I had to go back and lookup when we first saw the Svartpilen 701 from Husqvarna, because even though it was only a year ago…that time seems like an eternity.
Maybe it is because of Husqvarna’s measured pace with its street bikes, maybe it is the design overlap between the 401 and 701 models, or maybe it is because we have wanted to see what this retro-modern flat tracker was going to look like after the lawyers had their way with it.
The answer is probably all of the above, but it doesn’t really matter. The 2019 Husqvarna Svartpilen 701 is ready for your two-wheeled consumption.
Built around the KTM 690 Duke platform, this 72hp (54 kW) and 54 lbs•ft (73.5 Nm) motorcycle not only makes some moves visually, but it stands to be a real performance machine with its 370 lbs wet weight (filled with 3.2 gallons / 12 liters of fuel).
Helping things breath is a special exhaust design, with a slashed end, that is Euro4 compliant.
Built using a steel trellis chassis, the Husqvarna Svartpilen 701 uses fully adjustable WP suspension, with 43mm forks at the front, and a rear shock with a progressive linkage on the back.
To ease shifting and help with the power slides, the APTC slipper clutch is on the motor, and Husqvarna has seen fit to include an up/down quickshifter into the mix as well.
There is a conventional ABS setup from Bosch, which can be disabled, and Pirelli MT60 RS tires are fitted to an 18″ front wheel and 17″ rear wheel.
The bodywork is modern in approach, and of course it is colored black (svartpilen means “black arrow” in Swedish). With a raised handlebar, the sitting position on the Svartpilen 701 is more upright than the Vitpilen 701, which uses clip-ons.
Source: Husqvarna
As always, Asphalt & Rubber will be covering all the new bikes debuting at EICMA this year. Be sure to follow our coverage for the most recent news and photos.
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