’re bigger than before. I’m a long-limbed 185cm (6ft 1in) tall but was perfectly happy racking up the miles, even if I did dwarf them a bit. They’d make great city commuters.

It’s when they’re ridden hard that they really come alive. At one point it was looking like we were going to have to take Husqvarna’s word for it but thankfully the rain eventually broke and the sun came out – and within half an hour, we were up to pace on dry roads, banking the bikes from side to side through tight twisties and finding the groove on wide-open, fast-flowing sweepers. Stable at speed yet still flickable, these bikes are versatile performers.

The ByBre brakes are decent, with plenty of feel and more than enough bite – and work seamlessly with the raft of electronics fitted on wet roads. The technology is a very welcome addition on a LAMS-approved bike; and wouldn’t be out of place on something much bigger and much more expensive. There’s Cornering ABS (and a Supermoto ABS setting which allows you to lock up or light up the rear), road and rain rider modes and switchable traction control. It’s all super simple to navigate, using the nice new TFT dash and Norden 901-derived software and switchgear setup.

The suspension works well too, offering a good balance between performance and comfort – but one of the best bits is its easy adjustability. The offset WP rear shock has rebound and preload adjustment, while the WP Apex 43mm open cartridge forks can be tweaked for compression and rebound. There’s a little five-click hand toggle which allows you to select how soft and hard you want it up front. It’s the same at the rear, though you’ll need a flathead screwdriver to do it.

I’ve been impressed with the tyres too. The Michelin Power 6s on the Vitpilen and Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRs on the Svartpilen provided consistent, reliable grip throughout. Strangely, I felt slightly more confident in the knobbly 50/50 Pirellis in the rain – braking later and pushing harder. But the dry roads were perfect for the Vitpilen’s Michelins.

From a riding perspective, there’s really very little to whinge about. It’s a small capacity single which needs to be worked quite hard, so there is some vibration – but it’s not really detrimental to the overall riding experience.

While the styling is an important part of what makes these bikes special, it’s not necessarily to everyone’s tastes. People seem to either love it, or you loathe it. Sure, taste is subjective – and there’s no harm in being a bit different to everyone else – but I suspect plenty of riders might prefer something a little more conventionally attractive.

In some ways, it’s also a bit of a shame that Husqvarna has chosen to make the pair so similar. It makes sense in many ways, and the new, flatter-barred Vitpilen is now far easier to live with – but part of the old bike’s charm was its sportier ride. It’ll be interesting to see if it suffers in the sales charts as a result of being made more similar to the Svartpilen.

There’s an abundance of bikes to choose from if you’re in the market for a LAMS-approved ride. In addition to the KTM 390 Duke on which this pair is based, there’s Triumph’s new pair of 400s, Royal Enfield’s ever-growing retro roster, Honda’s range of bulletproof 500cc twins – and then a whole host of good stuff out of China, from the likes of CFMOTO and Benelli.

Each priced at $8795 ride away, they are marginally cheaper than the much-loved KTM 390 Duke – and in truth, that’s the main competitor. That’s partly because no other LAMS-approved bike is quite so well kitted out. The easily adjustable suspension and host of electronic goodies can’t be downplayed.

In Australia, the 2024 Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 will go on sale from April, while the 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 will go on sale from July.

If you’re a fan of the funky neo-retro styling, and you want something a little bit different to the norm, then there’s absolutely no reason not to like the Husqvarna Svartpilen and Vitpilen 401s. They go extremely well, are remarkably well-equipped for ‘small bikes’, and appear to be properly put together too. They are pretty compact, so might not be best suited to riders on the taller end of the spectrum, but don’t rule them out – find your closest dealer and take one for a spin; you might be surprised. I know I was.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, single-cylinder
Capacity: 398.6cc
Bore x Stroke: 64mm x 89mm
Engine management: Bosch electronic fuel injection with ride-by-wire

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 45hp (33KW) at 8500rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 39Nm at 7000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: 6-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: PASC anti-hopping clutch

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Tubular steel trellis frame
Front suspension: WP APEX 43mm fork with 150mm travel (adjustable compression and rebound)
Rear suspension: WP APEX monoshock with 150mm travel (adjustable rebound and preload)
Front brake: ByBre four-piston caliper with 320mm disc (Cornering ABS)
Rear brake: ByBre two-piston caliper with 240mm disc (Cornering ABS/Supermoto ABS)
Tyres: Vitpilen – 17-inch cast wheels with Michelin Power 6; Svartpilen – 17-inch spoked wheels with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed dry weight: Vitpilen – 154.5kg; Svartpilen – 159kg
Seat height: 820mm
Wheelbase: 1368mm
Fuel capacity: 13L

OTHER STUFF
Price: $8795 ride away
Warranty: 24 months/unlimited kilometres