New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Review
Husqvarna announced the full specs and details of their keenly anticipated new Svartpilen 801 and I must say, I do think it really does look rather good.
we’re going to go through the 11 key features that you need to know about.
Engine
Now, number one has to be the engine with the same 799 cc parallel twin as you’ll find in the KTM 790 Duke, a sister company of Husqvarna, of course and in fact, a lot of this bike is based upon the 790.
But it has to be said that’s massively a good thing because it’s a brilliant bike to ride.
This engine in particular is bags of fun with a nice sporty free rev in nature, as well as a really sweet note at the exhaust with firing intervals that aim to mimic the 75 degree V twins of the bigger KTM bikes.
Thing is, though, whereas the current 2024 version of the KTM 790 Duke is limited to 94 horsepower peak, so it can be restricted down to A2 license compatibility.
This Svartpilen and 801, gets the full 105 horsepower that this engine is capable of making, and so it should feel quite a bit more lively at the top end.
Peak torque is also pretty healthy with 87 newton meters produced at 8,000 RPM. And so, of course, this engine is a great starting point around which to build this bike. New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Review
QuickShifter
It’s also worth adding that you do get a quick shifter as standard on this bike, which is a great additional feature and should add a little bit of sportiness with the clutchless up and down shifts, yet without adding to the cost.
Plus, on top of that, you also get a slip assist clutch. And so that’s going to give you a nice light feel at the lever, as well as preventing rear wheel lockups under heavy down shifts.
New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Range
Now, like I said, this is a pretty punchy engine, and it always feels eager to go.
But at the same time, fuel efficiency is actually pretty decent with this engine at 4.5 L consumed per 100 km traveled. New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Review
So despite the fact that you only get a 14 L tank, which is, I think, reasonable for this genre of bike, but not particularly huge, actually, range figures are pretty good at just over 300 km or just shy of 200 miles.
Weight
Now, from a Stalin perspective, this bike straddles a little bit of the retro vibe with the round headlight and a little bit of the scrambler inspiration.
But you could also say it’s pretty equally modern with some interesting lines and the matte finishes.
Overall, though, I think it will still appeal to the rider who likes the bikes in the retro market. New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Review
But the thing is this bike offers something a little bit different to what’s typically on offer there with a more modern build and much more performance bias.
A prime example would be the weight, with a lot of retro bikes being well over 200 kilograms.
Yet, as I say, this bike is built around the 790 Duke, which is really pretty slim, with a minimal tubular steel frame with the engine as a stress member, along with a cast aluminum subframe that integrates it’s the air box and an aluminum swing arm, too.
Combine that with a fairly lightweight engine. You’ve got light cast aluminum wheels as well. And also the pretty minimal plastic bodywork.
You’re looking at a weight figure of 181 kilograms without fuel, and so I guess 195 kilograms fully filled up. New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Review
Now, granted, that is about seven kilograms up on the 790 Duke, probably owing to the fact that this bike has a slightly more rugged appearance, and so some of it’s a bit more chunky-looking.
But still, 195 kilograms fully filled up is still plenty below what you’ll typically find elsewhere on the retro or slightly scramblery off-road-inspired market, and it should massively contribute to that lively performance out on the road that we’re so used to from KTM and Husky bikes.
Hardware
Now, as for the hardware and componentry, well, Husqvarna haven’t really gone down the fancy big name route with a suspension coming from their own in-house WP brand and the break in hardware carrying their own logo despite the fact that it’s produced on their behalf by Spanish manufacturers J.Juan.
So what I think that should mean is that all of your money is going on decent hardware, as opposed to paying for having a fancy Brembo logo on the side of the break calipers, for example. New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Review
And look, With a pair of full piston, radially mounted calipers up front on 300 mill disks, I’d fully expect there to be plenty of braking power on tap.
Equally, WP suspension is usually excellent, and with the 43 millimeter APEX upside down fork, you get both compression and rebound adjustability, which is a great feature in this market, as well as rebound and preload adjustability on the shock, which is also from WP’s APEX lineup.
Wheels & Tyres
Plus, you get a WP steering damper, fitted as standard, which they say adds a little bit of control on rugged surfaces.
Now, judging by the marketing on this bike, although it does have a little bit of scrambler inspiration, it really feels like they’re more so pitching it as a flat track-inspired bike. New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Review
So like the single-cylinders the 701 version that preceded it, as opposed to the oversize front wheel that you’ll typically find on a scrambler, you actually get 17 inches front and rear built from cast aluminum, which helps to keep them nice and light.
And they’ll also be shod with Pirelli these MT60 RS tires, which are flat track inspired themselves, but should also still have pretty decent road capability.
Now, for me, I really do like these off-road inspired bikes, certainly in terms of the looks anyway.
But realistically, out on the road, a 17-inch front wheel does handle far better.
And so I think this is the right call for this bike. And also, those tires should be up to the job as well. New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Review
Ergonomics
Ergonomically, this bike looks like it’s going to be really quite comfy with those relatively high flat track-inspired bars. And I wouldn’t expect the foot controls to be particularly high up either.
But for me, the key thing is that the seat height comes in a very balanced 820 millimeters.
Really, I think this is right in the sweet spot for a road-focused bike, because sometimes with middle weights or slightly retro-looking bikes, you end up with a seat height that’s a little bit too far on the low side, I’d say. 820 mill, though, is still reasonably accessible to get your feet down to the floor quite easily.
But also you’re not sacrificing too much of that sportiness in the riding position.
And for someone Whose height, around the 5’9 mark or 175 centimeters, I think this is going to be pretty much ideal. New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Review
New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 TFT & Tech
Now, this bike is absolutely dripping with tech, all managed through a five-inch full-colour TFT display, which gets the typical Husqvarna design treatment, which is something that generally I really do like.
Now, through this, you can manage three standard riding modes of Rains, Street, and Sport.
And there’s also the option to spec it up with the additional dynamic mode for a little bit more customization.
As for the specific rider aids within those modes, well, you’ve got cornering sensitive ABS, the option to enable their signature Supermotor ABS mode, which disables at the rear for extra skids, cornering sensitive traction control as well.
And then as part of that dynamic pack that I just mentioned, there’s also Anti-wheelie as well as MSR, which helps to control engine drag torque.
Cruise Control
Thing is, though, with those extra rider aids in the extra mode, while it does add a little bit of fun, I actually think the main reason for speccing up the dynamic pack is the fact that it actually includes cruise control.
This is a bit of a non-negotiable feature for me on a brand new bike in 2024. And so while it is a little bit of a shame that it doesn’t come as standard or that you can’t, I don’t think, spec it separately from the Dynamic pack.
Given what else you get bundled in, I think it really does make the Dynamic pack look like a worthwhile upgrade. That said, you do get some techy features thrown in as standard. New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Review
Connectivity
We already talked about the quick shifter, but also Bluetooth connectivity, which opens up compatibility with their smartphone app, and that means you can control calls, music, and media, as well as getting turn-by-turn navigation prompts right there on the dash.
In fact, it’s their latest turn-by turn plus navigation system, which is shared with KTM, and it offers a few more advanced features like offline maps, favorite destinations and routes, and also the ability to add up to 128 waypoints on one single route.
Styling
Look, lots of cool features on this bike, as well as it being one that looks like it’s going to go really very well on the road as well. New Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Review
But I think another key selling point has to be the looks, and they’ve done a fantastic job of giving it a evolution or continuation of the design language that’s been so popular over the years on the Svartpilen and Vitpilen bikes.
There is a little bit of a difference with the bodywork and some of the new structural parts, but ultimately it still carries a lot of the signature features like the round headlight, the shape of the side of the tank, and also the modern mat and stealthy finishing.
The only thing that might have been nice is a few other color options because I believe it’s just this black version for now.
And look, they do have some more popping stuff elsewhere in the lineup, like the splashes of neon yellow on the Norden 901, or even that rich blue with the white accents that you get on the Norden Expedition.