Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 2025 — Specifications

The Swedish scent gives birth to creatures with enigmatic accents. Long after the confidential 900 Nuda (under the BMW era), Husqvarna took advantage of its owner’s (KTM) impetus to rethink its roadster philosophy and launched the 701 Svartpilen and Vitpilen. Success was mixed there too, due to a singular design and an engine that was out of step with its segment. A monobrand when everyone is riding twins or triples doesn’t quite match; even though the engine in question delivers a crazy 75 hp.

Husky is back with an 801 Svartpilen, still surprising but this time with an engine much more in line with the times. It fully leverages the organ bank of Mattighofen, starting with the well-known twin of the 790 Duke and Adventure. A punchy, fast and fun mechanic! But the Svartpilen doesn’t hold back like its cousins, capped at 95 horsepower. No, the 801 has a force almost identical to that of the former 790 Duke (2018 – 2020). The 799 cm3 and 52 kg twin delivers 105 hp at 9250 rpm and a nice torque of 8.9 mkg at 8000 rpm. A more refined engine management allows it to offer a different response than that of the Austrian cousin.

By giving a little more than the 790 and a little less than the 990, the 801 Svartpilen avoids sniffing at their heels and offers an intermediate alternative of robustness in addition to its surprising design. Like all the “Pilen”, the 801 moves with a very particular physique. Its round Norden-style gaze, its runic shapes, the reinforcing bar on the handlebar, its Pirelli MT60 RS tires, the aluminum engine guard, the muted colors… It’s a long way from the Duke cousin and its incisiveness. All the better, consanguinity will be harder to establish.

This Svartpilen combines genres in an iconoclastic sense. It’s a roadster, with the majority of attributes, suspensions, wheels and a frame tailored for the road… but equipped with block-pattern tires (with very good grip, though), gentle off-road style, in 120 and 180 dimensions. A mix between a Duke and a Ducati 1100 Scrambler!?

This cycle part arrives like the engine from the Austrian workshops. The backbone is a minimalist tubular steel chrome-molybdenum structure serving as the mechanical stiffening element. Around it are attached WP APEX-type elements, such as the 43 mm inverted fork with 140 mm of travel and a mono-shock absorber with 150 mm of stroke. The duo can be adjusted in compression and rebound at the front and then in preload and rebound at the rear. Husqvarna uses the same braking solution as KTM, with J.Juan 4-piston radial calipers clamping 300 mm discs. A 240 mm disc is at the other end. And above them, an ABS cornering system watches over, with the Supermoto function to deactivate the rear and give the Svartpilen’s rear end a wiggle on suitable terrain. A steering damper will be there instead to prevent the front end from being too nonchalant. Initially presented with a very short wheelbase of 1,388 mm, the big Svart' ultimately presents 1475 mm of space between the wheels. A more sensible value.

The Swedish breed is therefore less frigid than it appears, combining mutinous escapades under the guise of an ambassador. All seasoned with a good dose of technology. The engine can count on an anti-backlash clutch to avoid wheelies and an Up&Down shifter. On the electronics side, the equipment is faithful to the standards of the Pierer group, with a traction control system sensitive to angle and deactivatable, 3 Riding Modes (Street – Sport – Rain) + a Dynamic Mode as an option (bringing with it engine slip control, a 5-level wheelie control + off, and a cruise control), a 5-inch color TFT screen with its own display theme (not a Katoche copy-paste), backlit commodos, LEDs for all lighting and Smartphone connectivity installed as standard - A Bluetooth connection to enjoy your music, phone calls and the "Ride Husqvarna Motorcycles" app allowing simplified navigation, among other things.

The "Black Arrow" weighs barely more than its segment’s Duke. Very logical given the genetic heritage. 181 kg, a weight in the best standards of the category. Its price is well above the 790 Duke but its equipment is richer. Its genesis does not make it a sharp and aggressive roadster but a pseudo-scrambler with an esoteric charm.

M.B - Photos constructeur