Husqvarna Vitpilen 701

Built:2017-202017201820192020

Husqvarna? Oh yes, these Swedes known for enduros. It's not true: In search of new markets, Husqvarna discovered the street machines and proudly presented the designer piece Vitpilen 701 in 2018. The team of motorradtest.de has taken care of one and clarified whether more delicacies come from the north than Köttbullar.

The Motorcycle

To understand the Vitpilen, a short excursion into the history of the company Husqvarna, which began as early as 1903: After various ups and as many abs, the trademark rights of the Austrian motorcycle company KTM belong since 2013, and the bikes of the additional brand are also built there. So the finest Viennese coffee house instead of Köttbullar, and that's exactly what the Vitpilen is supposed to be: a Café Racer with a lot of style. The first impression is convincing: noble matt lacquering, black wheels and, O-tone Husvarna: overall "minimalist design". What one would normally dismiss as a typical marketing talk actually works here: The Vitpilen 701 looks classic, but very modern and powerful. Up to details such as the LED headlights, you can feel that someone has thought about it. In addition, the workmanship is impeccable.
So while you always discover new details on the machine and try not to fall in love, the reality check comes: What kind of motorcycle is this? The answer: Large parts of the technology come from the KTM Duke 690, including the engine. This stands for slender 8,595 euros at the dealership. Those who indulge in the recommended KTMtrack pack pay 299 euros including traction control (series at Vitpilen) more and end up at 8,894 euros for the Duke. The Vitpilen, on the other hand, costs 10,195 euros. Aua.
The obvious question is: do you get anything tangible for the surcharge of 1,301 euros? Then the test team looked deep into the eyes and, after intensive research and subsequent meditation, came to the conclusion: no.
On the one hand.
On the other hand, do exclusive design pieces, no matter in which industry, make any logical sense at all? Motorcycling in itself is hardly justified by logic, so the Vitpilen does not have to face this question.
We are now looking into the question of what you get for the sum. So: sit up, turn keys over and go.

The Husqvarna Vitpilen 701 on the road

... finally get going. Wonderful, wonderful. The Husqvarna fulfills the promise of lightness from the very first meters, it is manoeuvrable and the clutch is also of the inert variety. The shifting is completely eliminated later thanks to Quickshifter, which works very well up and down. Switching without domes, just as it needs to be.
The Vitpilen immediately informs the inclined motorcyclist what would be a successful ride for them and thus also for the biker: first of all, ride comfortably warm and let the view wander through the landscape. Enjoy the surroundings after work - on the speedometer you can't see anything anyway - and relax. The confidence increases with every meter, one could almost forget the motorcycle among oneself. In fact, the stoppers in our brake tests also delay without fault or reproach despite the single disc at the front.
There was something else? Oh yes: The oil temperature has now reached an area where life as a motorcyclist is fun. So turn it up. It is better to switch off a gear in the six-speed menu, because the KTM engine is not at low speeds. On running culture somehow not, but that would be difficult with a single cylinder anyway.
To be brief, if you like to give 75 hp the attribute "only", you should change your attitude and buy a Vitpilen. The light, sympathetic, riotous vipilen goes forward, that it is a joy. The tight but not uncomfortably designed chassis underlines the whole thing with a good straight line and a safe cornering behavior.