Husqvarna teased us two weeks ago with a camouflaged prototype of the long-awaited Svartpilen 801. The production version of the Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 has just broken cover—and it’s pretty much the same bike, sans stickers. Surprised?
The 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 replaces the single-cylinder Svartpilen 701 as the big brother to the smaller 125 and 401 variants. No longer a thumper, it now boasts a 799 cc parallel-twin engine, good for 105 hp, with a respectable dry weight of 181 kilos [399 pounds]. The frame is a chromium-molybdenum affair that uses the engine as a stressed member.
Given Husqvarna’s practice of repurposing bikes from their parent company, KTM, we’re going to go out on a limb and say that the Svartpilen 801 uses the same platform as the KTM 790 Duke. Their engine specs read the same, their chassis look identical, and they share the same open lattice aluminum swingarm.
It’s disappointing that Husqvarna didn’t pick the brilliantly bonkers KTM 890 Duke R instead, but also understandable. The 790 platform demands less of a premium, and the type of rider that wants the KTM 890 Duke R’s outright performance is likely to buy a KTM 890 Duke R. Besides, the 790’s numbers are nothing to be scoffed at.
The engine’s 105 hp peak output hits at 9,250 rpm, with 87 Nm of torque at 8,000 rpm. Nikasil-coated cylinders and forged aluminum pistons do duty inside, with dual balancer shafts working to reduce vibrations. A slipper clutch and quick-shifter help riders blip through the six-speed transmission.
Braking is by way of Husqvarna-branded J.Juan parts; twin four-piston front calipers with 300 mm discs, and a single two-piston rear caliper with a 240 mm disc. Bosch ABS is standard, as is traction control; both are cornering-sensitive. Riders also get three selectable electronic rider modes, with a fourth mode, and a ‘Dynamic Pack’ that includes anti-wheelie control adjustment, cruise control, and more, available as optional extras.
The Svartpilen 801 also borrows its orange-hued cousin’s WP suspension components. WP APEX 43 mm upside-down open cartridge forks offer 140 mm of travel and are adjustable for compression and rebound. A rebound- and preload-adjustable WP APEX shock does duty out back, with 150 mm of rear wheel travel.
The Svartpilen 801’s alloy wheels resemble those on the outgoing Svartpilen 701, although the front wheel has gone down an inch in size, leaving the new Svartpilen with a matching set of 17s. (If you look really closely, the markings on the Pirelli MT60 RS front tire indicate that it’s an 18-inch item, but we’ve checked, and it’s a 17-inch hoop; weird.)
Visually, the Svartpilen 801 sticks to the same basic aesthetic as its predecessor, but with a few key deviations. The LED head- and taillight are straight out of the Svartpilen playbook, as are the sculpted panels that cover the 14-liter [3.7-gallon] fuel tank (although they’ve been redesigned somewhat). A cast aluminum tail section sits out back, doubling up as a subframe and hosting the bike’s airbox.
The jump from the 701 platform to the 801 platform is a big one, and some of our favorite details from the 701 have been lost in the process. The 801’s split seat design, although beautifully upholstered for a factory bike, doesn’t have the same slick flat track look that the 701’s did. We also miss the 701’s asymmetrical tail section with its right-side number board—another nod to flat track racing.
The 701’s number-plate-style headlight nacelle was a radical touch, but it’s now been ditched in favor of a simple fly screen, that just feels like a lazy way to hide the bike’s dashboard. That dash is now a whopping 5” TFT display, loaded with a full-color display and built-in connectivity features. The scrambler-style handlebars, switch blocks, and mirrors are all standard fare.
Husqvarna has a range of accessories on hand too, from Remus and Akrapovič silencers, to a pillion seat cover, bar-end mirrors, and more.
Overall, the Svartpilen’s 801 lacks the slick, cohesive vibe that the 701 had. While it’s certainly not outright ugly, it does miss the mark in some ways. Nitpicks aside, it’s hard not to be enticed by the idea of a bike that combines the bold, neo-retro aesthetic of Husqvarna’s street bikes with the muscle of KTM’s parallel twins.
Maybe it’ll grow on us, maybe it won’t. Either way, we sure are jonesing to take it for a spin.
Husqvarna | Images by Rudi Schedl