Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 – Ride Report

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a Svartpilen! Perhaps stretching the analogy a touch, but in a world of Scramblers and Roadsters, Husqvarna have always trod a different path with their Pilen range. From the moment that first, staggeringly striking 701 Vitpilen concept broke cover at Eicma 2015, they have stuck stoically to their mantra, “Escape the ordinary”.

401 concepts followed, along with the arresting Aero project, before the market-ready 401’s finally landed in 2018. The launch of their 701 brethren was staggered, with the road oriented, clip-on sporting Vit arriving first, the Svart a year later, sporting new, flat-track themed glad rags and a 19 inch front wheel. Fast-forward to 2024 and the reveal order has flipped, with the Black Arrow taking first bow for the all-new large capacity models. And the big news? Bye bye single, hello twin.

It is no secret that Husqvarna is owned by the KTM group, and in the finest display of sibling sharing ever witnessed, the racy-one has lent the Nordic-one their renowned 790 twin. In response to that kindness, Husky have hustled an extra 10bhp from the motor for their 801 over that of the 2024 Duke… There is about to be a fight in the play-room.

It is an astonishing engine. Perched on a table in the briefing room of the bikes Marseille launch, it is almost impossibly small, easily mistaken for the single it replaced, but packing 105 horses into its lithe 52kg form. The steel main-frame utilises the compact motor as a stressed member while the beautiful, airbox-housing subframe is a cast aluminium two-piece with a sumptuous, powder-coated finish. WP Apex forks, with simplified 5 click rebound and preload adjustment, work in tandem with an adjustable shock (also WP) to connect the chassis to cast, 17’ wheels. And here we arrive at the first significant point for discussion. 

Seventeen-inch wheels. Wearing Pirelli MT60RS flat-track aping rubber, on a bike described in the press kit as “Scrambler inspired”. Confusing. The 19’ front of the 701 iteration complemented it’s aforementioned flat-track garb perfectly but would have also fit the Scrambler tagline without committing to a full 21’ hoop. In fact, the more I look at the bike, the only thing I see to tick the prescribed inspiration box are those braced bars. Not that I mind, because the more I look, the more I like what I see.

That signature Pilen style, with its combination of flat-planes, sharp angles and sweeping curves was originally penned and now developed by Kiska Design. Their foundation in product and industrial design on show for all to see. The 801 Svartpilen is an incredibly pleasing object at a standstill, but with  obvious, dynamic intent. Backed by those asphalt baiting 17 inch wheels, it is a machine desperate to hit the road. 

And what roads they were. Like overcooked spaghetti tossed at a mountain, flicking this way and that, past precipice and through forest. The Svartpilen devoured them all with agility and stability. As a person of 20/20 vision I have not ridden the 790 Duke, but the more experienced racers journalists on the launch reported the Husky as a more stable, less frenetic steed. To me it was incredibly engaging and yet confidence inspiring, with no hint of a squirm from those block-tread Pirellis.  

Our “dynamic pack” equipped test bikes came with a vast collection of acronyms to boast the suite of tech on call. PASC (Power Assist Slipper Clutch), MSR (Motor Slip Regulation), Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC), Easy-shift (EMS) and at last, one I recognised, ABS. Not to mention Anti-Wheelie Control, that for reasons unknown is deprived of an abbreviation in the spec sheet. After a series of ham-fisted attempts to imitate my mono-wheeling company, I was relieved to find my Anti-Wheelie set to VERY LOW, but after tapping away at the pleasing switchgear to dial VERY HIGH, I was delighted (and relieved) to waft my front tyre in the air.

Is all that tech intrusive? Quite the opposite, almost purifying and focussing the ride experience. Watching MCN’s Michael Neeves utilise the rear ABS cancelling “Supermoto Mode” to lock and drift the back wheel into repeated downhill corners was a treat that will live long in the memory. Suffice to say, in talented hands the Svartpilen is an absolute weapon, and in mine, an absolute hoot. 

After a bright morning in the mountains, post lunch we dropped down to a lake filled valley and the heavens gave way. Flicking through the three preset riding modes from Sport, via Street, to Rain, the Svartpilen again affirmed it’s inclination for tarmac. No Dirt or Enduro modes hiding here. Although a fourth, fully user-defined mode becomes available with the optional dynamic-pack. As the pace slowed and the rain seeped into my borrowed gear (thanks BA for leaving my kit-bag at Heathrow…) I was afforded more time to fathom exactly what the Svartpilen is for.

My 6’4 frame had relatively few grumbles and aches from a day in the saddle. The low pegs, high bars and surprisingly roomy seat provided opportunity to shuffle between a few rider triangles. The clear TFT dash and intuitive navigation cluster were pleasing to use and the feel from the cockpit is one of quality. Although we enjoyed largely open, traffic free roads I have little doubt it is a setup that would fare well on an urban commute. A model moniker of “The dark street explorer” would certainly suggest confidence in this habitat.

So where does it sit and with what does it compete? Ducati’s current Scrambler range run exclusively on 17’s and command similar desirability, but on paper, the Svartpilen’s digits are far closer to those of the road-biased Monster. Fantic’s 700 Caballero came up in the breakfast-brainstorm along with both the seven and nine hundred XSR Yamahas, the KTM 790 Duke with which it shares a power-unit also entered the discussion. The blend of references and press-kit directives may suggest a machine with an identity crisis, but the motorcycle itself is crystal clear. 

If the unique aesthetic catches you in the gut, then the moment you take to the street, its capabilities will seal the deal. Can it play in the dirt? No idea, but if that is your primary playground you are likely looking elsewhere anyway, perhaps even at Husqvarna’s own Norden. The anticipated arrival of its twin twin, the road-focussed Vitpilen may pose further questions to the Svartpilien’s intended purpose, but for me, this iteration combines all the notes I desire. Is it a Scrambler? Is it a Tracker? No, it’s a Svartpilen. I want one.