- Spied at the warehouse of a factory
- Gets an all-new bodywork
- Adjustable suspension could also be on offer
We have got our hands on new spy shots of what we believe is the next-generation Husqvarna Svartpilen 401. The motorcycle was spotted at a factory stockyard in its production-ready avatar. A close inspection of the image reveals a lot about the nature of updates it will get.
First up is the fresh bodywork. While the fuel tank design is similar to the existing iteration, the side bulges are larger, more protruding, and stretched to the front forks. Keeping comfort and practicality into consideration, the company has bestowed the bike with a much longer tail which accommodates a more spacious single-piece seat. The pillion seat, specifically, looks roomier and boasts a larger grab rail for more secure seating for the passenger.
The changes to the hardware of the next-gene Svartpilen 401 are more substantial and a lot seems to have been borrowed from the upcoming version of the KTM 390 Duke. This is in line with KTM’s existing tradition of sharing its platform with Huskies. Hence, the new Svartpilen 401 boasts a new chassis, an offset monoshock, and a revised swingarm. We can also see a provision to adjust rebound on the monoshock, besides preload, similar to the new KTM 390 Adventure spoke wheel version.
Furthermore, the alloy wheel design is also different and we believe these units are lighter than before, similar to the new KTM RC 390. Moreover, the disc brake has been moved from the left to the right side, a change we have observed in the new 390 Duke. What’s strange, however, is that the new Svartpilen 401 was equipped with road-focused Metzeler tyres, as against block-pattern rubbers present on the existing iteration of the bike. Plus, the new bike gets a conventional straight handlebar, as against the braced unit on the 250s currently on sale. This might be an indication that the company will be pitching this more as a roadster than a scrambler.
The presence of a saree guard makes us believe that this model of the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is meant for the Indian market. Also, the fact that it’s ready for production means the official launch might be just around the corner. Notably, this will be the first time Husqvarna’s 401 offering will come to India since KTM has been selling just the 250cc Huskies on our shores so far.
Image Credits: Atish Patil
