IF you were looking for a brand to use as the basis for a modern, retro-inspired bike, Husqvarna – with its unbreakable links to Steve McQueen and all the overwrought ‘cool’ that accompanies it – might be the very best one to opt for.
And that’s just what the firm has done with two new concept bikes, the 401 VITPILEN and 401 SVARTPILEN.
In case it’s not immediately obvious, the frame and engine come straight from KTM’s Duke 390, and that means this concept is far from a wild fantasy; it’s a reskinned version of an existing, street-legal, emissions-friendly production bike. While Husqvarna hasn’t mentioned many details, the bike is likely to use the same capacity as the KTM – that’s 373cc – with 43bhp. The KTM’s 193kg weight would also be a good guide to the VITPILEN’s potential mass.
Next up, there’s the 401 SVARTPILEN (Black Arrow) which is inspired by old scramblers. The styling is sure to be divisive, but there’s no doubting it’s instantly recognisable. Again, the basis is the KTM Duke 390, but this time there are big, knobbly tyres instead of semi-slicks.
Both bikes would need changes to be viable for production – the headlights, for instance, are very ‘concept’ and there’s a distinct lack of indicators, mirrors or licence plate hangers – but given the way the firm’s has taken the 701 from concept to production version in 12 months, it would be no surprise to see proddy versions of the two 401 machines this time next year.
From: http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/husqvarna-401-concepts-shown/25833.html
2 more pics
Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 and 125 on sale by spring 2017
From: http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/husqvarna-vitpilen-401-and-125-on-sale-by-spring-2017/28530.html#ixzz3sXN4puLk
From: http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/husqvarna-vitpilen-401-and-svartpilen-401-are-coming
https://youtu.be/Xj8lKRsSRHU
I do like the look of that. I Will be looking closely to see what prices are like.