Ride Report: Husqvarna Svartpilen 701

I've just spent the day riding this motorcycle, the very handsome Husqvarna Svartpilen 701 or Black Arrow. Now this time last year I had a go on the Vitpilen, the White Arrow 701. I loved the bike, I thought it was brilliant, but it had clip-on handlebars and a real cafe racer riding position. And at the end of the day my comment was, what a brilliant bike and it needs handlebars. So they've done it, a year later the Svartpilen's come out. This motorcycle also shares the same engine, not only as the Vitpilen 701, but also as the Husqvarna 701 SM, their big road-legal supermoto, and KTM's brilliant 690. So they have the same engine, the same chassis, the same basic shape and set-up, and 75bhp for a single-cylinder engine. It's a brilliant engine, it's brilliant fun. So let me tell you a bit more about it whilst I'm out on the road. There may be a few different machines that use the same set-up, but this bike is about brand and style. To me, the Svartpilen is much classier than its KTM cousin. It's still contemporary, but less likely to look outdated in a year or two, and while it's another Kiska-designed machine, it looks fresh and definitely different. There's a lot going on in the heavily stylised tank, seat and side panels, and a distinct nod to flat-track racers, but the stealthy matte black industrial finish feels purposeful and workman-like. It's a bit less of a Tonka-toy than a KTM, but it still looks built to use and abuse, using practical finishes and tough-looking materials. But what I really like is that it looks a lot like the original concept bike, which is rare these days. Undeniably, I think this bike also looks cool, and let's not shy away from that or pretend we don't care. The Svartpilen would suit any Bond villain, Matrix hero or a cameo in the next Tron 3. When I first saw the production bike parked up outside our Lisbon hotel, I was really impressed and couldn't wait to swing a leg over it. So what was it like to ride? Well, if you've ridden any other bike with this 6933 engine and chassis, you already know, it's fantastic. It has all the fun and soul of a torquey, big-bore single-cylinder thumper, with a class-beating 75bhp and a huge 72Nm of torque at just 5,000rpm, and it weighs just 150kg. This brilliant engine is connected to the tarmac via a flexible chrome moly trellis frame, just like a trendy BMX, fully adjustable WP suspension and a very natural riding position. Apart from being black and having handlebars, the Svartpilen also has more suspension travel at both ends, 6 inches in total, and a bigger 18-inch front wheel at the front, which doesn't seem to affect the turn-in. To carry off the flat-track style, the bike wears Pirelli MT60s, which are OK. The traction controls stepped in quite a few times, even when I wasn't trying. To be fair, Lisbon has a few streets with smooth cobblestones and steel tramlines, and the tarmac was broken up on tight corners up in the mountains. If you wanted a fast A-road bike, stickier rubber might be a good upgrade, but the Pirellis do look the part and they work well enough. The radial Brembos did what you'd expect, stopping the bike with plenty of feedback on a big 320mm disc. It's another big tick in the performance box, but I'd expect nothing less on a bike at this price point. The pipe is a bit of a compromise, but it's the same for most modern bikes trying to curb noise and emissions. It's well made, but it's also long, complicated, and some sections need hiding behind low-level bodywork, where the cat also lives. There's a lot of heavy metal down there, but having said that, the whole bike still only weighs 150kg. On the plus side, the OEM end can is actually quite pretty, and there's no discernible performance or sound advantage in upgrading to the slightly better looking Acra option. The cat and most of the baffling is hidden under the complex pipework that goes around and under the bike. Idle chat with some of the Husky team during our first coffee stop teased me with the idea that straight through pipes would release quite a few more ponies, maybe into the double digits, which is a common mod on the 701 Supermoto, where the cat and baffles are more easily removed. I'd love to ride this bike and hear it with open pipes. Going out on test rides with a bunch of professional journalists means a very fast riding pace right from the start, but it also means I get to judge the bike by how the pros ride, and it was obvious to me that the others were having an equally good time and really loved the ride. Most of the guys switched the traction control off before we left the city, pulling massive wheelies out of every corner. Despite having been to wheelie school twice and being an ex-KTM Supermoto owner, in this company I bottled it. At least I was able to concentrate on just keeping up and getting the most out of a proper test. Turning the traction control off was unusually simple for a modern bike. You just press and hold the unmarked black button on the upright circular clocks. That says a lot to me about the way Husky think, and how they expect this bike to be ridden. Bikes like this are made to hoon through cities, the B roads between small towns and anywhere with sweeping corners. Both the Svartpilen and the Vitpilen are definitely riders bikes. Maybe the stylish, flat track-ish looks are a bit contrived, but you still don't buy a bike like this for a gentle commute. You buy a big bore Husky to either show off your skills, or maybe flatter your lack of skill, but these machines are fast but very forgiving. The setup gives plenty of room for emergency late braking or bad landings from fat wheelies. Over the test ride we travelled 140km through heavy city traffic, mountainous wooded twisties, wide sweeping corners on the coast and a fair chunk of 150kmh speeds on busy motorways. I was really impressed by the flexibility of the bike. It's never going to be a mile muncher, but even when speeding down dual carriageways I felt comfortable and stable, and it seemed I could have gone on for a couple of hours. The seat did remind me in the end that I have a bony arse, but that was at the end of the day, and considering the slimline design it's actually pretty comfy. Who knew this gentleman's hooligan might also be a bit of an all-rounder. Overall I do really like the Svartpilen 701, and for what it is I find it hard to fault. I could complain about the plasticky switchgear and the giant speedo, but they don't need to be expensive premium components, they are fit for purpose, and I'd prefer to focus on all the good bits, and I'd prefer Husqvarna to spend their money on components that make the bike go faster, better. What Husky have done is built a very stylish and purposeful version of KTM 690, with a unique look aimed at a different target market. To my taste, the more curvy lines coming out of the Husky half of the Kiska design studio have created a much more classy looking machine, but make no mistake, it's still an animal. At the end of the day we were presented with the Svartpilen 701 Style, which is the same bike with a metallic grey paintjob, blacked out footrest holders and wire spoke wheels, which to me look much better than the cast wheels on the standard bike. If I was buying one, this optional extra would be at the very top of my wishlist, and an Acra N-Can, even though it has almost no discernible effect on power, sound or even weight, it just looks great in close up and I really do like the details. I'm looking forward to checking out what aftermarket options become available, as this bike is crying out for personalisation. I did ask whether it was possible to get rid of the one sided number board, not because I don't like it, it's actually quite cool, but just because. It turns out the Vitpilen's bodywork would easily swap out, and I'd like to see how that looks, painted black of course. Finally, and really obviously, I'd have to get rid of that number plate hanger. I can see the designers were trying to keep the boring necessities from spoiling their concept sketches, but we do all need to hang a number plate and indicators. I'd definitely bin this heavy chunk of plastic and get something simpler bolted to the underside of the tail. I reckon that with a bit of ingenuity, bits and bobs from various aftermarket catalogues, and this bike could look even cooler, and there's nothing wrong with that. This would make a perfect London bike that would be equally fun on mostly legal speeds on the B184 to Finching field, and I reckon it'd even do some decent laps around Lydden Hill. Would I buy one? Yes, I would.